Legal Unit Supervisor

California Department of Industrial Relations; Alameda (CA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The California Department of Industrial Relations seeks an Attorney Supervisor to lead a team of attorneys responsible for interpreting and enforcing employment and labor law across the state. The role involves coordinating with the Chief Counsel and ACCs, directing the Legal Office staff, and improving workflow efficiency, including handling escalated requests that may draw media attention.

Travel is required; the position supports a hybrid work environment with both in‑person and remote work,

Qualifications

• Active membership to the California State Bar.
• Experience supervising attorneys or legal staff.
• Ability to coordinate with multiple program offices and respond to escalated requests.

Responsibilities

• Oversee a team of attorneys interpreting and enforcing employment and labor law.
• Plan, direct, coordinate, and review the Legal Office's work with ACCs and staff.
• Improve coordination and efficiency of workflow and handle special requests.
• Travel as required; work in hybrid office and field environments.

Skills

Team leadership

Legal supervision

Employment law

Labor law

Policy coordination

Job description

Job Description And Duties

Under the general direction of the Assistant Chief Counsel (ACC), the Attorney Supervisor is responsible for the management and oversight of a team of Attorneys responsible for interpreting and enforcing provisions of employment and labor law compliance and enforcement across the state and in support of the Wage Claims Adjudication Unit and related policy initiatives and strategic priorities of the Labor Commissioner’s Office. The attorney supervisor, in coordination with the Chief Counsel and other ACC’s, plans, directs, coordinates, and reviews the work of the Labor Commissioner Office’s legal staff, including attorneys, legal analysts, and other legal support staff, and helps oversee the day-to-day operations of the Legal Office. The Attorney Supervisor will assist the ACC and ensure direct managerial support and oversight is in place to improve the coordination and efficiency of the workflow, mitigate errors or oversights of pertinent information, and allow the completion and attention to special requests or escalated requests that may receive media attention.

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To be considered for this Attorney Supervisor job opportunity, applicants must be either reachable on an employment list, have transfer eligibility or have reinstatement eligibility. To take the exam and gain employment list eligibility, please click here to access the exam bulletin: https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=1586

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 her e to visit the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) website.

Working Conditions

The recruitment is being conducted to fill 1 vacancy, which may be filled at any of the following locations listed below:

• Oakland
• Sacramento JC-517744
• San Jose JC-517755
• San Francisco JC-517762
• Lodi JC-517765

The incumbent will have responsibilities across program offices and may be redirected to oversee other offices. Extensive travel will be required. The incumbent will work in an office setting. Travel as required to assigned district offices. Travel may be via land or air and may require overnight stay. This position may require working irregular hours. The incumbent will have a hybrid work environment including in-person and remote work consistent with operational needs and may work in a high‑rise office building. The incumbent will be required to sit for long periods of time while in the office and/or while driving to and from field activities. Travel may be via land or air and may require overnight stay. The incumbent will have access to a state vehicle, laptop computer, printer, cellular phone, and other equipment necessary to stay in touch with the assigned field offices and their staff. The assigned state vehicle will be parked at a departmental‑designated location. The incumbent will also traverse various ground surfaces and/or buildings while managing between 2- 5 lbs of equipment (laptop or tablet, and chargers) while out in the field training field staff.

Special Requirements

Active membership to the California State Bar

A Statement Of Qualifications (SOQ).

The SOQ is a narrative of how your experience, training, education, knowledge, skills, and abilities qualify you for this position. The SOQ also serves as documentation of each applicant's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. Resumes, cover letters, and other documentation DO NOT take the place of an SOQ. Applicants who do not submit an SOQ will be disqualified. Applicants who do not follow the instructions for an SOQ, or who submit an incomplete SOQ, will be disqualified.

• Describe your personal mission and how it relates to the LCO’s mission and vision.
• Describe your experience and approach to supervising, coaching, leading and mentoring attorneys or legal staff. Include examples of how you have led team members, supported professional growth, and ensured high quality legal work.
• Summarize your interest in this position and how your prior experience qualifies you for it.
• Identify up to five (5) matters in which you have served as lead trial counsel in a civil or criminal court trial, or as lead counsel in an administrative hearing that lasted more than one day (including both morning and afternoon sessions). Please format your response as follows: Case Name/No. Court name/location/dept. Judge/Hearing Officer Dates Issues

• Identify up to five (5) matters in which you have served as lead appellate counsel in any California appellate court (including the California Court of Appeal or California Supreme Court) or in any United States Court of Appeals. Please format your response as follows: Case Name/No. Court name/location/dept. Judge/Hearing Officer Dates Issues

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.