Deputy County Counsel I-IV

Closing Date: 11th January, 2026

Description:

The County of Riverside's Office of the County Counsel has an opportunity for a Deputy County Counsel (I – IV) to support their Health & Adult Welfare Division (HAWD) working with RUHS Behavioral Health - Public Guardian.

As a team member working under general supervision, the Attorney will offer litigation and general advisory services, representing RUHS Behavioral Health-Public Guardian.

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.

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 with hybrid options after the training period and at the department's discretion.

All Assignments:
Applicants must be an active member in good standing with the California State Bar.

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, Supervisors, and Chief Deputies in matters of law and trial tactics, legal research, preparation of legal briefs and opinions, completing mediations, and trial and appellate practices.
• Provide responsive, high-quality service to County employees and representatives of RUHS Behavioral Health – Public Guardian 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 and Paralegals on points of law, evidence, legal procedures and policies, and practices of the County Counsel's Office; counsel and provide recommendations to subordinate Deputies and Paralegals on more difficult and complex legal problems.
• Represent the County in all state and federal courts and before administrative hearing bodies.
• Study and interpret laws, court decisions, ordinances, and other legal authorities.
• Draft written opinions and render informal opinions on legal questions; prepare correspondence and pleadings; handle percipient witness and expert testimony; prepare written discovery; prepare pretrial motions and settlement conferences; first or second chair trials as needed.
• 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 depending upon level of experience.

Minimum Qualifications:
Deputy County Counsel I ($90,000.00 -$114,599.00 Annually)
Deputy County Counsel II ($107,048.00 - $138,938.00Annually)
Option I
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 - $179,579.00 Annually)
Option I
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 - $214,964.00 Annually)
Option I
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.
• Time management.
• 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.
• Driven to excel, supportive of change and seeks continuous learning.

Supplemental Information:
What's Next? This recruitment is open to all applicants. Applicants who are current 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 applications received.

General Information:
If you have any questions regarding this posting, please contact Angela Tavaglione at atavaglione@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.

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 N

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