OCEANSIDE — The City Council has appointed Steven Burke, Jr. as the new city attorney following the retirement of his predecessor, John Mullen, last month.
Burke has 18 years of experience representing public entities across California and brings a background in litigation, handling cases involving dangerous conditions, civil rights and employment disputes.
In 2014, Burke joined the city as deputy city attorney and was promoted to assistant city attorney in 2020. Most recently, he managed the city’s civil litigation team and assisted the risk manager in handling government claims.
“I am both humbled and grateful for this opportunity, but I think more than anything it’s a reflection on our office, on the great lawyers and legal team that Mr. Mullen put together, and the fine work he did for the last 18, almost 19 years,” Burke said during his first council meeting as city attorney on Jan. 8. “He’s been a close friend, a mentor of mine for more than 10 years, and I did everything I could to learn from him in that period of time.”
Burke’s qualifications include admission to all state and federal courts in California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the U.S. Supreme Court. A graduate of Thomas Jefferson School of Law in San Diego, he has undergone litigation training at the College of Trial Advocacy and the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s “Building Trial Skills” program.
In 2021, he served as president of the Bar Association of Northern San Diego County.
Burke’s salary as city attorney is $275,000, with an additional $500 monthly auto allowance.
During his remarks, Burke committed to keeping an open-door policy, listening first and providing high-quality legal services to the community.