Program Analyst (Public Records Specialist)

About the role

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) is in-house counsel to the State Bar, providing a full range of services, including representation of the State Bar in all state and federal courts and before administrative agencies; advocacy of State Bar discipline and admission cases in the California Supreme Court; and providing legal advice to the State Bar Board of Trustees, and all State Bar entities, executives, and programmatic clients.

OGC provides legal advice and representation in the following areas: litigation, admissions and discipline, antitrust, Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, bankruptcy, California Public Records Act, collections, contracts, copyright, governance, labor and employment, legislation, regulations and rules, real estate, regulatory work, and general corporate matters.

Responsibilities

• Drafting and sending responses to public records requests and ensuring compliance with the CPRA, including drafting initial responses that set out all applicable exemptions.
• Independently communicating with public records requestors to help them identify relevant documents and ensure effective interpretation of requests, as necessary.
• Working with offices within the State Bar to gather records and providing guidance and support to the offices to identify/locate responsive records.
• Independently reviewing documents and determining applicable exemptions and required redactions consistent with the CPRA and the State Bar Act.
• Researching eligible exemptions and staying abreast of changes to the CPRA and related legislation.
• Organizing records with particular attention to detail and maintaining excellent documentation of request status such that backup coverage can be provided during absences – both planned and unplanned.
• Educating and advising staff on CPRA obligations and procedures.
• Assisting with subpoena and discovery compliance, including reviewing requests, gathering responsive documents, coordinating with internal departments, drafting responses and tracking deadlines.
• Providing support for responding to government claims, including preparation of response letters and tracking deadlines.
• Conducting document review, analysis, and organization for litigation, audits, investigations, or other regulatory matters.
• Assisting with contract management, including drafting standard terms, tracking contract status, and maintaining files.
• Providing litigation support as needed including case management and litigation tracking.
• Performing a number of other similar or related duties which may not be specifically included within this position description, but which are consistent with the general level of the job.

Requirements

• Prior experience handling records requests (either under the CPRA or the Freedom of Information Act) in a government setting.
• A solid understanding of public record laws.
• Highly skilled at managing competing priorities, analyzing sensitive documents for legal compliance, and communicating effectively within the organization and to members of the public.
• Excellent judgment and discretion.
• Ability to work independently, identify legally sensitive information, apply exemption criteria, and produce clear and accurate written responses.
• Technologically adept, capable of navigating Microsoft Office Suite, document management systems and tracking tools to maintain accurate records and ensure timely responses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties, or a combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the duties of the position.
• Two (2) years of experience in data collection and evaluation, research or performance or financial analysis, grant compliance in a public sector, legal or nonprofit environment, or equivalent.