Deputy County Counsel II-III-IV

The County of Riverside’s Office of the County Counsel has multiple opportunities for a Deputy County Counsel II - III - IV to support their Child Welfare Division. The immediate opening is in Indio, but this recruitment may be used to fill other vacancies throughout the County.

The Child Welfare Division handles cases involving allegations of child abuse and/or neglect. The Deputy County Counsel will manage a large number of cases and work on a team with other Deputy County Counsels. Responsibilities will include daily court appearances, case preparation, legal research and writing, handling writs and appeals, and advising clients on a variety of matters related to Child Welfare. 

The most competitive candidates will be great team players who are adaptable and have prior child welfare or dependency experience, preferably in the public sector.

Applicants must be an active member in good standing with the California State Bar. Prior experience with social work, criminal law, probation, family law, civil litigation, trial work or immigration law is highly desired. 

The level at which this position is offered is at the department's discretion.

The Office of the County Counsel offers family health coverage, premium subsidies to offset health insurance costs, paid renewal of State Bar Membership dues, and Riverside County Bar Association dues. The Child Welfare Division provides a 9/80 schedule.  Advancement:

Promotion to the Deputy County Counsel II, III, and IV levels is through a non-competitive process and based on demonstrated ability, satisfaction of the experience requirement and an overall meets expectation rating on the annual performance evaluation. 

Meet the Team!  
The Office of County Counsel is a full-service law office that provides advisory and litigation support on issues of vital concern to the County and its residents such as health care, public safety, child welfare, land development, environmental protection, public finance, taxation and elections.

• Provide guidance and advice to Deputy County Counsel attorneys in matters of law and trial tactics, ordinance drafting and interpretation, preparation of contracts and other legal instruments, legal research, preparation of legal briefs and opinions, and trial and appellate practices.
 
 • Provide responsive, high-quality service to County employees and representatives of outside agencies by providing accurate, complete and up-to-date information in a courteous, efficient and timely manner, and may interact with members of the public.
 
 • Consult with subordinate deputies on points of law, evidence, legal procedures and policies, and practices of the County Counsel's Office; counsel and provide recommendations to subordinate deputies on the more difficult and complex legal problems.
 
 • Attend meetings of various boards and commissions as legal advisor; confer with and advise County and district officers and employees on legal questions pertaining to their respective powers, duties, functions, and obligations; represent the County in all state and federal courts.
 
 • Study and interpret laws, court decisions, ordinances, and other legal authorities.
 
 • Draft contracts, deeds, leases, ordinances, resolutions, and other legal instruments; prepare written opinions and render informal opinions on legal questions; prepare correspondence and pleadings, and handle depositions, interrogatories, pretrial motions, and pretrial and settlement conferences.
 
 • Analyze, research and resolve difficult and complex legal problems.
 
 • Prepare, present and manage difficult to complex trial and appellate cases under minimal to moderate supervision.
 
• May be required to perform the functions of the lower-level Deputy County Counsel classifications.

Effective July 10, 2025, the maximum of the range for all classifications shall be increased by two percent (2%).

Effective July 9, 2026, the maximum of the range for all classifications shall be increased by three percent (3%).

DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL II - $107,048.00 - $136,214.00 Annually

OPTION I

Experience: One year at the Deputy County Counsel I level with the County of Riverside's Office of County Counsel, or as a county counsel attorney or city attorney at an equivalent level with another California county or city.

OPTION II

Experience: Two years in the practice of civil law providing professional legal counsel to governmental agencies or departments.

OPTION III

Experience: Two years in the practice of civil law in one of the following areas: eminent domain; labor and employment; civil litigation; business transactional; environmental; finance; healthcare; probate and conservatorships; bankruptcy; juvenile dependency or delinquency; land use; Native American gaming and land use; public works; real estate; or utilities.

OPTION IV

Experience: Two years in the practice of criminal law.

DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL III - $137,000.00 - $176,058.00 Annually

OPTION I

Experience: One year at the Deputy County Counsel II level with the County of Riverside's Office of County Counsel, or as a county counsel attorney or city attorney at an equivalent level with another California county or city.

OPTION II

Experience: Three years in the practice of civil law providing professional legal counsel to governmental agencies or departments.

OPTION III 

Experience: Three years in the practice of civil law in one of the following areas: eminent domain; labor and employment; civil litigation; business transactional; environmental; finance; healthcare; probate and conservatorships; bankruptcy; juvenile dependency or delinquency; land use; Native American gaming and land use; public works; real estate; or utilities.

OPTION IV

Experience: Three years in the practice of criminal law.

DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL IV - $144,125.00 - $210,749.00 Annually

OPTION I
 Experience: One year at the Deputy County Counsel III level with the County of Riverside's Office of County Counsel, or as a county counsel attorney or city attorney at an equivalent level with another California county or city. 
  
 OPTION II
 Experience: Four years in the practice of civil law providing professional legal counsel to governmental agencies or departments. 
  
 OPTION III
 Experience: Four years in the practice of civil law in one of the following areas: eminent domain; labor and employment; civil litigation; business transactional; environmental; finance; healthcare; probate and conservatorships; bankruptcy; juvenile dependency or delinquency; land use; Native American gaming and land use; public works; real estate; or utilities. 
  
 OPTION IV
 Experience: Four years in the practice of criminal law.

All Levels Require:

License: Possession of a valid California Driver's License is required. 

Membership: Active member in good standing with the California State Bar. 

Job Competencies:
 • Make sound and accurate decisions under pressure.

• Maintain an environment of teamwork and collaboration conducive to expanding knowledge and expertise. 

• Communicate clearly and concisely in both written and verbal forms. 

• Persuasively communicate your findings and recommendations to a variety of audiences.

• Possess superior negotiation skills.

 • Successfully prioritize conflicting timelines, ensuring each project receives appropriate time and consideration. 

• Effectively maintain expertise in all areas of responsibility and seek opportunities to increase personal knowledge in areas of responsibility. 

• Take independent actions after carefully analyzing and interpreting the associated risks. 

• Customer focused, meeting obligations and commitments. 

• Demonstrate ethical behavior and integrity even when challenged with highly stressful or crisis situations. 

• Skillfully gain and maintain credibility with superiors, co-workers, public, and managers. 

• Exhibit values and respect of others in all undertakings. 

• Encourage creative problem solving, collaboration, and analysis techniques. 

Salary : $107,048 - $136,214