Correctional Law Section Deputy Attorney General III, Appeals Team (May consider DAG IV)

State of California; California; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid telework policy

Job summary

The State of California’s Correctional Law Section seeks Deputy Attorneys General to join the Appeals Team, focusing on impactful appellate work involving constitutional law and civil rights.

As a large Civil Division unit with statewide presence, deputies handle civil litigation from inception to appeal, including class actions and high-profile matters, in a collaborative environment with hybrid telework options.

Qualifications

• Strong research and writing skills in civil litigation and appellate work.
• Ability to draft dispositive motions, appellate briefs, and discovery documents.
• Experience in civil litigation and appellate advocacy preferred.
• Interest in correctional law, prison procedures, and constitutional law.

Responsibilities

• Handle appeals in Ninth Circuit and California courts of appeal from briefing to oral argument.
• Edit appellate briefs and prepare deputies for oral argument.
• Advise on trial matters to preserve issues for appeal and work with other sections on crossover matters.
• Travel and in-person appearances may be required for court appearances.

Skills

writing

oral advocacy

analytical thinking

editing

Job description

The Correctional Law Section is hiring Deputy Attorneys General to join our Appeals Team, where they will frequently handle impactful appeals that often involve cutting-edge issues involving constitutional law and civil rights in a supportive, collaborative environment.

The Correctional Law Section is one of the largest sections in the Civil Division of the California Attorney General’s Office, with approximately 125 deputies in several locations statewide. Deputies in the Section handle all aspects of civil litigation, from inception through trial, settlement, and appeal. Our caseload includes individual civil-rights cases and class actions, often involving high-profile and complex work, and we represent high-ranking government officials as well as correctional administrators and employees.

As a member of the Section’s Appeals Team, the deputies will handle appeals in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and California courts of appeals, including appeals arising from the Section’s class actions, from briefing to oral argument. Appeals Team members also work collaboratively with other team members and deputies to edit appellate briefs, prepare deputies for oral argument, engage with colleagues and clients regarding appellate strategy, advise deputies on trial matters to preserve or avoid issues for appeal, and confer with attorneys in other sections, including our Solicitor General’s Office, on crossover matters.

Qualified applicants should have excellent writing, oral advocacy, analytical, and editing skills. This is a full-time position, in a collegial office environment, with a flexible hybrid telework policy. Travel and in-person attendance may be required for court appearances and for other operational reasons.

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

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL III
• DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL IV

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Strong research and writing skills (exhibited by recent and frequent drafting of discovery motions, dispositive motions, and appellate briefs); recent and frequent experience in general civil litigation; strong oral-argument skills (exhibited by recent and frequent appearances in trial and appellate courts, and participation in mediations or settlement conferences); recent and frequent experience in civil discovery, depositions, trial preparation, bench or jury trials, and appellate work; interest in correctional law, prison procedures, and applicable constitutional law; ability to handle cases independently; and experience handling complex litigation. Strong applicants will have researched, written, and argued at least one dispositive motion, pretrial motion, or appeal within the prior year, and will have responded to and propounded discovery (including at least one deposition) within the prior year.