Chief Deputy County Counsel

Under general direction, supervises, assigns, and reviews the work of subordinate deputies and paralegals; participates in the activities of the County Counsel Leadership Team; performs the more difficult and demanding legal work in the field of civil law; acts for County Counsel or Assistant County Counsel in their absence; and performs other related duties as required.

The Chief Deputy County Counsel is the full supervisory level of the Deputy County Counsel series. Incumbents confer and review with the Leadership Team to plan, organize, and assign work to attorneys and paralegals to balance the workload among various sections of the office. Additionally, Chief Deputy County Counsels are assigned the more difficult legal work, which is characterized by complex legal issues having significant legal or policy implications on County policies. This class is distinguished from the Assistant County Counsel in that the latter assists County Counsel in the day-to-day management of the office through directing and coordinating the activities of the County Counsel Management Team and performs the most difficult legal work characterized by complex legal issues having significant legal or policy implications on County policies.

This class has been designated At-Will by the Board of Supervisors, in accordance with the provisions provided under Article 6, Section 601E (2) of the County Management Resolution and serves at the pleasure of the County Counsel.

• As a member of the County Counsel Leadership Team, plan and organize the work of attorneys by assigning, reviewing, and balancing the workload among the various sections of the office.
• Supervise, assign, and review the work of subordinate deputies and paralegals in the practices of the County Counsel's Office; give advice and recommendations to other staff on difficult and complex legal problems.
• Assist in the development and refinement of skills and talents; serve as advisor to various boards and commissions whose legal problems are complex and exacting.
• Confer with and advise County and district officers and employees on the complex legal questions pertaining to their respective powers, duties, functions, and obligations.
• Represent the County in all State, Federal and Appellate Courts; study and interpret laws, court decisions, ordinances, and other legal authorities.
• Draft contracts, deeds, leases, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal instruments; prepare written opinions and render informal opinions on complex or legal questions.
• Assist with office administration, employee evaluation, and staff direction; prepare correspondence and reports.

Experience: Five years of experience as a journey-level attorney providing the full range of legal counsel to governmental agencies or departments.

Other Requirements:

License: A valid California Driver's License will be required at time of appointment. Active membership in the State Bar of California.

Knowledge of:

• Legal principles and their application;
• Rules of practice in California and federal trial and appellate courts;
• Court proceedings, discovery techniques, jury selection, settlement practices and other matters related to trial and appellate practice;
• Organization, powers, and limitations of complex County governmental functions, and of the California Constitution;
• Principles of civil law and their application to governmental subdivisions; methods, procedures, and practices used in the conduct of litigation and the preparation of legal instruments;
• Principles of supervision, including training methods and techniques.

Ability to:

• Analyze complex legal problems and apply legal principles and practices;
• Present facts, arguments, and laws clearly and logically in written or oral form;
• Perform legal research and analysis
• Draft ordinances, contracts, and legal instruments;
• Draft and revise pleadings, motions, and briefs;
• Assign, supervise, and review the work of subordinate attorneys and paralegals;
• Establish and maintain cooperative relations with subordinates, superiors, and others contacted in the work.

________________________________________________________________________________________

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference 
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference. The Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 is available here:  https://rivcocob.org/board-policies 

Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability 

Proof of Education 
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (AICE).

Equal Opportunity Employer
The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment).  A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

General Information
Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies. 

Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com. 

If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at support@governmentjobs.com or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.