Deputy General Counsel

DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL

DEADLINE TO APPLY

*Deadline to apply for this recruitment is Thursday, March 20, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. PST.

This recruitment is open to external candidates, internal OCSC employees and internal OCSC promotions. This recruitment will be used to fill current vacancies, and an eligible list may be established to fill future vacancies.

ANNUAL SALARY 
$163,113.60 - $206,128.00 Annually

BENEFITS HIGHLIGHTS

Choice of five medical plans

Defined Benefit Retirement Plan (2.50% at 67 formula)

$3500 Optional Benefit Plan (OBP) annually

Optional deferred compensation program (457 plan)

Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)

Dental and Vision Plans

Vacation and sick leave packages

14 paid holidays per year

Tuition reimbursement

TELEWORK/ON-SITE OPPORTUNITY

This position is eligible for a combination of telework and on-site work assignments. Telework must be completed from a pre-designated home-based location within the State of California and employees may be required to report on-site to address business needs. Telework is at the sole discretion of the Court and may be rescinded with 48 hours' notice, based on needs of the Orange County Superior Court.

ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT

The Orange County Superior Court is the third largest court of general jurisdiction in California. We have courthouses throughout the county, including locations in Orange, Westminster, Fullerton, Newport Beach, and Santa Ana. We have a staff of about 1,500 and an operating budget of nearly $280 million. The Court's Judges, Commissioners and employees are recognized for their high standards of achievement, integrity, and diversity. The Court is committed to ensuring equal access to court services and enhancing public confidence in the court system.

To learn more about the Superior Court of California, County of Orange, visit our homepage at www.occourts.org.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Deputy General Counsel will typically be assigned any operational area within the Office of the General Counsel and provide legal support for all facets of the Orange County Superior Court, while providing information and assistance on policies and procedures to judicial officers, Court employees, and the general public. Depending on assignment, the Deputy General Counsel manages and oversees the administrative functions and activities of the Court's Legal Research unit or provides legal support and guidance to judicial officers, senior leadership and staff within an assigned case type.

The Deputy General Counsel is a single level management/professional classification that reports directly to the General Counsel; the Deputy General Counsel may act on behalf of the General Counsel when the General Counsel does not participate directly; and the classification will serve as a liaison to other departments of the Court to address and solve pending items.

Duties for the classification may include, but are not limited to:

Assumes full management responsibility for all services and activities within assigned area of responsibility; recommends and administers policies and procedures; and may participate on assigned court committees.

Manages the development and implementation of unit goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for each assigned service area.

Administers unit policies; ensures appropriate services and staffing levels; monitors and evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery methods and procedures; allocates resources accordingly.

Conducts extensive legal research, drafting of memoranda, legal briefs, pleadings, orders, and local rules, and provides presentations to other units, departments, elected officials and outside agencies.

May represent unit to other units, departments, elected officials and outside agencies; explains, justifies, and defends services, policies, and activities; negotiates and resolves sensitive and controversial issues.

For more details and to read the entire job description, click the following link:

DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL

REQUIRED EDUCATION:

Juris Doctorate Degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association AND a member of the California State Bar in good standing. Note: To receive education credit, a copy of your college official transcripts or diploma must be included with your application. 

REQUIRED EXPERIENCE:

Three (3) years of full-time (or equivalent) Research Attorney experience with the Orange County Superior Court; OR five (5) years of full-time (or equivalent) experience as a Supervising Research Attorney with another California Court; OR five (5) years of full-time (or equivalent) experience as an Attorney in private or government practice with two (2) years supervisor experience.

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

Extensive experience interpreting and applying the California Government Code and Rules of Court as they relate to judicial functions.

Litigation experience across a variety of subject matter areas.

Experience litigating or advising on legal or judicial ethics issues.

Demonstrated ability to work under deadlines and to work as part of a team.

Experience exercising legal judgment with limited direct supervision.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (Licenses, Certifications, Testing, etc.):

Must successfully pass a background check to the satisfaction of the court.

APPLICATION PROCESS

All applicants are required to submit a completed online application and supplemental questionnaire. To learn more about how to create an application, click HERE. Résumés will not be accepted in lieu of the required application and supplemental questionnaire. For tips on completing/updating your application, refer to our "Helpful Application Tips" guide by clicking HERE.

SELECTION PROCESS

STEP 1: Applications will be reviewed by Human Resources to identify candidates who meet the minimum qualifications and/or desirables. It is to your benefit to include all current and previous related work experience. When listing Court experience, please include dates and classification of each position held, if more than one. Only those who meet the minimum qualifications and desirables (if applicable) will proceed to the next step in the recruitment process.

STEP 2: Candidates' supplemental question responses may be evaluated and ranked. Depending on the number of applications, additional assessments and/or screening interviews may be conducted.

STEP 3: Those candidates who are successful in the assessment/review may be placed on the eligible list. Placement on the eligible list is not a guarantee of interview or employment. All candidates will be notified via email of their status at each step of the process. Additional steps in the selection process will include a local background check and a reference check.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS

Orange County Superior Court provides reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities, upon request. Please contact the Human Resources Department at HRStaffing@occourts.org if you feel that you will need a reasonable accommodation for any aspect of the selection process.

ELIGIBLE LIST

This recruitment may be used to establish an eligible list for current and future vacancies. The eligible list may remain active until the list is exhausted, or a new recruitment opens.

STATUS NOTIFICATIONS

You will be notified by email during the process of this recruitment through GovernmentJobs.com. Please check your email spam/junk folders and accept emails ending with GovernmentJobs.com and occourts.org. If your information changes, please update your profile at http://www.governmentjobs.com/.

E-VERIFY

The Superior Court of California, County of Orange participates in the E-Verify program which confirms employment eligibility of new hires.

QUESTIONS?

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Ernest Montoya at emontoya@occourts.org. For general employment information, please click HERE.

Orange County Superior Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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Salary : $163,114 - $206,128