Deputy County Counsel I - IV at County of Riverside in Riverside, California

Job Description:

ABOUT THE POSITION

The County of Riverside's Office of the County Counsel has an opportunity for a Deputy County Counsel I - II - II - IV to support their Health & Adult Welfare Division (HAWD).

In this role, the incumbent will provide legal support to key County departments, including the Riverside University Health System (RUHS) (Behavioral Health Department, Public Health Department, and Medical Center) and the Department of Public Social Services.

As a team member working under general supervision, the Attorney will offer litigation and general advisory services, representing RUHS Behavioral Health in various collaborative courts throughout the County. Responsibilities will include handling probate and Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) conservatorships, Laura's Law cases, CARE Act cases, and more. The incumbent will also negotiate and draft public agency contracts with a focus on data protection and privacy, conduct effective legal research on data sharing, and identify legal pathways for client informed decision-making. Additionally, collaboration with in-house attorneys will be essential to ensure uniform legal advice on data sharing and privacy for integrated service delivery.

The ideal candidate will possess relevant experience with laws involving mental health, California, and Federal privacy and confidentiality rights governing health information and public social services. A proven ability to perform litigation and provide legal advice in a collaborative environment is necessary, as well as experience negotiating and drafting contracts, particularly related to data protections and privacy.

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

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.

Schedule:

A 9/80 or 5/40 with hybrid options after the training period and at the department's discretion.

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.

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• 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.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL I - $90,000.00 - $112,352.41 Annually
Experience: None

DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL II - $107,048.45 - $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 - $137,000.03 - $170,930.24 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 I V - $144,125.28 - $210,749.47 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.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION

What's Next? This recruitment is open to all candidates. Applicants who are currently County of Riverside employees and/or current employees of the Office of the County Counsel may be considered before other applicants depending on the volume of the applications received.

General Information

If you have any questions regarding this posting, please contact Alyssa Wallace at alyssawallace@rivco.org

If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at support@governmentjobs.com or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.

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APPLICATION INFORMATION

Veteran's Preference
The County has a Veterans Preference Policy applicable to new hires. To qualify, upload a copy of your (or your spouse's) Member-4 Form DD-214 indicating dates of service, and a copy of your spouse's letter of disability (if applicable) with your application. For privacy reasons, it is recommended that you remove your social security information from the document(s). A Human Resources Representative will review the materials and determine if you qualify for veterans' preference.The Veterans Preference Policy, C-3 is available here: https://rivcocob.org/board-policies

Reasonable Accommodations
The County of Riverside is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to applicants as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA). Qualified individuals with disabilities who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process should contact the recruiter for the position noted above. For additional information and/or to obtain the appropriate form for requesting a reasonable accommodation, please visit the Disability Access Office web page located at: https://rc-hr.com/disability

Proof of Education
If using education to qualify or when requested by the recruiter, upload a copy of any license(s), official/unofficial transcript(s), degrees, and/or related employment documents to your NeoGov account at the time of application and before the closing date. Official or unofficial transcripts will be accepted.

If your education was completed outside of the United States, you will need to provide a copy of your Foreign Education Equivalency evaluation from a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ).

Equal Opportunity Employer
The County of Riverside is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the County of Riverside to provide equal employment opportunities for all qualified persons. All applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, ancestry, medical condition (cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, or denial of medical and family care leave, or any other non-job-related factors.

Pre-Employment
All employment offers are contingent upon successful completion of pre-employment requirements including a criminal background investigation, which involves fingerprinting. (A felony or misdemeanor conviction may disqualify the applicant from County employment). A pre-employment physical examination and background check may be required.

Probationary Period
As an Approved Local Merit System, all County of Riverside employees, except those serving "At Will," are subject to the probationary period provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, County Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Temporary and Per Diem employees serve at the pleasure of the agency/department head.

General Information
Current County of Riverside and/or current employees of the hiring department may receive priority consideration. Qualified candidates may be considered for future County vacancies.

Job postings may close without notice based on application volume. Submit your complete application by the recruitment close date; no late applications are accepted. Ensure all relevant experience/education is reflected on your application/resume, as a failure to demonstrate position requirements may disqualify applicants. A description of job duties directly copied from the job classification or job posting will not be considered.

Please read and follow any special application instructions on this posting. Click the 'Apply' link located on this page to submit your application. For additional instructions on the application process, examinations, Veteran's preference, pre-employment accommodation or other employment questions, please refer to our web site, www.rc-hr.com .

If you are experiencing technical problems, you may contact the governmentjobs.com applicant support desk Monday through Friday, 6 am to 5 pm Pacific Time at support@governmentjobs.com or toll-free 1-855-524-5627.

MEDICAL/DENTAL INSURANCE: A Flexible Benefit Credit is provided on a monthly basis as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit. Vision coverage is provided through Vision Service Plan (VSP) at no cost to employee or eligible dependents.

Note: Employees on assignment through the Temporary Assignment Program (TAP) receive different benefits. See the list here .
MISCELLANEOUS RETIREMENT: County of Riverside has three retirement Tiers through the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

• 
  Tier I (Classic Member - Formula 3% @ 60): Applicable to current and former County of Riverside local miscellaneous employees hired prior to 08/24/2012 and did not withdraw CalPERS contributions. The employee contribution is eight (8%) percent.


• 
  Tier II (Classic Member - Formula 2% @ 60): Applicable to local miscellaneous employees 1) hired after 08/23/2012 through 12/31/2012; 2) Previously employed with another CalPERS contracting public agency or a reciprocal retirement system, with a break in service of less than six months between the separation date with the previous employer and the appointment date with the County of Riverside. The employee contribution is seven (7%) percent.


• 
  Tier III (PEPRA New Member - Formula 2% @ 62): Applicable to CalPERS local miscellaneous new members hired on or after the implementation of the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA) which took effect January 1, 2013. Effective July 1, 2023 employee contributions are 7.25% and will increase to 7.75% effective July 1, 2024.
  

A new member is defined as any of the following:

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who has no prior membership in any California Public Retirement System.

A new hire who enters CalPERS membership for the first time on or after January 1, 2013, and who was a member with another California Public Retirement System prior to that date, but who is not subject to reciprocity upon joining CalPERS.

A member who first established CalPERS membership prior to January 1, 2013, and who is rehired by a different CalPERS agency after a break in service of greater than six (6) months.

CalPERS refers to all members that do not fit within the definition of a new member as "classic members".

Contribution rates are subject to change based on the County of Riverside annual actuarial valuation.

Note:

This summary is for general information purposes only. Additional questions regarding retirement formulas can be sent to retirement@rivco.org or by calling the Benefits Information Line at (951) 955-4981,
Option 2.

If you have prior service credit with another CalPERS agency or within agencies, please contact CalPERS at (888) 225-7377 to determine which retirement tier would be applicable to you. CalPERS is governed by the Public Employees' Retirement Law. The Retirement Law is complex and subject to change. If there's any conflict between this summary and the law, the law will prevail over this summary.
ANNUAL LEAVE (Bi-Weekly Accrual):

0 < 36 months = 8.92 Hours
36 to <108>108 or more months = 12.00 Hours

Maximum Annual leave accumulation is 2,080 hours. Employee may receive pay in lieu of up to 40 hours per calendar year. Agency/Department Head may approve an additional 40 hours.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Voluntary employee contribution with a choice between two 457 deferred compensation plan options.

401(a) MONEY PURCHASE PLAN: County contribution of $50 per pay period towards choice between two 401(a) plan providers.

HOLIDAYS: Normally 12 paid holidays per year

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: 5 days (3 days are County paid; 2 days can be taken through use of accrued leave balances)

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE: $50,000 of term life coverage. Premiums are paid by the County. Additional Supplemental Life plan is available for employee purchase.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY (LTD): Benefit pays 66.67% of earnings to a maximum of $10,000 per month; 30-day waiting period; pays to age 65. Benefit can be coordinated with other available leave balances to provide up to 100% of pay.

POST RETIREMENT MEDICAL CONTRIBUTION: A monthly contribution is made by the County towards retiree health insurance offered through the County as governed by the Management Resolution or applicable bargaining unit.

OTHER: There may be other benefit provisions as specified in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding, Management Resolution, or Salary Ordinance. Please contact the recruiter listed on the job posting directly for more information.

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