Deputy County Counsel I/II

Mariposa County; Mariposa (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

Mariposa County is seeking Deputy County Counsel I–II to provide legal services to the Board of Supervisors and all departments, including drafting ordinances and contracts and advising county leaders on legal issues.

Deputy County Counsel I is entry‑level; II is journey‑level, handling a broad range of civil matters with court appearances, litigation support, and public‑sector advice. A California Bar membership, law degree, and ability to obtain LiveScan clearance are required.

Qualifications

• Any combination of experience and education that would provide the required knowledge and abilities.
• Deputy County Counsel – I: None
• Deputy County Counsel – II: One (1) year of increasingly responsible experience in the practice of law.
• Current membership in the State Bar of California.
• Cover letter and resume required for qualification. In your cover letter, address training and experience in court proceedings, legal research, and preparation of legal opinions.

Responsibilities

• Provide general and case-specific advice in juvenile dependency matters; review petitions and orders after hearing; make court appearances.
• Review contracts, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents for legal sufficiency; prepare the same for the County Counsel as requested.
• Researches and prepares legal opinions.
• Oversees and participates in litigation pertaining to Public Guardian/Public Conservator cases; reviews petitions and makes court appearances.
• Performs general administrative work, including meetings and preparing correspondence.

Education

Graduation from an accredited school of law.

Transcripts or degree must be attached to your application.

Job description

Definition

To provide legal service to the Board of Supervisors and all departments; to handle routine to moderately difficult assignments in the County Counsel’s office. General duties include preparing ordinances and contracts for the County; advising the Board of Supervisors, other County officials, and department heads on legal issues.

Deputy County Counsel – I is an entry-level position and is responsible for assisting County Counsel and other staff members, and is typically assigned less difficult and less controversial civil matters. This level is reserved for attorneys with little to no experience.

Deputy County Counsel – II is a journey-level attorney who is assigned a wide range of civil matters and cases. Incumbents at this level, when assigned to a case or a problem of law, are expected to carry it through to completion with very little assistance.

Supervision Received and Exercised

Deputy County Counsel – I: receives general supervision from the County Counsel, the Assistant County Counsel and the Senior Deputy County Counsel. Refers any matters to the supervisor outside of the incumbent's experience or knowledge.

Deputy County Counsel – II: receives direction from the County Counsel, the Assistant County Counsel or the Senior Deputy County Counsel and receives general instructions regarding the scope and approach to assignments, with means of completion left to the employee. Plans and/or determines specific procedures or equipment. Refers only unusual matters to the supervisor.

Examples of Essential Functions

Depending on classification, essential functions will vary in degree of responsibility

• Provides general and case-specific advice in juvenile dependency matters; reviews and revises petitions, reports, and orders after hearing; makes court appearances.
• Reviews contracts, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal documents for legal sufficiency; prepares the same for the County Counsel as requested.
• Researches and prepares legal opinions.
• Oversees and participates in litigation pertaining to Public Guardian/Public Conservator cases; reviews and revises petitions, reports, and orders; and makes court appearances.
• Performs general administrative work, including conducting and attending meetings and preparing correspondence.
• Appears before courts and at administrative proceedings to represent the County’s interests. Reviews and interprets current legislation and litigation relevant to County services and/or administration.
• Represents the County in court in potentially dangerous dog cases; performs associated work with each case; reviews and analyzes Sheriff’s reports and documents, as well as court documents;makes court appearances.
• Advises the Board of Supervisors in County Counsel’s absence on all matters pertaining to County operations.
• Performs other duties as assigned

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of experience and education that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:

Experience

• Deputy County Counsel – I: None
• Deputy County Counsel – II: One (1) year of increasingly responsible experience in the practice of law.

Education

• Graduation from an accredited school of law.
• Transcripts or degree must be attached to your application.

Additional Requirements

• Current membership in the State Bar of California.
• Proof of membership must be attached to your application.

Cover letter and resume required for qualification. In your cover letter, please address the following:

Describe your training and experience in appearing in court proceedings and trials.

Describe your experience and training in researching legal issues utilizing state or federal resource materials.

Describe your experience and training in the preparation of legal opinions, pleadings and memoranda.

Describe your experience and training in civil law.

Describe your experience and training in public sector law (either litigation or transactional).

Describe your experience, if any, in public sector or government representation.

What specific knowledge, skills or abilities do you possess that you feel make you qualified for the Deputy County Counsel?

Possession of a valid California driver’s license and time of appointment. Under certain circumstances, the Human Resources Director may accept a valid driver’s license from another State if the applicant acknowledges his/her intent to acquire a California driver’s license within three months by signing an acknowledgment form. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions pertaining to this or other essential functions of this classification.

Ability to pass LiveScan/Fingerprinting

This class specification lists the major duties and requirements of the job and is not all-inclusive. Incumbents may be expected to perform job-related duties other than those contained in this document.

Employment Standards

• Principles and application of civil, constitutional, and administrative law.
• Applicable Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Legal research methods.
• Trial and hearing procedures.
• Rules of evidence.
• Current principles and practices of public law.
• Techniques for providing a high level of customer service by effectively dealing with the public and staff.

Ability to:

• Learn the duties, powers, limitations, and authorities of the office of the County Counsel.
• Research, analyze, and apply legal principles, facts, evidence, and precedents to legal problems.
• Prepare and present cases of law in court.
• Present statements of law, fact, and argument clearly and logically in written and oral form.
• Analyze and draft ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and other legal documents.
• Deal courteously and communicate effectively with a variety of individuals in the course of work.
• Analyze, interpret, apply, and enforce applicable Federal, State, and local policies, procedures,codes, laws, and regulations.
• Identify problems, research, and analyze relevant information.
• Develop and present recommendations and justification for proposed solutions.
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, procedures, and other written materials.
• Maintain accurate files and records.
• Organize and prioritize a variety of projects and multiple tasks in an effective and timely manner.
• Organize own work, set priorities, and meet critical time deadlines.
• Complete multiple priority projects with conflicting deadlines.
• Make presentations to the Board of Supervisors and other groups.
• Maintain confidential information in accordance with legal standards and/or County regulations.
• Be organized, accountable, friendly, ethical, and professional at all times.

Typical Working Conditions

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions within the working conditions. Work is typically performed in a normal office environment and/or a courtroom.

Typical Physical Requirements

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. Requires the ability to work at a desk for multiple hours and intermittently travel to and from locations internal and external to the primary work location. Must be able to maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for communicating with others, reading, and writing. Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a keyboard to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen. Must be able to lift and carry objects weighing up to ten pounds frequently.