Assistant Chief Counsel

About the Role

The Attorney, Assistant Chief Counsel position is in the Office of the Director, Legal Unit (OD Legal) at the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). OD Legal serves as the general counsel's office for DIR and provides advice and representation to the DIR Director, department leadership, and division chiefs in the performance of their statutory functions.

Responsibilities

• Manages the work of Attorney Supervisors, attorneys (ranging from Attorney to Attorney V classifications), investigators, analysts, and legal secretaries.
• Oversees the office's representation and legal advice to the Director of DIR, the Department, and division chiefs and managers in a variety of subject areas within the responsibility and jurisdiction of the Department, broadly in the labor and employment area.
• Ensures that unit attorneys provide the best representation to the Director of DIR in special types of workers' compensation cases involving trust funds administered by the Director (SIBTF, UEBTF and DWD).
• Leads one or more of the unit's practice teams, such as the unit's SPB appeals and internal labor and employment team; the hearing officer team; or the contracts review and advice team, among others.
• Ensures that unit attorneys provide prompt and accurate legal advice to Department executives and division chiefs with respect to issues involving public works, prevailing wages, Public Records Act, public contracting, privacy, litigation, and other matters concerning a wide variety of legal issues that may arise in the operation of the Department.
• In the absence of the assigned unit attorneys, performs these duties directly.
• Plans, directs, and reviews the work performed by legal staff who advise and represent the Department and its executive leadership.
• Directly supervises Attorneys, Attorney IIIs, Attorney IVs, Attorney Vs, and Attorney Supervisors involved in the most difficult and complex work of the Department.
• In the absence of the Chief Counsel, may assume the role of the chief legal counsel to the Department and its executive leadership.
• Assists and works with the Attorney General's Office and serves as in-house counsel in litigation matters.
• Works with broad discretion and independence with minimum supervision.

Requirements

• Active membership in the California State Bar.
• At least nine years of legal experience in the practice of law following admission to the bar.
• One year of the required experience must have been at a level equivalent to an Attorney V or Attorney Supervisor, or three years at a level equivalent to Attorney IV, or four years at a level equivalent to Attorney III.
• Must be either reachable on an employment list, have transfer eligibility, or have reinstatement eligibility.

Application Requirements

To apply, submit the following items: State standard application form (completed completely and carefully), resume, Statement of Qualifications, a cover letter addressing your work experience and interest in the position, and a recent legal writing sample of your own work product.

Statement of Qualifications Instructions

The SOQ must be typed, no more than three (3) pages in length, using Arial 12-point font, and normal margins. Include your total years of experience, when applicable, in addressing the following statements:

• Describe your experience in the practice of law related to state personnel and labor and employment.
• Describe your experience in the practice of administrative law.
• Describe your knowledge of or experience with public works, prevailing wages, apprenticeship, self-insurance, wage and hour, worker safety, or workers' compensation.
• Describe your experience leading teams or supervising or managing attorneys or other individuals.
• Describe the approaches you use to motivate colleagues, track progress, and achieve desired outcomes.

Working Conditions

• Position is located in Orange County.
• Employees work in an office environment with assigned offices, at desks, and extensively on computers for drafting correspondence, briefs and other documents, research, email communication, file review, training and other purposes.
• Being in a stationary position for long periods of time.
• Usual business hours are Monday through Friday, with expectation to work all hours as necessary to accomplish assignments. Longer work hours may occasionally be required.
• Some flexibility as to the specific work schedule, determined after hire in consultation with the Chief Counsel.
• May be eligible for some amount of telework with in-person attendance based on operational needs.

Application Filing

Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date: October 6, 2026. Applications may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account or in hard copy to the Department of Industrial Relations in Sacramento. Applications received without the SOQ addressed as stated will not be considered.