Assistant County Counsel

County of Sacramento; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Sacramento seeks a senior county counsel under general direction to lead, manage and oversee the Office of the County Counsel. The role provides high‑level legal advice and services to the County, coordinating with divisions, departments and external agencies while guiding complex, urgent matters.

The position requires extensive public‑sector legal experience, supervisory能力, and active CA Bar membership, with a focus on strategic governance, compliance and risk management for a large

Qualifications

• Five years of experience as a civil attorney for a public agency
• At least one year of supervisory or management experience in a public agency
• Active membership in the State Bar of California
• Ability to interpret, analyze and apply complex laws and regulations
• Strong written and oral communication and negotiation skills

Responsibilities

• Manage, supervise and coordinate the Office of the County Counsel activities
• Provide high-level professional legal advice and services for the County
• Coordinate assigned activities with other divisions, departments, outside agencies and the public

Skills

Management

Staff supervision

Budgeting

Legal research

Legal writing

Negotiation

Communication

Policy interpretation

Education

State Bar of California

Job description

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on:

9/17/2026, 9/24/2026

Under general direction, manages, supervises and coordinates the activities and operations of the Office of the County Counsel including providing high-level professional legal advice and services for the County of Sacramento; and coordinates assigned activities with other divisions, departments, outside agencies, and the general public.

Knowledge Of

• Principles and practices of management and organizational theory, including planning, organizational design, business finance, business development, project management and organizational effectiveness
• Principles and practices of supervision, discipline, leadership, mentoring, and training
• Applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations
• Operational characteristics, services and activities of assigned programs and functions
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Pertinent local, State, and Federal laws, rules and regulations
• Principles, methods, materials and practices of legal research
• Advanced legal writing, research and drafting of legal documents
• Strong communication and negotiation skills
• Interpret, analyze, explain and apply complex laws, legal documents, rules and regulations

Ability To

• Select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff
• Plan, coordinate, assign, and review the work of subordinate staff
• Investigate and resolve disciplinary issues
• Develop, monitor and interpret budgets and other financial documents
• Develop and maintain cooperative, effective working relationships with others
• Interpret and apply applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations
• Influence and persuade others to take a desired action and/or direction
• Interpret and summarize a variety of data and information
• Exercise discretion and maintain confidentiality of information
• Identify and interpret technical information; research and analyze case law, regulations, policies and procedures
• Manage complex assignments of a sensitive nature that require strict deadlines and multiple personnel
• Research, analyze, and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to complex legal problems
• Draft legal documents such as ordinances, resolutions, contracts and pleadings
• Prepare and present concise and logical statements of fact, law, argument, and technical and administrative reports
• Interpret, analyze, explain and apply complex laws, legal documents, rules and regulations

Minimum Qualifications

• Five (5) years of experience as a civil attorney for a public agency, including at least one (1) year of supervisory or management experience in a public agency.
• AND
• Active membership in the State Bar of California.
• Note: Failure to maintain such license and certification may be cause for disciplinary action in accordance with Civil Service Commission Rules.

General Qualifications

Criminal History and Background Checks: The County may access criminal history information on candidates who have accepted a conditional offer of appointment for this class consistent with the provisions of Board of Supervisors Resolution No. 82-602, Personnel Policies and Procedures B-5, and applicable federal and state laws. The County shall not consider for employment any candidate who has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor that relates to or impacts the candidate's ability to perform the job duties of this class unless it is determined that mitigating circumstances exist. For purposes of accessing criminal history information, the candidate will be fingerprinted. A subsequent arrest notification may be obtained.

The County may also conduct a background check on the candidate prior to appointment to a position within this class. The background check may include personal and professional reference checks, credit history checks where authorized by Labor Code section 1024.5, Social Security Number verification, professional license/registration verification, military service information and driving history. Information obtained in the course of this background check will be considered by the appointing authority in the selection process. In obtaining such information, the County will comply with applicable consent and disclosure practices in the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the California Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.

Contact Information

County of Sacramento

Department of Personnel Services

Employment Services Division

700 H Street, Room 4667

Sacramento, CA 95814

Phone [phone]; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

Email [e-mail]

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

www.governmentjobs.com/careers/sacramento

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

For information regarding County jobs.

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at [e-mail] or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711. For more information, visit Job Applicant Accommodations