Chief Deputy Counsel - Litigation - Promotional

Position Information

This recruitment is promotional only. You must presently be a full or part-time regular or probationary County of Sonoma, Community Development Commission, Sonoma County Fairgrounds, or Sonoma County Water Agency employee in order to apply for this position.
The County Counsel Department (CNS) has requested a department promotional certification to fill a Chief Deputy Counsel - Litigation position. Only qualified permanent and/or probationary County Counsel Department employees on the eligible list may be eligible for referral to the department for the advertised position . This employment list may also be used to fill future full-time or part-time positions as they occur during the active status of the list. The Civil Service title of this position is Chief Deputy County Counsel.

As the Chief Deputy Counsel - Litigation, you will report to the Assistant County Counsel and function as the Litigation Practice Group's Division Chief. The Chief Deputy Counsel - Litigation exercises a high degree of independent judgment and discretion in supervising litigation staff, including assigning and prioritizing work, evaluating performance, providing mentorship and corrective guidance, and making recommendations regarding hiring, discipline, and professional development. Additionally, the Chief Deputy Counsel - Litigation is responsible for administering and overseeing all litigation involving the County of Sonoma and its affiliated entities, with the exception of land use litigation.

The Litigation Practice Group advises the following Departments:

• District Attorney
• Human Resources, including Risk Management
• Probation
• Public Defender
• Sheriff's Office

The ideal Chief Deputy Counsel - Litigation candidate should be familiar with all aspects of legal services in connection with trial and appellate litigation in state and federal courts, including coordination with outside counsel, administrative hearings, labor advice, ordinance enactments and policy adoptions, employee discipline, discrimination and disability issues, and general counsel advice.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire to be completed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience : Any combination of training and experience which would provide the opportunity to acquire the knowledge and abilities listed. Normally, five years of responsible legal experience with emphasis on practicing civil law as a licensed attorney, at least two years of which should be at the level of Deputy County Counsel IV. Coursework, training, or supervisory and administrative experience in a public agency law office is highly desirable.

License: Current active membership in the State Bar of California. Possession of a valid driver’s license at the appropriate level including special endorsements, as required by the State of California, may be required depending upon assignment to perform the essential job functions of the position.
The position advertised on this announcement does not require possession of a valid California Driver’s License.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Extensive knowledge of: and proficiency in the interpretation and application of the law as it relates to a general law county government; legal research methods and judicial procedures; the principles and application of civil law; the statutory and constitutional laws of the State of California.

Thorough knowledge of: organization, powers, and limitations of local government functions; trial and hearing procedures, and of rules of evidence.

Considerable knowledge of: modern public personnel and finance administration; effective supervisory techniques; written and oral communications, including language mechanics, syntax and English composition.

Ability to: analyze and present legal considerations related to the policies, programs and operations of the County; further County policies, programs and operations through creative interpretation and application of the law; assist in the management of a government law office, and to administer the office budget; explain complex principles to lay County officers in simple concise written and oral form; research, analyze and apply legal principles, facts, evidence and precedence to complex legal problems; orient, train, supervise and evaluate subordinate legal and office support staff; consistently prepare and present statements of law, fact and argument clearly, logically and persuasively in written and oral form, including the most complex legal matters; effectively communicate an understanding of the legal aspects of Affirmative Action to lay County officers and employees; establish and maintain effective relationships with fellow staff members, departmental representatives, County officials, members of advisory and policy-making bodies, legislative representatives, the courts, and the public; understand and accept differences in human behavior and cultural and ethnic backgrounds; analyze and draft ordinances and other regulations.

Selection Procedure & Some Helpful Tips When Applying

• Your application information and your responses to the supplemental questions are evaluated and taken into consideration throughout the entire selection process.
• You should list all employers and positions held within the last ten years in the work history section of your application. Be as thorough as possible when responding to the supplemental questions.
• You may include history beyond ten years if related to the position for which you are applying. If you held multiple positions with one employer, list out each position separately.
• Failure to follow these instructions may impact your competitiveness in this process or may result in disqualification.

Please visit Getting a Job with the County of Sonoma to review more detailed information about the hiring process, including the application process, examination steps, and department selection process.

Application submissions require the Supplemental Questionnaire be completed.

Responses to supplemental questions may be scored using position-specific criteria. Please provide specific and detailed responses of a reasonable length to allow for a thorough assessment of your qualifications. Responses that state, "See Resume" or "See Application" may be considered insufficient and therefore may not be scored.

The selection procedure will consist of the following examination:

An Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination (weight 100%) will be conducted to evaluate each applicant's application and supplemental questionnaire for satisfaction of minimum qualifications (pass/not pass); and for educational coursework, training, experience, knowledge, and abilities which relate to this position. Personally identifiable information (PII) is removed from the standard application fields and applicable attachments. This PII blind screening practice redacts a candidate’s personal information that could potentially influence or bias the scoring process. Personal information includes the applicant’s name, former last name, address, phone number, email, driver's license number, school name, education start and end dates, age, date of birth, gender, and race. This PII blind screening practice helps contribute to a fair and equitable examination process.

Each applicant will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance of work history, related experience, and achieved level of education and/or training as described in the application and responses to the supplemental questions.

Candidates demonstrating possession of the minimum qualifications will be placed on an employment list in order of most qualified to least qualified based on the achieved score received in the Application and Supplemental Questionnaire Appraisal Examination. Scores may be adjusted based on such factors as the number of candidates, anticipated vacancies, past practice, and natural breaks in the scores achieved by this group of candidates.

Additional Information

A background investigation may be required prior to employment. Candidates referred to departments for a selection interview are typically required to sign authorization and release forms enabling such an investigation. Failure to sign prescribed forms will result in the candidate not being considered further for that vacancy. Reference information will not be made available to applicants.

Additional requirements, such as successful completion of a physical exam, drug screen, etc., may apply, depending on the duties and responsibilities of the position. If you receive a conditional job offer for the position, the requirements upon which the offer is contingent will be outlined in the conditional job letter. You may also review the Job Classification Screening Schedule to determine the requirements for this position.

How to Apply

Applications are accepted online at www.yourpath2sonomacounty.org . Paper applications may be submitted by person, fax (707-565-3770), email, or through the mail. All applications and appropriate supplemental information as outlined in the job bulletin must be received by the time and date specified on the first page of this job announcement. Applications received after the recruitment closes will not be accepted.

The County of Sonoma values diversity and is dedicated to creating a workplace environment that provides individuals with a sense of belonging. We are committed to having a diverse workforce that is representative of the communities we serve. The County is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer where all aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance, and business need.

HR Analyst: CA

HR Technician: VH

Important Note: Benefits described herein do not apply to Extra Help positions.

County of Sonoma Benefits: Management*

These are some of the excellent benefits the County offers:

Paid Time Off: Competitive vacation accrual and sick leave accruals; additional management leave annually; 12 paid holidays, and an additional 8 floating holiday hours per year; and may be eligible for up to 8 weeks (320 hours) of Paid Parental Leave after 12 months of County employment.

Health Plan: Choose from nine health plans (three HMOs, three deductible HMOs, and three HSA-qualifying plans) with a generous County contribution to the premium (the contribution amount varies by bargaining unit). For more information, please see the appropriate MOU.

Retirement: Fully integrated with Social Security. For more information regarding eligibility, retirement contributions, and reciprocity with prior public service, please visit https://scretire.org/active-/-deferred/when-you-are-hired .

IRS 457 Plan: Pre-tax employee contribution up to the IRS annual maximum.

Retiree Medical: County contribution to a Health Reimbursement Arrangement to help fund post-retirement employee health insurance/benefits.

Student Loan Debt Relief: County employees may be eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness through the U.S. Department of Education.

Plus, excellent dental, vision, disability, life insurance, professional development, and more.

For answers to specific questions regarding the employment process and more details about benefits or retirement, please contact Human Resources at (707) 565-2331. Additional details about benefit and compensation packages can be found in the MOUs located at Labor Agreements & Salary Resolution . For specific information about health and welfare benefits, including plan options, coverage, and premium amounts, go to Human Resources or contact the Human Resources' Risk Management-Benefits Office at benefits@sonomacounty.gov or (707) 565-2900.

*Important Notes: Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice.

Closing Date/Time: 1/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

• 

• County of Sonoma

• 707-565-8059

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