Attorney - 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. 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 has widely been recognized for its excellence, including through awards and recognition from the American Bar Association, the International Municipal Lawyers Association, the Daily Journal, the California Lawyer Magazine, the County Counsels’ Association of California, and other leading legal institutions.

The Office of the County Counsel is seeking talented, highly motivated attorneys to fill open positions on the following teams. Prior public-sector experience is desirable, but not required for any of the open positions.

Civil Rights, Tort, and Employment Litigation Team

We are seeking an experienced employment litigator for our Civil Rights, Tort, and Employment Litigation Team. This Team defends the County in lawsuits filed not only against the County, but also its officials, and / or its employees. In addition to employment cases, the Team’s docket includes a wide variety of other subject matter areas, including tort, employment, civil rights, medical malpractice, and dangerous condition of public property actions to name a few. Our litigators handle all phases of litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Additionally, our litigators represent all County departments and have developed expertise in the work of each department to provide advice and training on risk management issues to improve policies, practices, and to minimize legal exposure to the County. We are interested in candidates who would like to work in a collaborative and dynamic public-sector litigation practice, have experience in employment litigation, and five (5) or more years of litigation practice. Experience in the other specific types of cases described above is desirable, but not required.

Workers' Compensation Team

We are seeking an experienced workers’ compensation litigator to defend County claims. The County is self-insured, and our Workers’ Compensation Team provides legal advice and representation to the Office of Risk Management’s Workers’ Compensation Division, which operates the County’s self-administered workers’ compensation program. The County uses both in-house attorneys and occasionally outside counsel to represent the County in proceedings related to workers’ compensation claims, appear before the Workers’ Compensation Appeals Board, and litigate Industrial Disability Retirement appeals and third-party subrogation claims. We are seeking an experienced attorney to litigate a workers’ compensation caseload, including to manage advice and work produced in-house. This position requires strong organization and case-handling / management skills to, among other things, represent the County, conduct frequent case consultations, formulate, and implement discovery and litigation plans, facilitate and expedite claim disposition, proceed to trial where necessary, monitor fees and expenses, and perform other related duties. An ideal candidate will have familiarity with the unique issues and laws related to public safety claims, including Labor Code 4850 benefits and presumptive injuries.

Adult and Elder Protection Team

We are seeking an experienced attorney, with probate, general advice, and litigation experience preferred, for our Adult and Elder Protection Team. This attorney will assist our Office in representing the Public Guardian of the County of Santa Clara in both probate and mental health conservatorship proceedings. Our court-facing practice engages attorneys in routinely handling a variety of contested hearings, including both jury and bench trials, and appellate litigation. Team attorneys serve as in-house counsel for the Public Guardian on conservatorship and trust administration for several hundred pending cases on a variety of issues from real property sales to accountings, medical decision-making, landlord / tenant disputes, and taxes. And they represent the Public Administrator of the County of Santa Clara in probate matters such as assisting and advising on the administration of existing decedent estates, including handling petitions for appointment, tax disputes, court-confirmed sales of real property, will contests, and petitions for final distributions. We are particularly interested in candidates with a demonstrated interest in public service and collaboration that engages and supports the community.

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 $232,679.20 to $289,604.64.

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 any of the above positions 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, and interested applicants are encouraged to apply promptly.

Salary : $232,679 - $289,605