Trial Attorney

Career Consulting Partners; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Dental benefits

Vision benefits

401(k) with match

Paid time off

Job summary

Career Consulting Partners is seeking an exceptional trial lawyer based in California and admitted to practice in California to lead high-stakes employment trials, arbitrations, and dispositive hearings. The candidate will act as first-chair trial counsel, develop strategy, mentor associates, and represent plaintiffs or defense in complex matters.

This role offers remote or hybrid work depending on experience, with in-person appearances across California for trials and significant hearings.

Qualifications

• Extensive first-chair jury and bench trial experience in California employment law
• Record of taking cases through verdicts and dispositive motions
• Strong courtroom presence and persuasive abilities

Responsibilities

• Serve as first-chair trial counsel in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations
• Attend and argue dispositive and case-defining hearings
• Develop trial strategy, prepare witnesses, present evidence, and deliver verdicts
• Mentor and develop attorneys handling trial preparation and second-chair duties
• Help establish and elevate the firm’s trial systems and culture

Skills

First-chair trial experience

California employment law

Trial strategy development

Education

Active California Bar membership

Job description

Career Consulting Partners is assisting its client in their search for an exceptional trial lawyer based in California and admitted to practice in California to become the firm’s go-to attorney for trials, arbitrations, and the firm’s most important courtroom proceedings. This is not a position for an employment lawyer who occasionally tries cases. We are looking for a serious, battle-tested first-chair trial attorney with an extensive record of successfully presenting employment cases to judges, juries, and arbitrators.

Our firm maintains a substantial and growing docket of plaintiff-side employment matters. You will take the lead whenever one of those cases proceeds to trial or arbitration, developing the trial strategy, preparing witnesses, presenting the evidence, and delivering the case to verdict. You will also appear at the firm’s most consequential dispositive hearings, where the outcome could determine the future of a case.

We want an accomplished courtroom advocate representing our clients when the stakes are highest. You will have the resources, case pipeline, and institutional support of a successful employment law firm behind you. Your focus will be on what you do best: advocating, trying, and winning important cases.

About the Role

• Serve as first-chair trial counsel in jury trials, bench trials, and arbitrations
• Attend and argue the firm’s most important dispositive and case-defining hearings
• Assume primary responsibility for trial strategy and courtroom presentation
• Prepare and examine witnesses, including plaintiffs, corporate representatives, experts, and key decision-makers
• Conduct voir dire, opening statements, direct and cross-examinations, and closing arguments
• Handle pretrial proceedings, motions in limine, evidentiary issues, jury instructions, and verdict forms
• Work closely with the firm’s litigation teams to position cases for maximum leverage and trial success
• Evaluate cases from a trial lawyer’s perspective and help determine which matters should be tried
• Mentor and develop attorneys who will assist with trial preparation and second-chair responsibilities
• Help establish and elevate the firm’s trial systems, standards, and courtroom culture

Qualifications:

• Extensive first-chair jury trial experience in California employment law
• A meaningful record of taking cases through verdict—not merely assisting with trial preparation
• Substantial experience trying cases involving several of the following:
• California Fair Employment and Housing Act claims
• Discrimination and harassment
• Retaliation and whistleblower claims
• Wrongful termination
• California Labor Code violations
• Wage-and-hour claims
• Representative or complex employment matters
• Significant experience arguing important dispositive motions and handling high-stakes court proceedings
• Strong command of California employment law, evidence, civil procedure, and trial practice
• Exceptional courtroom presence, judgment, credibility, and persuasive ability
• The ability to simplify complex facts and legal theories into compelling stories for judges and juries
• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar

Plaintiff-side experience is strongly preferred. However, we are open to an accomplished defense-side employment trial lawyer who is ready to bring that experience to a leading plaintiff-side practice.

Pay range and compensation package

• Base salary of $200,000–$300,000, depending on experience and trial record
• Commission-based compensation
• Performance and discretionary bonuses
• Total annual compensation potential exceeding $600,000
• Medical, dental, and vision benefits
• 401(k) plan with employer match
• Paid time off

Work Arrangement

We understand that an accomplished trial lawyer values both autonomy and flexibility. Depending on the candidate’s experience, location, and the needs of the firm, this position may be structured as remote or hybrid. Regardless of the work arrangement, the attorney must be available to appear in person for trials, arbitrations, significant dispositive hearings, and other important proceedings throughout California as needed.

Why Join?

You will not be hired simply to supervise files, attend routine hearings, or spend your career behind a desk. You will be entrusted with the firm’s most consequential cases and given the platform to build a lasting trial legacy. The right attorney will have substantial autonomy, direct access to firm leadership, strong litigation support, workplace flexibility, and the opportunity to become a central figure in the continued growth of the firm. If the courtroom is where you do your best work—and you have the verdicts and experience to prove it,we want to hear from you.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We are committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices and encourage all qualified candidates to apply.