Deputy County Counsel

Contra Costa County is seeking highly motivated, career-oriented attorneys, with strong academic credentials and excellent research and writing skills, to fill two Deputy County Counsel - Exempt positions in the General Law Division. This is a great opportunity to work in the beautiful Bay Area and join a collegial team of attorneys and staff committed to public service and quality of life. Attorneys selected to work in the General Law Division are expected to handle all aspects of advising and representing a public agency and its departments, boards, and commissions. They may be asked to prepare formal legal opinions, ordinances and other documents, analyze and draft contracts, prepare pleadings, serve as counsel to hearing bodies, handle civil trials, civil writ matters, and other litigation, and participate in mediations, negotiations, and administrative hearings. Attorneys applying for a position in this division should highlight their training and experience in one or more of the following areas: business transactions, including contract preparation, land use, employment law, employment litigation or general civil litigation, including civil writ matters (excluding tort litigation).
 
The work of the County Counsel's Office is diverse, fast paced, and high-profile, and requires the desire and ability to assume responsibility and build long-term client relationships. The ideal candidates for the positions will be articulate and energetic, with exceptional analytical skills and judgment. Successful applicants must be able to relate well to colleagues, clients, and the courts, have the ability to think strategically and creatively, and have the ability to foster collaborative work relationships among stakeholders involved in negotiations. 
 
In recognition of the possibility of conflict of interest, Deputy County Counsels - Exempt are required to refrain from private law practice.  Attorneys are required to furnish personal transportation and may seek mileage reimbursement for work-related travel in accordance with County policy.
 
The County Counsel's Office currently has a staff of 34 attorneys.  Eligible attorneys may participate in the department's Law School Loan Reimbursement Program.  The positions may be filled at any level step appropriate to qualifications and experience.  Promotional opportunities exist within the Deputy County Counsel-Exempt from Basic Level ($8,314.05-9,882.80) through Standard Level ($10,134.79-12,047.08) to Advanced Level ($12,354.26-14,685.34).  Provisions exist for up to two steps of salary increase for outstanding performance. Deputy County Counsels - Exempt, are excluded from the County Merit System and are appointed by the County Counsel.

Typical Tasks:

• Advises and defends the County and districts and their officers and employees in civil legal matters
• Confers with and advises County and district offices and employees on legal questions pertaining to their respective powers, duties, functions, programs, and potential liability exposure
• Attends meetings of boards and commissions, as requested
• Prepares formal written legal opinions
• Drafts ordinances, resolutions, regulations, and other legislative measures
• Assists County departments in formulating policies and procedures
• Reviews and drafts contracts, leases, conveyances, and other legal documents
• Studies, interprets and applies laws, court decisions and other legal authorities in the preparation of cases, opinions, and trial and appellate briefs
• Formulates recommendations concerning the advisability of prosecuting, defending, compromising or dismissing civil litigation and administrative proceedings
• Provides advice, assistance and review in the County's risk management program
• Prepares pleadings and conducts condemnation, damage, and other civil actions in all State and Federal courts
• Prepares appellate briefs
• Assembles and evaluates evidence, conducts discovery, and secures and interviews witnesses
• Represents the County and its officers and employees in administrative hearings and arbitrations
• Establishes and maintains effective relationships with County departments and other County Counsel clients
• Conducts proceedings involving dependent children, termination of parental rights, guardianship, conservatorship, and probate
• Performs a wide variety of legal research
• May be called upon to supervise, train, or assist other deputies
• Keeps informed of current developments in the civil law
• Prepares correspondence and reports

Minimum Qualifications

California State Bar License: Active membership in the California State Bar and admission to practice before all State courts.

Minimum Experience:  Applicants must have the following minimum experience to qualify for each position level.

Basic Level: Two (2) years of full-time (or the equivalent) experience as a practicing attorney or one (1) year of full-time (or the equivalent position level) experience as an attorney practicing law for a public agency.

Standard Level: Four (4) years of full-time (or the equivalent) experience as a practicing attorney.

Advanced Level: Five (5) years of full-time (or the equivalent) experience as a practicing attorney

Please apply HERE.

United States Magistrate Judge

Magistrate judges in the Northern District are authorized to perform the full range of duties provided for magistrate judges under the applicable statute. In particular, the Court encourages civil litigants to consent to the jurisdiction of magistrate judges for all purposes up to and including bench or jury trial, with appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court sponsors a comprehensive program of judicially-hosted settlement conferences and other forms of alternative dispute resolution in which the magistrate judges play a critical role. In addition to their work on civil cases for which they have obtained the consent of the parties and on settlement conferences, the magistrate judges may handle pretrial case management and motions on cases assigned to the district judges. With respect to criminal cases, the magistrate judges exercise complete jurisdiction over petty offense and misdemeanor cases and handle preliminary proceedings in felony cases.

The current annual salary of the position is $188,692, and is set at the rate of 92% of the salary of a district court judge. The term of office is eight years, subject to reappointment for continuing eight-year terms thereafter. The judicial retirement system provides for vesting of a partial annuity after eight years, and, after 14 years of service, a magistrate judge is entitled to an annuity equal to the salary of the office, payable at age 65. The other benefits of federal employment apply.

To qualify for appointment, applicant must:

1. Be, and have been for at least five years, a member in good standing of the bar of the highest court of a state, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Territory of Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands of the United States, and have been engaged in the active practice of law for a period of at least five years (with some substitutes authorized);
2. Be competent to perform all the duties of the office; be of good moral character; be emotionally stable and mature; be committed to equal justice under the law; be in good health; be patient and courteous; and be capable of deliberation and decisiveness;
3. Be less than 70 years old; and
4. Not be related to a judge of the District Court.

Merit Selection Panels composed of attorneys and other members of the community will review all applications and confidentially recommend to the judges of the District Court the candidates it considers best qualified. The Court will make the appointments following an FBI full-field investigation and an IRS tax check of the appointee.

The San Jose term is expected to start in June 2018. The San Francisco term is expected to start in September 2018.

The individuals selected must comply with the financial disclosure requirements pursuant to the Ethics in Government Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-521, 90 Stat. 1824 (1978) (codified at 5 U.S.C. app. 4 §§ 101-111) as implemented by the Judicial Conference of the United States. An affirmative effort will be made to give due consideration to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, age (40 and over), gender, religion, national origin, or disability.

An Information and Application Package may be obtained on the court’s website at cand.uscourts.gov, or by mail upon written request to:

Susan Y. Soong, Clerk
U.S. District Court
P.O. Box 36060
San Francisco, CA 94102

Please include a self-addressed 9” x 12” envelope, affixed with $1.83 in postage.
Applications must be signed personally by the applicant and received by August 31, 2017. Applications delivered in-person must be received by 4:00 pm.
All applications will be kept confidential unless the applicant consents to disclosure, and all applications will be examined only by members of the Merit Selection Panels and the judges of the District Court. The panels’ deliberations will remain confidential.

Assistant City Attorney

The City Attorney's Office is seeking to add a mid-level staff attorney. The attorney will be hired at the Assistant City Attorney or Deputy City Attorney level, depending on qualifications and experience.
 
The position will focus on contracts and transactions, including public works, construction, professional services, IT and citywide purchasing. The position will also be assigned general municipal advice in other areas.
 
The position will advise Department Directors and project managers on procedural and regulatory requirements, negotiate and draft transactional documents, draft legislation and provide counseling to mitigate risks and resolve disputes pre-litigation.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge and skills, which would typically be acquired through:
• Juris Doctorate and five plus years of directly related legal experience.

Licensing Requirements:

• Member in good standing with the California Bar

The ideal candidate has experience advising cities, either in-house or at a firm, and has substantive knowledge and practice experience in one or more of the following key areas: public works/construction, IT and professional services contracting, citywide purchasing. Applicants should be familiar with municipal ethics laws, open meeting and public records requirements, and due process requirements. Knowledge of municipal finance is desirable. Candidates must have a minimum of five years of practice, with at least three years representing public entities. Candidates must have strong oral and written communication skills, be practical problem solvers, and work effectively as part of a team.

See additional information HERE.

Attorney - Neighborhood Law Corps Attorney

The Oakland City Attorney’s Office is seeking a highly motivated individual to serve as an attorney in the Neighborhood Law Corps.

The Neighborhood Law Corps (NLC) is a unique, innovative, and award-winning community law program that focuses on proactive, neighborhood-based and community-directed lawyering. The program – described as a cross between Legal Aid and the Peace Corps – brings legal resources and remedies into Oakland's diverse neighborhoods to address issues affecting quality of life in those communities.

The NLC attorney position is in the Affirmative Litigation, Innovation & Enforcement Division of the City Attorney’s Office. NLC attorneys focus on combating blight, human trafficking, public safety, tenant protection and other important community concerns and quality of life issues by performing litigation, policy work and other actions. The position is responsible for representing the City in state and federal courts and will provide significant litigation-related experience.

We are interested in recruiting from the broadest and most diverse pool of candidates, and ask that you share this announcement with your members.

For more information and the full application, go to: http://www.oaklandcityattorney.org/AboutUs/job_ops.html