Deputy County Counsel II-V

Job Description:

Deputy County Counsel II-V

Description

About the Opportunity

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT

The County Counsel's Office serves as the chief legal counsel for the Board of Supervisors and all County offices, departments, and commissions. The County Counsel's Office is responsible for providing legal advice and written opinions on matters that impact the operation of County government. The County Counsel's Office also represents the County in litigation and in preparing agreements, contracts, resolutions, and ordinances for the Board of Supervisors.

The County Counsel's Office regularly handles personnel matters, election matters, bond issues, trial and appellate litigation concerning child welfare practice, public social services, condemnation proceedings, Public Administrator matters, and other legal issues affecting County government.

The department enjoys a well-deserved reputation of professionalism and excellence. In the last eight years, three attorneys from the department have been appointed to the local bench and a fourth successfully ran for judge in an election. This achievement reflects the exceptional caliber of the department's attorneys, their commitment to public service, and the respect they have earned within the legal community

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TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE
Application Deadline: August 26, 2026 at 5pm

Oral Examination: Tentatively the week of September 7, 2026

THE POSITION

The General Legal Services section of the office provides legal advice to the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive, and various County departments and agencies. General Legal Services attorneys research and analyze many areas of law, craft ordinances and policies, negotiate contracts, comment on legislation, and, most of all, solve problems for the County departments and officials they advise. Attorneys in this section are on the front lines of providing advice on programs of significant importance to the County's Board of Supervisors and the broader community. The section's practice is grounded in various areas of public law, including the Brown Act, the Public Records Act, and the Political Reform Act.

Questions? We're Here to Help!

If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, the recruitment process, or need assistance with your application, please contact the Recruitment Analyst at (350) 207-5129.

Typical Tasks

• Represents, advises and prepares legal documents for one or more County departments, special boards, commissions, or other governmental bodies.
• Represents the County in litigation.
• Works with County departments to draft and pursue legislation, ordinances and amendments to State and County code.

Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education/Experience)

KNOWLEDGE

• Legal principles and their application
• Legal research methods
• Principles of administrative and public law
• Duties, powers, limitations, and authority of the County Counsel's Office

SKILLS/ABILITIES

• Perform highly complex legal research work
• Analyze and apply legal principles and precedents to legal problems
• Present statement of fact, law, and arguments clearly and logically
• Draft ordinances, resolutions, and regulations
• Propose legislative measures
• Make appearance at local, state and federal courts

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Deputy County Counsel II

• Minimum of one (1) year of experience in the general practice of law. Participation in the State Bar of California’s Practical Training of Law Students (PTLS) Program may be applied to meet this requirement.

Deputy County Counsel III

Pattern I

• Minimum of one (1) years’ experience as a Deputy County Counsel II for Stanislaus County or for another California public agency in an equivalent position(s) performing the same or similar duties

Pattern II

• Minimum of three (3) years’ experience in the practice of public agency law, or civil law experience in areas such as civil litigation, probate, contracts, healthcare, employment, worker’ compensation, real property, environmental, land use, litigation, intellectual property, or child dependency proceedings; OR
• Minimum of four (4) years’ experience in the practice of law in California

Deputy County Counsel IV

Pattern I

• Minimum of one (1) years’ experience as a Deputy County Counsel III for Stanislaus County or for another California public agency in an equivalent position(s) performing the same or similar duties.

Pattern II

• Minimum of four (4) years’ experience in the practice of public agency law, or civil law experience in areas such as civil litigation, probate, contracts, healthcare, employment, workers' compensation, real property, environmental, land use, litigation, intellectual property, or child dependency proceedings.

Deputy County Counsel V

Pattern I

• Four years of experience as a Deputy County Counsel II-IV for the County of Stanislaus or for another California public agency in an equivalent position(s) performing the same or similar duties.

Pattern II

• Five years of experience in the practice of public agency law, or civil law experience in areas such as civil litigation, probate, contracts, healthcare, employment, workers' compensation, real property, environmental, land use, litigation, intellectual property, or child dependency proceedings.

LICENSE

• The individual selected must be an active member of the California State Bar at the time of appointment. The Bar membership must be listed at the appropriate section on the application form; and
• Applicants must possess and maintain a valid California Driver's License and remain free from repeated preventable accidents.

Application and Selection Procedures

APPLICATION PROCEDURES/FINAL FILING DATE

Applications cannot be submitted later than 5:00 p.m. on the final filing date. Make your online application as complete as possible so a full and realistic appraisal may be made of your qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Attaching your resume and cover letter are an optional feature for those who wish to do so in addition to completing the required application. Information on your resume and cover letter will not substitute for the education, work experience and required fields on the County application. The online County application is the primary tool used to evaluate your job qualifications.

EXAMINATION PROCESS
Most County recruitments consists of the steps detailed below and are governed by Merit Principles. The examination process ensures that all applicants are given the same opportunity to gain employment within Stanislaus County.

• Application Review and Screening. Applications are carefully screened based on information provided. Those who submit incomplete applications that lack relevant qualifications or do not submit all required documents will not be invited to move on.
• Written Examination. Applicants will be invited to participate in a written exam that tests knowledge for the position.
• Oral Examination. Applicants are invited to a panel interview in which they will be evaluated by County subject matter experts.
• Eligible Lists. Candidates who pass the examination will be placed on an eligible list for that classification. Eligible lists are effective for six months but may be extended up to eighteen months.

GENERAL INFORMATION

CLASSIFICATION INFORMATION

Unless otherwise provided, this position is part of the Unclassified Service of the County and considered “at will” for labor relations purposes. The individual selected will participate in the Stanislaus County Pay-for-Performance program, as well as receive additional benefits.

The Job Task Analysis provides information detailing the physical and functional demands of the classification. For the complete job task analysis, visit the Risk Management website athttp://www.stancounty.com/riskmgmt/under the "Disability" tab.

Note: The eligible list generated from this recruitment may be used to fill future extra-help, part-time and full-time vacancies throughout Stanislaus County.

Incumbents may also be subject to overtime, standby, callback, weekend, holiday and shift assignments as identified in their MOU (Memorandum of Understanding).

RECRUITMENT ACCOMMODATIONS

Arrangements may be made to accommodate disabilities and religious convictions. Applicants requiring testing accommodations are required to complete and submit the Testing Accommodations Request Form prior to the test administration date. Special arrangements for religious convictions should be included in the "Additional Information" section of the application form.

GENERAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Pass County-paid pre-employment job-related background investigation.
• Perform job duties in a manner assuring a safe working environment for oneself and others.
• Maintain confidential information according to the legal standards and/or County regulations as required.
• Some positions may be required to possess and maintain a valid California Driver’s License and meet County insurability requirements.

APPLICATION AND/OR EXAMINATION APPEAL RIGHTS

Application and/or examination results may be appealed by applicants presenting facts alleging irregularity, fraud and/or error in application screening or in exam scoring. Appeals must be in writing and submitted to the Chief Executive Officer within seven (7) days after the examination results are emailed.

DISCLAIMER

Stanislaus County reserves the right to revise the examination plan described in this flyer to better meet the needs of County service. The provisions of this bulletin do not constitute an express or implied contract. Any provision contained in this bulletin may be modified or revoked without notice. The information contained in the bulletin is information which sets forth a general summary of benefits for this respective position. This information is not legally binding. The benefits and other information regarding this position may be found in the Stanislaus County Code, the Stanislaus County Personnel Policies manual, or in the applicable Memorandum of Understanding(s), and such information prevails over information contained in this flyer. Questions regarding this bulletin may be directed to the Stanislaus County Chief Executive Office/Human Relations.

Benefits associated with this position can be found at Benefits Summary.

Closing Date/Time: 8/26/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

Salary:

$88,712.00 - $213,012.80 Annually