POWER OF ATTORNEY - JAMES DOWD III, SECTION 16 REPORTING

	Know all by these presents, that the undersigned hereby
constitutes and appoints each of Michael B. Cahill, Jean A.
Cooper and Sandra Seeley, signing singly, the undersigned's true
and lawful attorney-in-fact to:

	(1) execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the
undersigned's capacity as an officer and/or director of City
National Corporation (the "Company"), Forms 144, 3, 4, and 5 in
accordance with Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 and the rules thereunder, the Form ID required to apply for
EDGAR access codes, and any other documents necessary to
facilitate the filing of Section 16 reports and related EDGAR
filings;

	(2) do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of
the undersigned which may be necessary or desirable to complete
and execute any such Form 144, 3, 4, or 5, complete and execute
any amendment or amendments thereto, and timely file such form
with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and any
stock exchange or similar authority; and

	(3) take any other action of any type whatsoever in
connection with the foregoing which, in the opinion of such
attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to, in the best interest of,
or legally required by, the undersigned, it being understood that
the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
undersigned pursuant to this power of attorney shall be in such
form and shall contain such terms and conditions as such
attorney-in-fact may approve in such attorney-in-fact's
discretion.

	The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact
full power and authority to do and perform any and every act and
thing whatsoever requisite, necessary, or proper to be done in
the exercise of any of the rights and powers herein granted, as
fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
could do if personally present, with full power of substitution
or revocation, hereby ratifying and confirming all that such
attorney-in-fact, or such attorney-in-fact's substitute or
substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue of
this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein granted.
the undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-
fact, in serving in such capacity at the request of the
undersigned, are not assuming, nor is the company assuming, any
of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply with Section 16
of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

	This power of attorney shall remain in full force and
effect until the undersigned is no longer required to file Forms
144, 3, 4, and 5 with respect to the undersigned's holdings of
and transactions in securities issued by the Company, unless
earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing delivered
to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

In witness whereof, the undersigned has caused this power of
attorney to be executed as of this 1st day of June, 2005.

By: James Dowd III