The first lady of the law

Alicia Robinson

Robin Clauson started out as a clerk in the Newport Beach city

attorney’s office while she was in law school.

Today, it’s her office, and she’s the first woman to occupy it.

Clauson was named Newport Beach city attorney a week ago, but

she’s been holding down the job since Bob Burnham retired in August

after more than 20 years with the city.

“It’s kind of surreal,” Clauson said.

“I don’t know if I’m excited yet about it because I’ve been here

for so long, and Bob is still here [as a consultant] It hasn’t really

sunk in yet.”

Before stepping in for Burnham, Clauson was the assistant city

attorney for 15 years.

A native of San Diego County, Clauson, 48, got her undergraduate

degree at UC Irvine and worked as a paralegal. After earning a law

degree from Western State University in Fullerton, Clauson worked at

a private law firm and as counsel for Orange County.

When the assistant city attorney position in Newport Beach opened

up, she applied because she loved municipal law.

It attracted her because it covers such a wide variety of topics.

Because she does work for 11 city departments, she often gets to

learn something new, she said.

She’s still familiarizing herself with some of the city’s legal

issues -- Burnham was the expert on Measure S, the city slow-growth

law -- but in her tenure, she’s picked up expertise in a range of

subjects.

“[Burnham] would drop on me this book of information and say, ‘You

are now the expert on [this subject,]’” she said.

“And I wouldn’t be, but it would be time to learn.”

In some areas, she’s impressed co-workers with her knowledge.

“She’s always on top of things, and she knows the Brown Act like

the back of her hand,” said Debbie Alcaraz, Clauson’s administrative

assistant, who has worked with her for nine years.

Newport Beach Public Works Director Steve Badum frequently works

with Clauson on contracts for his department.

Some city attorneys spend more time telling staff members what

they can’t do than helping them reach their goals, but Clauson is a

team player, he said.

“Quite often city attorneys tend to be obstacles, but Robin is a

partner in getting things done and getting them done correctly,”

Badum said.

“She’s a great city attorney because she’s really good at looking

at the bigger picture of what we’re trying to accomplish and how to

get there.”

In 2005, Clauson will tackle some big issues -- the city’s general

plan update, reuse of the Marinapark property and mooring

realignments in the harbor.

But her most immediate concern is hiring an assistant city

attorney so she can have a little more time with her family.

She and Robert Zur Schmiede, her husband of 10 years, have a 9-year-old daughter, Makenna.

Zur Schmiede works for the city of Fullerton, and the family lives

in Laguna Beach.

“My husband and I lived in Newport for about a year and a half,

but I found I couldn’t enjoy the city because everything I saw

reminded me of something I was working on,” she said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.