Appellate Research Attorney

Superior Court of Orange County; Orange (CA); Hybrid; USD 129,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Five medical plans

Defined benefit retirement

OBP $3,500 annually

457 plan

HRA

Dental & Vision

Leave packages

14 holidays per year

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

The Superior Court of Orange County is seeking an Appellate Division Research Attorney to research legal issues in civil and criminal matters, review writs and appellate briefs, and draft opinions and memoranda. You will work under the Appellate Panel Judges and the General Counsel, with high deadlines and rigorous standards.

Active California Bar membership is required. This position offers a mix of telework and on-site work within California, with opportunities for professional growth and a

Qualifications

• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.
• At least three (3) years of post-California Bar appellate law experience or experience as an appellate judicial staff attorney, or comparable position.
• Applicants must submit a self-edited writing sample with their application. A preferable writing sample consists of an appellate specific brief directed to an appellate division or appellate panel.

Responsibilities

• Research legal issues in civil and criminal law; review writs, appellate briefs, trial records, and other case documents.
• Draft clear, concise, accurate memoranda and proposed opinions.
• Attend judicial case conferences and Appellate Division oral argument hearings; make timely recommendations on issues.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Writing

Research

Tools

MS Word

Adobe Acrobat

Online legal research tools

Job description

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange

APPELLATE RESEARCH ATTORNEY

DEADLINE TO APPLY

This recruitment will be open on a continuous basis; however, the deadline for first round consideration is Sunday, November 15, 2026. Please note that this recruitment will remain open until the needs of the Court have been met and may close at any time.

This recruitment is open to external candidates, internal OCSC employees, and internal OCSC promotions. This recruitment will be used to fill current vacancies, and an eligible list may be established to fill future vacancies.

SALARY INFORMATION

Research Attorney Annual Range: $129,313.60 - $164,777.60

Anticipated Starting Rate: $129,313.60

(Note: Research Attorneys may be able to promote to Senior Research Attorney upon meeting established criteria. The salary for Senior Research Attorney is up to $187,512.00 annually.)

BENEFITS HIGHLIGHTS

• Choice of five medical plans
• Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (2.50% at 67 formula)
• $3,500 Optional Benefit Plan (OBP) annually
• Optional deferred compensation program (457 plan)
• Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)
• Dental and Vision Plans
• Vacation and sick leave packages
• 14 paid holidays per year
• Tuition reimbursement

TELEWORK/ON-SITE OPPORTUNITY

This position is eligible for a combination of telework and on-site work assignments. Telework must be completed from a pre-designated home-based location within the State of California, and employees may be required to report on-site to address business needs. Telework is at the sole discretion of the Court and may be rescinded with 48 hours' notice, based on the needs of the Orange County Superior Court.

ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Orange County Superior Court was established in 1893 and maintains jurisdiction over a wide range of matters, with our flagship location being the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana, with additional courthouses located in Orange (Lamoreaux), Newport Beach (Harbor), Fullerton (North), and Westminster (West), as the fifth-largest trial court in the United States and the third-largest court of general jurisdiction in California. We have more than 140 judicial officers and over 1,500 staff with an operating budget of nearly $280 million.

Our court is recognized for innovation, resource advancements, and community focus while managing over half a million case filings annually and serving a population exceeding three million. The Court's Judges, Commissioners, and employees are recognized for their high standards of achievement, integrity, modernization, and diversity. The Court is committed to ensuring equal access to court services and enhancing public confidence in the court system.

ABOUT THE POSITION

Appellate Division Research Attorneys work under the direction of the Appellate Panel Judges and the General Counsel and report to the Supervising Research Attorney. They are responsible for researching legal issues in both civil and criminal law; carefully reviewing and analyzing writs, appellate briefs, trial records, and other case documents; drafting clear, concise, accurate, and well-organized memoranda and proposed opinions; attending judicial case conferences and Appellate Division oral argument hearings; and making timely recommendations regarding the resolution of legal issues before the court. Additional responsibilities include the ability to discuss issues thoroughly with judicial officers, receive and implement constructive feedback, and work collaboratively to edit and revise one’s work. Excellent analytical, writing, and research skills are required. These positions are responsible for a high-volume of work, often with short deadlines for the completion of assignments and require exceptional self-direction and time management skills, as well as excellent judgment and the performance of duties with the highest degree of integrity in order to uphold the public’s trust and confidence in the administration of justice.

Note: Although most Research Attorney positions are assigned to our Civil Division, our current need is in the Appellate Division, and this recruitment has specifically been opened to fill that need. Attorneys may be reassigned at any time to General Civil, Complex Civil, Criminal, Family Law, Juvenile, or Probate Departments, depending on the needs of the Court.

BAR MEMBERSHIP

Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.

EXPERIENCE

At least three (3) years of post-California Bar appellate law experience or experience as an appellate judicial staff attorney, or comparable position is required.

WRITING SAMPLE

Applicants must submit a self-edited writing sample with their application. A preferable writing sample consists of an appellate specific brief directed to an appellate division or appellate panel.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

• At least five (5) years of experience practicing in one or more of the following areas:
  1. Appellate practitioner, an appellate judicial staff attorney, or comparable position emphasizing legal writing and analysis
  2. Familiarity with appellate practice and writ practice and procedures
• Proficiencyin online and windows-based legal research applications, as well as in using MS Word and Adobe Acrobat.
• Excellent research and writing skills are essential, along with the ability to work independently on a wide variety of legal issues of varied complexity, to effectively manage one's time in order to meet stringent time constraints, and to interact professionally with Judicial Officers, colleagues, and court staff.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Orange County Superior Court provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, upon request. Please contact the Human Resources Department at [e-mail] if you feel that you will need a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the selection process.

ELIGIBLE LIST

This recruitment may be used to establish an eligible list for current and future vacancies. The eligible list will remain active until the list is exhausted, or a new recruitment opens.

STATUS NOTIFICATIONS

You will be notified by email during the process of this recruitment through GovernmentJobs.com. Please check your email spam/junk folders and accept emails ending with GovernmentJobs.com and occourts.org. If your information changes, please update your profile at http://www.governmentjobs.com/.

E-VERIFY

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange participates in the E-Verify program which confirms employment eligibility of new hires.

QUESTIONS?

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Monica Budd at [e-mail]. For general employment information, please click HERE.

Orange County Superior Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Follow us on social media!

LinkedIn Facebook X