Attorney IV - County Counsel - Labor and Employment

Description

The County of Santa Clara Office of the County Counsel is seeking an attorney to assist our Office in advising County departments regarding a wide array of labor and employment matters, including hiring, training, and disciplining employees; reasonably accommodating employees and complying with employee-leave laws and policies; negotiating and finalizing labor contracts; drafting personnel policies; and complying with the County’s Merit System Rules and state and federal labor, employment, and equal opportunity laws. Team attorneys also represent the County before the Santa Clara County Personnel Board, arbitrators, the Public Employment Relations Board, and other state and federal administrative agencies. We are particularly interested in candidates with experience with labor union negotiations, collective bargaining, and other facets of California labor law.

About the Office of the County Counsel

The County of Santa Clara’s Office of the County Counsel is one of the nation’s preeminent public law offices, serving as legal counsel to the County, its Board of Supervisors and elected officials, every County department and agency, and the County’s various boards and commissions. The Office’s work covers a wide array of litigation and policy matters that significantly affect the health, safety, and well-being of the County’s 1.9 million residents. The Office supports the County’s efforts to protect public health and the environment, provide healthcare services, address homelessness, maintain roads and parks, ensure access to a fair criminal justice system, and protect vulnerable populations. The Office handles nearly all of the County’s civil litigation, including employment, personal injury, child welfare, breach of contract, civil rights, taxation, environmental law, and social justice and impact litigation. The Office also provides all of the day-to-day legal services expected from any in-house legal team, researching and analyzing emerging areas of law, crafting policies, analyzing and commenting on legislation, advising and counseling the Board of Supervisors and County departments on transactional matters, addressing challenging issues facing local governments, and developing innovative local ordinances and programs to advance social and economic justice for the county’s residents and to promote local, state, and national public policy reform.

The Office has widely been recognized for its excellence. In 2019, the Office received the American Bar Association’s prestigious Hodson Award . Awarded to one office nationwide each year, the Hodson Award recognizes outstanding performance and extraordinary service by a government or public-sector law office. In 2022, the Office’s Child and Family Protection Team received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from the International Municipal Lawyers Association for its transformative work in guiding Santa Clara County’s child welfare system toward a model that promotes equity, inclusion, and cultural competency in the provision of government services to highly vulnerable client populations. And in 2021, the Office received a California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award for its leadership role in shaping the regional, statewide, and national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, numerous attorneys within the Office have been individually recognized for their contributions in shaping appellate and Supreme Court decisions through our amicus briefs and by spearheading nationwide efforts to coordinate broad coalitions of counties, cities, and national local government organizations on issues of vital interest, including local government discretion over policy decisions, protecting public health and safety, ensuring funding for local health care, and defending against environmental harms.

General Qualifications

Member in good standing with the State Bar of California;·

Demonstrated history of hard work, dedication, and academic excellence;·

Ability to prioritize and manage several simultaneous projects under deadlines;·

As some of the work done in the Office of the County Counsel will undoubtedly be new to any applicant, the ideal candidate will be flexible and show an eagerness to learn;·

Self-motivated and willing to take ownership of any matter;·

Team player. Our Office is a collegial and supportive environment in which employees willingly pitch-in to help one another;·

Exceptional legal research and writing skills;·

Strong communication skills. Our attorneys must be able to explain complex legal issues to judges, arbitrators, elected officials, a diverse range of clients, and, occasionally, members of the public; and·

Able to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with other County staff.

Salary and Benefits

Salaries vary based on experience and qualifications. For attorneys with five or more years of experience, the annual salary range is $244,312.64 to $304,083.52.

The County offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for all attorneys and their dependents. Attorneys also receive substantial pension benefits, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and related coverage.

How to Apply

Applicants interested in the above position should send a résumé, list of five references, and brief cover letter to Assistant County Counsel Michaela Lewis via hiring@cco.sccgov.org. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, but interested applicants are strongly encouraged to apply promptly. For those interested in applying, please refer to: https://counsel.santaclaracounty.gov/Careers/attorney-roles