An equal opportunity employer to all regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, or sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free state work place. Any applicant for State employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective, because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing civil service, and the special trust placed in public servants.

Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications as stated below may apply for this examination at any time.  Once you have taken the examination, you may not reapply for six (6) months.  All applicants must meet the education and/or experience requirements as stated on this examination announcement.

Final File Date: Continuous

Where to Apply:

Click on the Apply Online link at the bottom of this bulletin.

An OPEN, MERGED eligible list will be established by the State Personnel Board for use by other State departments. The names of successful competitors will be merged onto the eligible list in order of final score regardless of test date. Eligibility expires 12 months after it is established. Competitors must then retake the Qualifications Assessment to reestablish eligibility.

Once you have taken the Qualifications Assessment, you may not retake it for six (6) months.

Please Note:  The Attorney IV (Staff Counsel IV) list may be used by departments to fill vacancies in any of the following classifications:

Deputy Attorney IV, CalTrans

Deputy Legislative Counsel IV

Senior Deputy Public Defender

Industrial Relations Counsel IV

Labor Relations Counsel IV

Public Utilities Counsel IV, Public Utilities Commission

Staff Counsel IV

Tax Counsel IV, Franchise Tax Board

All candidates must have membership in The State Bar of California. (Applicants must have active membership in The State Bar before they will be eligible for appointment.)

Ten years of experience performing legal duties, fours years of which must have been at a level of responsibility equivalent to Staff Counsel III (Specialist) or Staff Counsel III (Supervisor). The four years of experience at the Staff Counsel III level must be obtained in California state civil service.  (Applicants who have completed three years and six months of the required experience comparable to one of the Staff Counsel III classes will be admitted into the examination but must complete four years of such experience before they will be eligible for appointment.)

Please note:   Experience "performing legal duties" is defined as only that legal experience acquired after admission to The Bar.

An Attorney IV (Staff Counsel IV) for the State of California under general direction effectively performs the most sensitive and complex legal work within State Government, typically characterized by assignments involving cases of the highest degree of difficulty. Attorneys at this level are the most experienced attorneys who are experts in a broad or specialized area of law within a department whose legal program is exceptionally difficult and sensitive. An Attorney IV (Staff Counsel IV) has demonstrated the ability to independently perform assignments consisting of the most complex and sensitive legal work within the department, and to consistently produce favorable results on these proceedings. Persons in this class are typically assigned litigation of the greatest difficulty.

Online Qualifications Assessment - Weighted 100%

This examination will consist of a Qualifications Assessment, which is the sole component of the Attorney IV (Staff Counsel IV) exam.  To obtain a position on the eligible list, a minimum score of 70% must be attained.  An applicant will receive his/her score upon completion of the Qualifications Assessment.

Click here to view the Qualifications Assessment questions. 
 

In addition to evaluating the competitor's relative abilities as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, emphasis in the examining interview will be on measuring competitively, relative to job demands, each competitor's Knowledge and Abilities, as stated on this bulletin.

QUALIFICATIONS ASSESSMENT SCOPE:

Knowledge of:

1. Available research sources, both printed and electronic, to complete legal research, including what types of material they contain, where they are located, and their breadth, depth; and relative strengths and weaknesses (e.g., primary legal texts, secondary legal texts, and electronic databases).
2. How to conduct legal analysis (e.g., issue-spotting, rule analysis, applying law to facts) to ensure relevant issues and information are identified and correlated with applicable law, and to aid in predicting the legal outcome.
3. Professional ethical rules as they relate to the practice of law and particularly the role of public attorneys.
4. Proper citation formats to identify relevant authority.
5. Proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure to ensure that written materials prepared and reviewed are complete, and free of errors.

 Ability to:

1. Interview individuals (e.g., potential witnesses, experts) to ascertain relevant factual information.
2. Lead and/or manage complex and sensitive cases or matters.
3. Locate relevant or useful information from a large volume of documents.
4. Maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in the dissemination of information.
5. Negotiate legal issues (e.g., settlements, admissibility of evidence) on behalf of the client and/or agency.
6. Orally communicate information effectively, convincingly, and accurately.
7. Orally communicate legal principles, facts, and position(s) to various audiences and forums.
8. Plan the development of a project, case or matter.
9. Present cases before State and Federal Courts, and administrative agencies or forums.
10. Properly identify legal and procedural issues in assigned matters.
11. Quickly integrate new issues and information with existing knowledge to formulate conclusions.
12. Read and comprehend a variety of difficult materials such as local, state, and federal law; critical analyses; dissertations; position papers; technical treatises, etc.
13. Read and comprehend legal documents (e.g., contracts, statutes, regulations, legal rulings, case law).
14. Review and/or finalize work products produced by clients, paraprofessionals, and/or other attorneys.
15. Successfully assist with or complete multiple projects within appropriate time frames while maintaining a high level of work performance.
16. Summarize relevant facts in order to capture the key points and implications.
17. Treat others with respect, courtesy, and tact.
18. Use computers to create documents, conduct research, and communicate appropriately with others.
19. Work collaboratively with others in a team environment.
20. Work independently with minimal contact or reinforcement from supervisors and colleagues while producing high quality work products and meeting deadlines.
21. Work on complex and sensitive cases and matters.

•  Employer/employee paid health and dental insurance
•  Employer paid vision insurance
•  Paid Vacation/Sick/Annual Leave Benefits
•  12 paid holidays
•  Employer paid disability insurance
•  Defined Benefit Retirement Program (upon vesting)
•  Employee paid deferred compensation program (401K and 457)
•  Flexible work schedules and work hours
•  Pre-tax reimbursement for medical care, child care and parking programs
•  Employee Assistance Program
•  Career development/professional advancement
•  Bar dues paid
•  Continuing education available

Veterans' Preference Points will NOT be granted in the examination, because it does not meet the requirements to qualify for them.

 Career Credits will not be added to the final score of this examination.

If you have any questions concerning this examination bulletin, please contact:

State Personnel Board

801 Capitol Mall

Sacramento, CA 95814

1-866-844-8671, TTY (916) 654-6336

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice)

TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Applications are available at www.jobs.ca.gov , State Personnel Board offices, local offices of the Employment Development Department, and the testing department on this job bulletin.

If you meet the requirements stated on this examination bulletin, you may take this examination, which is competitive.  Possession of the entrance requirements does not assure a place on the eligible list.  Your performance in the examination described on this bulletin will be rated against a predetermined job-related rating, and all candidates who pass will be ranked according to their scores.

The State Personnel Board reserves the right to revise the examination plan to better meet the needs of the service, if the circumstances under which this examination was planned change. Such revision will be in accordance with civil service laws and rules and all competitors will be notified.

Candidates needing special testing arrangements due to a disability must mark the appropriate box on the application and/or contact the testing department.

Hiring Interview Scope: In a hiring interview, in addition to the scope described in this bulletin, the panel will consider education, experience, personal development, personal traits and fitness. In appraising experience, more weight may be given to the breadth and recency of pertinent experience and evidence of the candidate’s ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibilities than to the length of his/her experience. Evaluation of a candidate’s personal development will include consideration of his/her recognition of his/her own training needs; his/her plans for self-development; and the progress he/she has made in his/her efforts toward self-development.

General Qualifications: Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, and ability to work cooperatively with others; and a state of health consistent with the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class. A medical examination may be required. In open examinations, investigation may be made of employment records and personal history and fingerprinting may be required.

Eligible Lists: Eligible lists established by competitive examination, regardless of date, must be used in the following order: 1) sub-divisional promotional, 2) departmental promotional, 3) multi-departmental promotional, 4) service-wide promotional, 5) departmental open, 6) open. When there are two lists of the same kind, the older must be used first. Eligible lists will expire in one to four years unless otherwise stated on the bulletin.

Veterans’ Preference Points: California Law (Government Code 18971-18978) allows the granting of Veterans’ Preference Points in Open entrance and Open, Non-Promotional entrance examinations. Veterans’ Preference Points will be added to the final score of all competitors who are successful in these types of examinations, and who qualify for and have requested these points by mail. In Open (only) entrance examinations, Veterans’ Preference Points are granted as follows: 10 points for veterans, widows, and widowers of veterans, and spouses of 100% disabled veterans; and 15 points for disabled veterans. In Open, Non-Promotional entrance examinations, Veterans’ Preference Points are granted as follows: 5 points for veterans and 10 points for disabled veterans. Employees who have achieved permanent State civil service status are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference Points. Permanent State civil service status means the status of an employee who is lawfully retained in his/her position after completion of the applicable probationary period. This includes permanent intermittent, part-time, and full-time appointments. In addition, individuals who at any time achieved permanent State civil service status and subsequently resigned or were dismissed from State civil service are not eligible to receive Veterans’ Preference Points. Veteran status is verified by the State Personnel Board (SPB). Directions to apply for Veterans’ Preference Points are on the Veterans’ Preference Application (Std. Form 1093) which is available at www.spb.ca.gov or from the State Personnel Board, 801Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA  95814, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.