Litigation Deputy County Counsel

Salary : $141,537.76 - $199,066.40 Annually
Location : Santa Barbara, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Job Number: 26-2218-01 (O)
Department: County Counsel
Opening Date: 07/16/2026
Closing Date: 8/6/2026 5:00 PM Pacific

THE POSITION: Under general direction, the selected candidate will perform professional legal work, including civil litigation; prepare legal pleadings and give legal counsel to assigned departments, boards, and districts; and do related work as required.

BENEFITS: The County of Santa Barbara offers generous benefits. For information click In addition, applicants from other public sector employers may qualify for:

• Retirement reciprocity
• Time and service credit towards an advanced vacation accrual rate

The Ideal Candidate will possess:

• Strong legal research and analytical skills
• At least three years of experience handling civil litigation matters
• Ability to research, analyze, and present complex legal issues and arguments clearly and succinctly, both orally and in writing
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively as part of a team
• Ability to develop and maintain sound working relationships with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Good professional judgment in answering questions, releasing information, and anticipating consequences of decisions and recommendations
• Ability to remain calm and act professionally, especially under stressful conditions
• Ability to adapt to change and adjust to fluid work environment
• Positive attitude, impeccable character, and strong commitment to public service

Examples of Duties

1. Studies, interprets, and applies laws, court decisions, and legal authorities for use in the preparation of cases, opinions, and briefs;
2. Prepares legal pleadings such as complaints, answers, demurrers, discovery, appeals, and judgments;
3. Confers with and advises county, district, and judicial officers, employees, and representatives on legal questions pertaining to their respective powers, duties, and obligations;
4. Engages in all aspects of civil discovery, including not limited to propounding and responding to discovery and handling depositions
5. Represents the county in lawsuits by or against the county;
6. Prepares and/or reviews contracts, agreements, leases, and deeds for legality;
7. Conducts administrative hearings before state and county agencies;
8. Engages in legal research;
9. Performs related work such as preparing petitions, legal instruments, reports, and correspondence.

Employment Standards
Active membership in the State Bar of California; AND

1. Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience as an attorney in the practice of public law or six (6) years in the practice of general civil law; OR,
2. One (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Deputy County Counsel III with Santa Barbara County; OR,
3. A combination of training, education, and experience that is equivalent to one of the employment standards listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS: Possession of a valid California Class C Driver's License may be required at time of appointment. Incumbents must be willing and able to travel throughout the County and other jurisdictions on a regular basis.

Knowledge of: the organization, powers, and limitations of the county, the courts, school and special districts, and other public agencies; civil law codes, and the California Constitution; trial procedures and the rules of evidence; administrative law; code of Professional Conduct and Rules of Ethics.Ability to: appraise, interpret, and apply legal principles and precedents to difficult legal problems; present statements of fact, law, and argument clearly and logically in written and oral form; engage in legal research; work effectively with others.

Supplemental Information
APPLICATION & SELECTION PROCESS:

1. Review applications and supplemental questionnaire to determine those applicants who meet the employment standards.

1. Application Ranking: Candidates who meet the employment standards will have their application evaluated and scored. Candidates' final score and rank on the eligibility list will be determined by the information provided on their application that demonstrates the skillset outlined in the ideal candidate section. This process may be eliminated if there are fewer than 11 qualified candidates.

Applicants must receive a percentage score of at least 70 on the Application Ranking to be placed on an employment list. An adjustment may be made to raw scores based on factors listed in Civil Service Rule VI. Those candidates who are successful in the selection process will have their names placed on the employment list for a minimum of three months. At the time the employment list is established, all candidates will receive written notice of their score on the exam(s), rank on the employment list, and exact duration of the employment list.

Conditional Job Offer: Once a conditional offer of employment has been made, the candidate will be required to successfully complete a background check, which includes a conviction history check, and satisfactory reference checks. Appointee may be subject to a post-offer medical evaluation or examination. The appointee must satisfactorily complete a one-year probationary period.

Recruiters will correspond with applicants by e-mail during each step in the recruitment process. Applicants are reminded to check spam filters continuously during the Recruitment & Selection Process steps listed above to ensure they do not miss required deadlines.

Disaster Service Worker: Pursuant to Governmental Code section 3100, all employees with the County of Santa Barbara are declared to be disaster service workers subject to such disaster service. Activities may be assigned by their superiors or by law.

APPLICATION AND SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE DEADLINE: 8/6/26, at 4:59 PM PST; postmarks not accepted. Applications and job bulletins can be obtained 24 hours a day at www.sbcountyjobs.com.
Questions?
Contact: Raquel Martinez, Talent Acquisition Manager - / Natalie Alvarado

Retirement Plans

• Generous County Defined Benefit Plan
• Eligible to participate in 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan
• Retirement Reciprocity with CalPERS, CalSTRS, and 1937 Act plans
• For more information on our retirement plans, please visit: and

Health Benefits

• Benefit Allowance paid in cash bi-weekly, which can be used by employees to fund health care costs or used for other purposes. The amount varies by bargaining unit, click the Compensation Summary link below for more information
• Choice of dental, vision and medical plans. In addition to the Benefit Allowance noted above, the County contributes toward medical premiums and dental premiums
• On-Site Employee Health Clinics in Santa Barbara and Santa Maria which provide ongoing and episodic services to eligible employees and their eligible dependents
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) offers free, confidential assistance with personal and workplace problems to employees and their immediate family members
• Healthcare Advocacy Program to help employees navigate the complexities of health plan benefits
• Available Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts, Health Savings Account (HSA), Supplemental Term or Whole Life Insurance, Personal Accident Insurance, Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance and more!
• For more information on our health benefits, please visit:

Paid Time Off

• Vacation Leave 12 to 25 days per year depending on length of public employment
• Sick Leave 12 days annually with unlimited accumulation, one year of which can be converted to service credit upon retirement
• Paid Holidays based on bargaining unit (view the compensation summary for this bargaining unit, link below)
• Alternative Transportation Benefit (TDM) up to 2 days of additional vacation for using alternative methods of commuting
• For more information on Paid Time Off please view the Compensation Summary for this bargaining unit (available below)

Miscellaneous Benefits

• County Paid Term Life Insurance
• County Paid Long Term Disability Insurance
• Childcare and Employee Discounts
• Relocation Assistance may apply
• Flexible work schedule may apply
• For more information on all of these benefits, please visit:

Compensation Summary

• To view the Compensation Summary specific to the bargaining unit for this position (link to full Memorandum of Understanding also available at bottom of the summary), please visit:

*This benefits list is for convenience only; please refer to the Memorandum of Understanding for complete details of terms and conditions. Amounts are generally prorated for part-time employment.
01

The employment standard for this position requires an active membership in the State Bar of California. Please select which one best describes your current status:

• I am an active member of the State Bar of California and have listed details on my application as required.
• I am an inactive member of the State Bar of California and have the ability to become an active member by the time of appointment.
• I am not an active member of the State Bar of California and do not have the ability to become an active member by the time of appointment. I understand that I do not qualify for this position

02

If you have or previously held an active membership with the California State Bar, please provide the license number, date it was issued and expiration date (if applicable). The hiring department may request a copy for verification. If you do not have a California State Bar membership, type "N/A".
03

To be considered for this position your application must CLEARLY demonstrate how you meet the requirements under EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS on the job posting or you will not be considered for this position. If you are unsure, go back and review your application before continuing. In addition to an active State Bar of California membership, which Employment Standard did you clearly demonstrate meeting on your application?

• Three (3) years of progressively responsible experience as an attorney in the practice of public law or six (6) years in the practice of general civil law
• One (1) year of experience performing duties equivalent to the class of Deputy County Counsel III with Santa Barbara County
• A combination of training, education, and experience that is equal to the qualifications listed above and that provides the required knowledge and abilities listed on the job posting
• None of the above - I do not meet the minimum qualifications for this position.

04

If you selected, "A combination of training, education, and experience...", please describe in detail how your training education, and experience that is equivalent to the employment standards listed on the job postings.
05

The Civil Service Examination for this recruitment is an Application Rating. The information provided on your application will be used as a weighted, scored selection tool to determine your placement on the employment list. Please carefully review the Position Description, Ideal Candidate, and the Knowledge,