ABOUT RUBIN E. CRUSE, JR.

Rubin E. Cruse, Jr. is a practical and detail-oriented attorney with extensive experience in public agency law having served in the Shasta County Counsel’s Office for over twenty-four years and as the Shasta County Counsel for over twelve years. He effectively managed the County’s in-house law office while also providing practical legal advice and representation to the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive Officer, and other County leadership on the full panoply of legal issues impacting California county government.

Rubin has also served as Vice President and President of the County Counsel’s Association of California. The County Counsel’s Association presented him with the James B. Lindholm, Jr. Legacy Award for his outstanding contributions to the organization and public agency law.

RELATED EXPERIENCE

As County Counsel for the County of Shasta, Rubin was responsible for:

• Providing legal advice and representation to over twenty County departments, including the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters, the Planning Director, and the Sheriff.
• Managing an active law office, supervising a team of attorneys and support staff.
• Training and advising public officials and employees on various legal topics, including the Brown Act, ethics and conflicts of interest, election campaign restrictions, local campaign finance ordinances, and the laws against harassment and discrimination.
• Drafting ballot titles and summaries, as well as impartial analyses for local measures submitted to the electorate, including tax measures.
• Representing County agencies in arbitration and administrative proceedings involving labor and employment issues.

Rubin has a particular interest and expertise in addressing housing and homelessness. He updated Shasta County’s ordinance concerning unlawful camping in response to recent court decisions and provided legal advice to the Board of Supervisors on local ordinances related to panhandling. Rubin also has advised on efforts to provide affordable housing.

PRACTICE AREAS

• Housing/Homelessness
• Elections
• Public Agency Law
• Labor and Employment

BAR ADMISSION

• 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 Eastern District of California

EDUCATION

• University of Southern California, JD
• University of Michigan, BA