-
Job Description
ABOUT US
At the County of Marin, our employees overwhelmingly report feeling their work is meaningful, they like the work they do, and they are proud to tell people “I work for the County of Marin.” Discover more about us, our values and our organizational culture on the Department of Human Resources website . Read on to find out more about this opportunity.
County Counsel's Office: The County Counsel's Office provides high quality and timely legal services supporting the County of Marin's governmental functions. Services are provided to County departments, boards and agencies in a manner that is cost-effective, professional and promotes excellence in delivery of government services contributing to the health, safety and welfare of county residents and visitors.
ABOUT THE POSITION
The Chief Deputy County Counsel is a key part of the department’s management team, participating in management meetings and decision-making as well as leading a division of the office and providing direct supervision to attorneys and leadership to all department employees. Further, the Chief Deputy performs a variety of professional legal work for County departments and represented special districts including but not limited to advice and counsel, litigation in a variety of areas (excessive force defense, land use, trip and falls, dangerous condition of public property, etc.) public contracting law, public meeting law and land use. The Chief Deputy will exercise a considerable amount of independent judgment and initiative in representing their assigned clients and may be assigned the most complex cases as special projects. The Chief Deputy is typically assigned to any of the specialty areas of the office and is expected to handle federal and state litigation from case assignment through trial and appellate hearings. The Chief Deputy County Counsel takes an active role in performance management, coaching and staff/team development.
The general duties and minimum requirements of this position are described in the class specification . If you are interested in more specific information regarding this position, please contact Renee Brewer, Assistant County Counsel, renee.brewer@marincounty.gov .
Hybrid schedule:
The County Counsel's Office has embraced a hybrid work schedule that considers that some duties of this position may be performed remotely. However, the successful candidate must be able to report to County facilities for meetings, work assignments, and/or disaster service work upon short notice, as needed and deemed appropriate. During the initial probationary period, the successful candidate may be required to work primarily onsite before establishing a hybrid work schedule.
ABOUT YOU
Our Highly Qualified Candidate is an experienced attorney who has independently performed litigation and advice work for public entity clients and has sufficient public law experience to effectively supervise a broad range of Office of the County Counsel functions. Specific experience advising public entity clients in the areas of land use, public works, or general civil litigation is particularly relevant, but not required. The candidate has strong leadership skills and is capable of taking an active role in managing the Office and developing our staff. Further, the ideal candidate has a proven track record of excellent customer service and is a team player, working respectfully, collaboratively and developing positive working relationships with colleagues, clients, staff and court personnel.
QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge of:- Methods and problems administering the work of a governmental law office including the principles of personnel management.
- Legal principles and their application, with emphasis on civil law.
- Legal research methods.
- Rules of evidence and the conduct of Court proceedings in trial and appellate Courts.
- California civil and legislative law.
- Duties, powers, limitations, and responsibilities of the County Counsel's Office.
- Organization, powers, and limitations of local governmental functions and the California Constitution.
Ability to:- Effectively supervise and evaluate the work of attorneys and support staff, and provide guidance and counsel to attorneys in complex areas of litigation or advice.
- Research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedents to legal problems.
- Prepare, present, and conduct cases of law, equity and appeals in court and administrative tribunals.
- Present statements of law clearly and logically in written and verbal form.
- Prepare clear, concise, accurate and effective legal, policy and procedural guidelines.
- Communicate logically and effectively with a diverse group of clients, witnesses, judges, other attorneys and employees of various agencies and departments.
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.
- Analyze and draft ordinances and other regulations.
Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience as an attorney in civil or governmental law. Lead or supervisory experience is highly desirable.
Certificates and Licenses
Current active membership in the State Bar of California is required.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
For any questions concerning this position announcement, please contact Stephen Schoengarth, Human Resources Analyst, at 415-473-6946.
All applicants will receive email notifications regarding their status in the recruitment process. Please be sure to check your spam settings to allow our emails to reach you. You may also log into your GovernmentJobs.com account to view these emails.
Testing and Eligible List: Depending on the number of qualified applications received, the examination may consist of a highly qualified review, application screening, online assessment, written examination, oral examination, performance examination, or any combination to determine which candidates' names will be placed on the eligible list. The eligible list established from this recruitment may be used to fill the current vacancy, and any future vacancies for open, fixed-term, full-time or part-time positions which may occur while the list remains active.
Disaster Service Workers: All County of Marin employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law (California Government Code Section 3100-3109). Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned, and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.
Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: If you have questions regarding equal employment opportunities, please contact Roger Crawford, Equal Employment Opportunity Director, at 415-473-2095.
PLEASE NOTE: The benefits described herein do not apply to temporary (contingent) or to part-time employees that work less than 50%.
COUNTY OF MARIN BENEFITS: GENERAL
Below are some of the excellent benefits the County offers. More information about our benefits can be found on the Marin County's Benefits Homepage .
Paid Time Off : Competitive vacation accrual; 12 holidays per year; and generous sick leave accruals. Additional types of paid leaves are available for some bargaining units.
Health Plan : Choice of four health plans (two Kaiser HMOs, Western Health Advantage HMO, and an Anthem Blue Cross PPO) along with dental through Delta Dental PPO, and vision through Vision Service Plan (VSP). There is a County contribution toward the premiums (the contribution amount varies depending on coverage tier elected such as employee only, employee + 1, employee + family). Plus, the County offers excellent Life Insurance, Disability, Flexible Spending Plans, a Dependent Care Assistance Program, professional development and more.
Retirement : Defined benefit plan under the County Employees Retirement Act of 1937. More information can be found online at www.mcera.org.
IRS 457 Plan : Choice of pre-tax or post-tax (Roth) employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.
Retiree Medical : The County provides access to group health plan coverage to eligible retirees.
For specific questions regarding the employment process, please contact Human Resources at (415) 473-6104. For additional details about the benefits or retirement, please contact the Benefits Division at (415) 473-2197.
*IMPORTANT NOTE: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.
Closing Date/Time: 6/12/2026 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
-
-
County of Marin
Show moreThe County of Marin is a vibrant and thriving organization comprised of 23 agencies and departments with a workforce of approximately 2,400 employees. The County’s array of public safety, community development, public works, health and human services, community services and administrative services is governed by the Board of Supervisors, which is made up of an elected representative from each of the five voting districts in this county.
This diverse organization strives to uphold a set of core values at work: respect, trust, integrity, diversity, equality, excellence, accountability, innovation, and collaboration. These values keep the organization and its individuals healthy, resulting in successful and sustainable quality service delivery. In addition, the County is committed to being a well-managed organization that relies on the talents of its workforce to succeed.
OUR MISSION AS A COUNTY:
To provide excellent services that support healthy, safe and sustainable communities; preserve Marin’s unique environmental heritage; and encourage meaningful participation in the governance of the County by all.
When you’re employed in local government the effects of your work are visible all around you. Your work is an integral part of the day-to-day lives of Marin County residents and visitors. From the roads we drive on, to the parks and libraries we visit, to the services we rely on to keep us healthy and safe, County employees contribute directly to the sustained well-being of Marin County’s communities.
We are motivated to preserve the importance of Equity, Economy, Environment and Education that make our County unique. With over 3000 employees, volunteers and interns across 22 departments, we are a part of the communities we serve. We work with our core values in mind: Integrity, Respect, Diversity, Innovation, Collaboration, and Excellence. These values are not only part of our organization’s strategic initiatives and goals[PDF], but they are what unify us in our work across a variety of perspectives and skillsets.
-