[7] Before starting her political career, Schaaf was an attorney in Oakland at the law firm of Reed Smith LLP.

Foster Educational Institute in 1995, creating and running a new volunteer program for the Oakland Unified School District.

[18] In the race for Oakland mayor, Schaaf was endorsed by Governor of California Jerry Brown[19][20] and US Senator Barbara Boxer.

[21] During her mayoral term, the city lost two major league sports teams, the Oakland Raiders and the Golden State Warriors, in 2019.

The Department of Transportation assumed some responsibilities formerly held by Oakland Public Works, such as road design, resurfacing and maintenance.

[23][24][25] In her announcement,[26] Mayor Schaaf said that the focus will be on, "sustainable strategies that can bring needed change quickly to city streets.

In May 2015, Mayor Schaaf instituted a ban on un-permitted nighttime marches on public roadways in Oakland, citing existing city policies.

[32] Schaaf alerted city residents to imminent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in February 2018, earning criticism from some federal authorities.

[38] After she left office, Schaaf was accused of a pattern of campaign finance violations following an investigation by the Oakland Public Ethics Commission.

[45] Schaaf co-founded the nonprofit Oakland Cares, which organized and implemented hundreds of volunteer community improvement projects across the city.

She serves on the Leadership Council at Kiva, a non-profit organization that allows people to lend money via the Internet to low-income entrepreneurs and students in over 80 countries.