ATTORNEY

State of California; California; Hybrid; USD 7,900 - 12,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of California's Employment Development Department (EDD) Legal Office in Sacramento seeks an Attorney I to support tax collection, workforce services and benefit programs, including Unemployment Insurance and Paid Family Leave.

Under supervision, you will assist with sensitive litigation and complex legal work, while providing guidance on program implementation and policy development. Telework is available and interviews will be virtual.

Qualifications

• Admission to the California State Bar and active status.
• Experience drafting, reviewing, and editing legal documents.
• Strong legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.

Responsibilities

• Assist with broad range of litigation and legal work in the Legal Office.
• Support tax collection efforts and workforce services programs.
• Provide guidance on program implementation and policy development.
• Respond to Public Records Act requests as needed.

Skills

Legal research

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Time management

Public Records Act knowledge

Education

Admitted to California State Bar

Job description

$7,506.00 - $12,026.00 per Month New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 10/17/2026

This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the department and is subject to change as business needs arise.

Employment Development Department's (EDD) Legal Office is seeking candidates for the Attorney I position. This position offers a broad range of rewarding legal work for candidates who seek meaningful use of their law degree. The Legal Office supports EDD's mission of strengthening the economic vitality of Californians and their communities.

Under the general direction of the Assistant Chief Counsels and General Counsel, the Attorney I will assist with a broad range of sensitive and complex litigation/legal work of the Legal Office, and as the incumbent progresses through the ranges, they will be assigned progressively more difficult legal work. The Attorney I will provide legal support to EDD's tax collection efforts and workforce services and benefit programs, including Unemployment Insurance, State Disability Insurance, and Paid Family Leave. The Attorney I will help to ensure compliance with state and federal laws as well as provide legal guidance on program implementation and policy development. The Attorney I may be called upon to assist with responding to Public Records Act requests and other records requests and may work with the team's lead attorneys on various large or complex assignments.

This position is based in Sacramento, and a hybrid telework schedule is available. Additionally, interviews for this position will be conducted virtually.

Position located at 1416 9th Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

This position is headquartered at the New Labor Agency Building (NLAB), a newly remodeled high‑rise building. Located in the heart of Downtown Sacramento and in close proximity of the State Capitol and the Golden1 Center, this beautiful and modern building provides the following amenities: Break areas, wellness/lactation rooms, coffee points, a fitness center with private showers, a Career Center for EDD Employees, a micro market, building‑wide WiFi, an outdoor terrace, bike storage, nearby public transit options, and much more.

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click here to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the US without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• ATTORNEY

ATTORNEY $7,969.00 - $10,473.00A $8,969.00 - $12,026.00B $7,506.00 - $9,439.00C $8,448.00 - $10,836.00D New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions:

1

Work Location:

Telework:

Hybrid

Job Type:

Permanent, Full Time

Work Shift:

8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Work Week:

Monday - Friday

Department Information

The Employment Development Department (EDD) is one of the largest State departments with employees at hundreds of service locations. For more than 70 years, the EDD has connected millions of job seekers and employers in an effort to build the economy of the Golden State. In order to continue our mission, we are constantly looking for the best and the brightest to join our ranks. Working at EDD presents many opportunities. If you strive to make a difference, we invite you to seek a career with EDD.

Admission to the California State Bar Association.

Examination/Assessment

If selected for hire, you must obtain list eligibility by taking and passing the examination. If you already have list eligibility for this classification, you do not need to retake the examination unless your list eligibility has expired.

Attorney Bulletin

Desirable Qualifications

• Ability to prioritize and meet time sensitive deadlines.
• Experience drafting, reviewing and editing legal documents including legal opinions, legislation, regulations, contracts, and legal notices.
• Strong legal research, writing, and oral advocacy skills.
• Strong legal, analytical and inter-personal skills.
• Knowledge of the Public Records Act and the discovery rules under the Code of Civil Procedure and applicable sections of the Penal Code.
• Experience handling novel, difficult, complex, and politically sensitive legal issues.

The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Department Website: http://www.edd.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled.You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s)to the Department's EEO Office.

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice)TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications Requirements

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is Required. The SOQ serves as documentation of each candidate's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. The SOQ is a narrative discussion of how your education, training, experience, and skills meet the minimum and desirable qualifications for this position. Vague and/or incomplete SOQs may not be considered if they do not fully respond to the required information. The SOQ is not a resume or cover letter. Resumes and/or Cover Letters DO NOT take the place of the SOQ. Applications without an SOQ, or with an SOQ that does not follow the required format, will be regarded as incomplete and will not be reviewed for further consideration in the hiring process.

Your SOQ should be no more than three (3) pages in length, Arial 12 pt. font, single‑spaced and must include a typed response to the questions below, in numerical order. You must provide specific information in your response(s) which demonstrates how your knowledge, skills, and training meet the needs of this position.

SOQ QUESTIONS:

• What is your knowledge of the EDD’s mission, goals, and objectives as an organization? How has your post‑bar legal work experience and/or training prepared you for a position representing a public entity?
• As an Attorney I, you will be expected to have the ability to work under pressure. How do you ensure you can complete multiple tasks and meet strict deadlines?
• Describe your experience with legal research and writing.

The position(s) may require an applicant to pass a background investigation. However, applicants will not be asked to provide information about a conviction history unless they receive a conditional offer of employment.

The department will make an individualized assessment of whether the conviction history has a direct or adverse relationship with the specific duties of the job and the work performed by the department. The department will consider potential mitigating factors, including, but not limited to, evidence and extent of rehabilitation, recency, nature and seriousness, and age at the time of the offense(s).

The investigation will consist of completion of a personal history statement and fingerprinting checks with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice, and/or local law enforcement agencies. Anyone failing to pass the background investigation will be provided information on how to appeal the process. A criminal conviction may not result in an automatic determination of "NotQualified."

The Employment Development Department may require a new probation in accordance with applicable probationary period rules.

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug‑free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.