Chief Deputy County Counsel

County of Monterey, CA; Salinas (CA); On-site; USD 199,000 - 272,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits package

Job summary

County of Monterey, CA seeks a Chief Deputy County Counsel to represent the County in civil litigation, prepare legal documents, and provide counsel to County departments.

Responsibilities include court appearances, legal research, and drafting ordinances, contracts, and agreements. Requires strong ethics, organizational skills, and California Bar membership.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of civil, constitutional, and administrative law as it affects public entities.
• Strong research and writing skills for complex legal matters.
• Experience with discovery, evidence rules, and appellate practice.

Responsibilities

• Represent the County in civil litigation and administrative hearings.
• Prepare written and oral arguments and conduct legal research.
• Draft ordinances, contracts, and joint powers agreements.

Skills

Civil law knowledge

Legal research and writing

Discovery practice

Rules of evidence

Public entity law

Supervision and management

Labor and employment law

Environmental and land use law

Public contracts

Oral and written advocacy

Education

Juris Doctor or equivalent

Active California Bar membership

Tools

Case management software

Job description

Final Filing Date: Monday, November 16, 2026

Exam #:P26/39B25/11GM

CHIEF DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL

(Promotional Only)

$17,853 – $24,383 Monthly

This is a Promotional Only recruitment; open only to current regular County of Monterey employees and former employees whose names currently appear on an active Recall List. The County of Monterey is committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and eligible military spouses and awards veterans’ preference points for this recruitment. To learn more about the eligibility requirements and the process, be sure to read the Hiring Preference for Veterans and Eligible Military Spouses section located towards the end of this job flier.

The County of Monterey Office of the County Counsel employs individuals of high ethical standards, character and professional integrity. The Office of County Counsel is seeking an organized, dependable, and self-directed individual with prior civil legal experience who can perform a wide variety of specialized legal secretarial and administrative support functions for attorneys and other staff. The Office of the County Counsel serves as the in-house counsel for the County of Monterey, including the Board of Supervisors (BOS), and all County offices, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions as well as liaison and support to the Civil Grand Jury. In addition to providing legal advice, the Office also represents the County in civil and special litigation in state and federal courts, various administrative proceedings, and coordinates the services of outside legal counsel. The County Counsel's Office consists of four divisions; General Government, Litigation, Land Use and Risk Management.

The Chief Deputy County Counsel position represents the County in civil litigation, administrative hearings, and other legal proceedings; attends and argues matters at court hearings related to pleadings, motions, and discovery; and conducts legal research and prepares written and oral arguments.

The Eligible List established by this recruitment process may be used to fill current and future vacancies on a regular full-time, part-time, or temporary basis County-wide.

To view the complete classification description, please visit the County of Monterey website: Chief Deputy County Counsel

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE

Will have a proven track record demonstrating the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

Thorough Knowledge of:

• Principles and application of civil, constitutional, and administrative law and of California and federal civil procedures, particularly as it relates to county government, and other public agency law.
• Principles, methods, and materials of legal research and writing.
• The rules of evidence, discovery practice, and appellate practice.
• Those areas of law directly affecting public entities and their operation, and public officials and employees and their rights, duties, and responsibilities.
• Principles of supervision and management.

Working Knowledge of:

• Federal and California labor, employment, and equal employment opportunity law.
• State and federal laws relating to environmental quality control, land use planning, zoning.
• Public contract preparation and administration, including construction contracts.
• County operations and practices, including the Sheriff’s Department, the County hospital, Health Department, Social Services, Public Works, Facilities and Parks, Housing and Community Development, the Registrar of Voters, and the administration of Courts.

Skill and Ability to:

• Use a personal computer for case management, to prepare reports and enter and retrieve information.
• Analyze, appraise, and organize facts, evidence, and precedents and present such materials clearly and concisely either in oral or in written, legal form.
• Analyze and appraise a variety of legal documents and instruments and give sound legal advice or devise an appropriate plan of action.
• Draft legal instruments such as ordinances, resolutions, Board orders, Joint Powers Agreements, and contracts.
• Establish and maintain confidential relationships with County department heads and members of the Board of Supervisors.
• Develop and maintain cooperative work relationships both within the County Counsel’s Office and with those contacted within the course and scope of work.

Any combination of training, education and/or experience which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities and required conditions of employment is qualifying. An example of a way these requirements might be acquired is:

Experience

Two years experience as Deputy County Counsel IV with Monterey County; or three years of increasingly responsible experience with a public agency in the appropriate legal specialty at a level comparable to a Deputy County Counsel IV in Monterey County; or five years of increasingly responsible experience in a county counsel’s office, city attorney or other civil public law office as a senior attorney; or a combination thereof.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

The required conditions of employment include, but are not limited to the following:

• Possess a valid California Class C driver license at the time of appointment and possess and maintain a satisfactory driving record or provide evidence of suitable transportation which is approved by the appointing authority.
• Be available to work a flexible schedule, including evenings, weekends, holidays, and during times of disaster and/or emergency; travel out of County to attend meetings.
• Independently manage a heavy caseload/workload which may require extra hours of work.
• Pursuant to Section 6060 of the Business and Professions Code, current, valid membership in the California State Bar is required by date of hire.

BENEFITS:

The County of Monterey offers an excellent benefits package. Please visit our website to view the Unit ZX Benefit Summary Sheet. This information is not legally binding, nor does it serve as a contract. The benefits listed in the Monterey County Personnel Policies and Practices Resolution or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) prevail over this listing.

• As a condition of employment, prospective employees may be required to submit to a background review which may include a review of information concerning present and/or prior employment, driving record, and record of any criminal convictions.
• Employment is contingent upon acceptable documentation verifying identity and authorization for employment in the U.S.; a list of acceptable documents is available on the USCIS Form I-9.
• If you are hired into this classification in a temporary position, your rate of pay will be hourly, and you will not be eligible for the benefits listed in the summary.

NOTES:

HIRING PREFERENCE FOR VETERANS AND ELIGIBLE MILITARY SPOUSES

The County of Monterey is committed to honoring the service and sacrifice of veterans and eligible military spouses and awards veterans’ preference points for this recruitment. To obtain a Veterans and Eligible Military Spouse Preference Application, please visit the Human Resources website or click on the following link: Click Here to View the Veterans and Eligible Military Spouse Preference Application

To apply for veterans’ preference points, veterans or eligible military spouses must complete and email a Veterans and Eligible Military Spouse Preference Application with supporting documentation of their eligibility by the final filing deadline to [e-mail]

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

The County of Monterey is a drug-free workplace and an equal opportunity employer. The County seeks candidates who can make contributions in an environment of