Joseph M. Montes

Joseph M. Montes

Pronouns: he, him, his

Joseph Montes serves as the City Attorney for the cities of Alhambra, San Marino and Santa Clarita.  In those capacities, Joseph has provided advice and opinions on issues involving public contracts, privatization, planning, zoning, redevelopment, elections, employment, constitutional rights, conflicts of interest, and telecommunications issues.  He has also assisted public entities with issues concerning the Brown Act, the Subdivision Map Act, Mello-Roos Community Facilities District and Improvement Bond Act of 1915 financing, the Government Tort Claims Act, the Public Records Act, Proposition 218, the Political Reform Act, the California Voting Rights Act, and CEQA.  He has drafted contracts, resolutions, ordinances, development agreements, and employee policies.

Joseph’s litigation experience has primarily involved representation of municipal entities in state and federal court.  He has  been involved in public works contract disputes, code enforcement, administrative writ proceedings, transient occupancy tax collection actions, Civil Rights abuse cases, police excessive force cases, California Government Tort Claims Act matters, assessment district foreclosures, and flood damage actions.

In terms of land use and redevelopment, Joseph’s experience includes acquisition of land through eminent domain proceedings, negotiations for redevelopment projects and drafting of owner participation agreements and development agreements.

In law school, Joseph was a staff writer for the Loyola of Los Angeles Entertainment Law Journal (1992-1993) and the Chief Note and Comment Editor (1993-1994), and received an American Juris Prudence Book Award for Trial Advocacy.

Joseph ascribes to the philosophy, “Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can.” (Arthur Ashe).

  • J.D., Loyola Law School Los Angeles, 1994
  • B.A., magna cum laude, Communication in Television Production, Santa Clara University, 1990
  • State Bar of California
  • United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California
  • League of California Cities, President City Attorney's Department
  • Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at Santa Clara University, Member Government Ethics Council
  • City Attorneys Association for Los Angeles County, past President
  • League of California Cities, City Attorneys Department First Vice President
  • League of California Cities, past City Attorneys Department Nominating Committee member
  • League of California Cities, past Attorney Development and Succession Committee Chair
  • League of California Cities, past Revenue and Taxation Policy Committee member
  • League of California Cities, past Legal Advocacy Committee member
  • League of California Cities, past City Attorneys Department Public Records Act Committee member
  • Selected to Southern California Super Lawyers, 2011 and 2012 and Southern California Rising Stars 2005-2007
  • SuperLawyers Rising Star Logo