As a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco, Lianne Dumas (along with her team) represent the Public Conservator, Department of Public Health, and Family and Children Services in all aspects of their day-to-day operations, including litigating on their behalf in jury and bench trials. Under the leadership of the City Attorney, her office has hundreds of attorneys, all responsible for representing different departments in the City and County, as well as handling affirmative litigation regarding novel legal issues, constitutional concerns, and public policy reforms.

“My job is fascinating because I get to do different things every day. One day I may be advising a city employee or implementing new state laws into local practice. The next day, I may be standing in front of a judge and jury, or giving a presentation to colleagues. My colleagues and I work together as a team, and we have a lot of fun while working hard. As a result, I never regret my decision to study at Cal State Fullerton, nor my choice to practice law,” Dumas explains.

Being a lawyer can be exciting and fun, and you don’t need to believe all of the lawyers that complain about how boring and awful their lives are. There are many types of legal jobs out there. Take the time to foster connections with people and find out what type of job works for you and your lifestyle.”

Lawyering is Dumas’ second career. She went to law school after working in non-profit development for several years after graduating from CSUF. “I became interested in Political Science, even though I didn’t really understand what it was exactly. I just knew that I found politics interesting (it was an exciting time...the era of Bill Clinton and all the scandals). I was excited about getting to vote for the first time as well. I was already thinking about attending law school, and I had heard Political Science was the major of choice for most lawyers.” “I added an American Studies minor after taking a class from John Ibson, and falling in love with him and all the class offerings in the department,” she continues.

Being a Political Science major and American Studies minor prepared Dumas for law school and her career as an attorney. “It taught me to think critically about important issues, analyze complex data and information, and communicate verbally and in writing about those issues. I practice these skills daily, in and out of the courtroom,” she explains. Through CSUF, she also interned in State Government in Sacramento for a year, which taught her life and career skills - most importantly, how to work hard and network and how impactful first impressions could help turn her career dreams into reality. Dumas adds, “The most important thing that my major gave me, was the ability to learn/research about and consider complex issues and topics and to be able to then distill those issues down into digestible writings and oral arguments. This is exactly what law students and lawyers do every day.”

Dumas grew up in Yucaipa, in rural San Bernardino County and went to CSUF after being chosen to be a President’s Scholar. She initially planned to study music; however, she ultimately changed to Political Science. She fell in love with San Francisco after visiting the “City” during her college year interning in Sacramento. “I moved to SF immediately after college, on a whim, and absolutely love all the City has to offer,” she declared.

Soon after graduating from law school, Dumas' parents fell unexpectedly sick, and both passed away, close in time to each other. “It was a very challenging few years trying to take care of my siblings and my parents’ affairs, and keep my life and marriage together while grieving. During that time, it was hard to dream, be motivated, and know what I wanted to do with my life. However, this period taught me that hard things happen to us that we don’t expect, that it is okay to be sad and not to know what the future holds, and that it is fine to take time to grieve and focus on moving forward no matter how small the steps are. Since then, when I have faced challenges or fears, such as trying to get my current job, preparing for a jury trial, or relationship issues, I know that I can get through anything and come out better on the other side,” she says.

For Dumas, being a government attorney means she gets to interact with many people who want to make an impact and make the City and County better. It also means that she has work-life balance, which is important to her, as family and hobbies are important well.

Dumas, a life-long swimmer, is on a master's swim team, San Francisco Tsunami. “It is a great community and excellent stress relief. I even did some triathlons. Being active and part of a team helps with motivation, accountability, overall health, and relationships. I love going to the beach...but I miss the warm Southern California beaches. Here in SF, we have to wear our coats to the beach!”