Description:

Overview:
The Judicial Council of California is accepting applications for the position of Attorney I with the Center for Judicial Education and Resources (CJER).

The Attorney I position works closely with judicial officers to design, develop, and deliver mandatory and recommended continuing education programs. The role regularly monitors and analyzes rules of court, statutes, and case law to maintain competency in legal areas that are directly and indirectly critical to the assignment. In collaboration with judicial faculty and committee members, the attorney identifies key content areas for judicial education and recommends the most effective methods for delivering that information. This incumbent also supports judicial faculty in course development and instruction by setting learning objectives, drafting lesson plans and course outlines, creating hypothetical case scenarios, developing and updating PowerPoint presentations, and preparing participant materials that reflect accurate and current legal updates.

The Judicial Council
The Judicial Council of California is the policy setting body for the state court system and has constitutionally conferred statewide rule-making authority. This authority includes developing, advocating for, and allocating the judicial branch budget. A majority of Council members are California state justices and judges; however, the Council also includes lawyers, legislators, and court administrators.

By enhancing its role as a leadership, knowledge, and service resource for the judicial branch, the Judicial Council's staff organization seeks to continue to evolve as one of California's most dynamic public service entities, focused on improving access to justice for all Californians by innovating and responding to the changing needs of the courts and the public. As a government body charged with improving the statewide administration of justice, the Judicial Council has multiple offices with diverse responsibilities relating to court policy and operations. As employees of the council, every member of staff should view and approach their work as one Judicial Council with a public service mission that is greater than the sum of its parts.

The Judicial Council strives for work-life balance, including substantial vacation and holiday time. In addition, we offer an excellent benefits package, including pension, medical, dental, and vision coverage, flexible spending, up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs, and retirement savings plans. The San Francisco office is only a 7-minute walk from the downtown Civic Center BART station. In Sacramento, the office is located minutes from downtown, just north of Discovery Park.

The Judicial Council offers hybrid work arrangements for many positions. The successful candidate will be expected to work in person at the Judicial Council's San Francisco or Sacramento office at least two days per week, based on their office leader's direction, and reside in the areas surrounding these locations. To be eligible for Judicial Council employment and participation in the Judicial Council's Hybrid Work Program, a prospective or current employee's primary residence/remote work location must be in the State of California and within a 150-mile driving radius of their assigned reporting location.

Responsibilities:

Advise judicial curriculum committee, related judicial education workgroups and judicial faculty, other advisory committees, management and colleagues; serve generally as subject matter expert in designated legal topics and on adult education.
Develop, review, and update courses and resources for judicial officers on an ongoing basis; determine if curricula needs to be updated; utilize knowledge of education principles to recommend active training tools and methods to improve courses for adult learners; apply legal research principles to independently analyze and verify accuracy of course content.
Monitor and report on changes and modification in statutory law and rules; formulate informed opinions of how changes will impact law practice within the judicial branch and advise judicial officers, management, and colleagues, accordingly.
Review and update CJER publications and course materials on assigned legal subjects.
Evaluate accuracy of preexisting legal materials and conduct legal research.
Design and serve as faculty for select courses (e.g., Faculty Development).
Review and revise lesson plans and course materials.
Maintain professional competency and knowledge as an attorney and adult education specialist specializing in a particular area(s) of the law and procedure.

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

Attend bi-monthly unit meetings
One-on-one supervision meetings
Quarterly office-wide meetings
Review memoranda and other documents
Provide general support to office management and colleagues as assigned

Qualifications:

Juris doctor, and two (2) years of post-bar legal experience as a practicing attorney.
After passing a state bar, work experience as a Law Clerk to a federal or state judge prior to formal bar admission will be considered qualifying experience.

Licensing and Certifications
Current active membership with the State Bar of California prior to hire.

Desirable Qualifications:

Experience working with or supporting judicial officers, courts, or judicial branch agencies.
Strong knowledge of California law, including statutes, case law, and rules of court, with ability to monitor and analyze legal updates across subject areas.
Demonstrated knowledge of criminal law and procedure as applied in California state courts.
Strong legal research, writing, and analytical skills, with attention to detail and accuracy.
Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills, with ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines simultaneously.
Demonstrated teaching experience and/or experience drafting clear and well-organized instructional materials, including lesson plans, course outlines, hypothetical case scenarios, and participant handouts.

Other Information:
Please note: if you are selected for hire, verification of employment eligibility or authorization to work in the United States will be required.

How to Apply:
This position requires the submission of our official application, responses to the supplemental questions, a resume and writing sample. To ensure consideration of your application for the earliest round of interviews, please apply by 5:00 PM on Thursday, February 12, 2026.

To complete the online application, please click on the Apply For Job button.

The Judicial Council provides reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities who request such accommodation. Reasonable accommodation needs should be requested through Human Resources at (415) 865-4260. Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) is available by dialing 711. Once connected, provide the relay operator with the number for Human Resources: 415-865-4260.

Supplemental Questions

To better assess the qualifications of each applicant, we will review your responses to the following questions.

Please describe your interest in the position and the combination of skills and experience you bring that will make you successful in this role.
Please describe your relevant experience in (a) criminal law and (b) educational delivery and design.
Please describe your job-related experience in workload organization and managing multiple projects across different timelines and competing deadlines.
Are you an active member of the California State Bar?

Pay and Benefits:
$12,516 - $15,019

Please note due to statewide fiscal conditions, the posted salary range is subject to a temporary 3% reduction. In exchange for this reduction, judicial branch employees accrue an additional 5 hours of paid personal leave per month through June 30, 2027.

Some highlights of our benefits package include: