Under the general direction of the Chief Counsel of the Office of the Director Legal Unit ( OD-Legal), the assistant Chief Counsels, Staff Counsel represent the Director of the Department of Industrial Relations, the Department, and division chiefs and managers in a variety of subject areas within the responsibility and jurisdiction of the Department.
Staff Counsel are expected to work with broad discretion and independence to perform the more complex and higher level work of OD-Legal. As a mid-level attorney, the incumbent is expected to develop subject matter expertise in one or more areas of the Department's responsibility. Duties include but are not limited to: representing the Director of DIR in workers' compensation cases involving special funds administered by the Director; analyzing requests for public works coverage determinations and drafting proposed decisions for the Director's review; serving as a hearing officer in appeals from assessments for prevailing wage violations and drafting proposed decisions for the Director's review; representing the Department in internal personnel matters; representing the Department, Director, or one of DIR's divisions in civil and writ litigation; providing counsel on apprenticeship matters; analyzing and drafting recommended decisions in appeals from retaliation complaint investigations; providing analysis and advice concerning Public Records Act requests; analyzing and drafting proposed legislation; providing legal services with respect to contract matters involving the Department; drafting proposed regulations; and providing legal services on a wide variety of other issues that may arise in the operation of the Department.
This posting may be used to fill future vacancies in accordance with 2 CCR §249.3
To be considered for this Attorney lll job opportunity, applicants must be either reachable on an employment list, have transfer eligibility or have reinstatement eligibility. To take the exam and gain employment list eligibility, please click here to access the exam bulletin:
https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=1580
You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .
Working Conditions This position is located at: 355 S. Grand Avenue; Los Angeles, CA 90071.
Position is in an office environment on the 18th floor of a 45-story office building. Employees in this position work in an office at desks and are required to work extensively on computers as necessary for the drafting of letters, briefs, and other documents, and for research, email communication, file review, training, and other purposes. Attorneys are expected to handle their own word processing, and secretarial support.
Attorneys are expected to work all hours necessary to accomplish their assignments, and although they will generally average 40 hours a week, longer work hours may occasionally be required. Public transportation subsidy and pre-tax parking program options.
Minimum Requirements You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.
Additional Documents - Job Application Package Checklist
- Duty Statement
Position Details Job Code #:
JC-526844
Position #(s):
400-113-5795-041
400-113-5795-012
400-113-5795-040
Working Title:
Staff Counsel
Classification:
ATTORNEY III $10,852.00 - $15,325.00 A
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
3
Work Location:
Los Angeles County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time
Department Information The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) was established in 1927. Its mission is to improve working conditions for California's wage earners and to advance opportunities for profitable employment in California. DIR administers and enforces laws governing wages, workplace safety and health, apprenticeship training programs, and medical care and other benefits for injured workers.
Electronic Submission of Applications preferred. Application Packages maybe submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at https://jobs.ca.gov/ Applications must be received electronically by 11:59 p.m. on or before the above final filing date.
Please only submit ONE application. Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended and will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing.
If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 and application package to the mailing address provided in the "Application Instructions" section below and ensure the following:
Clearly indicate the Job Code #, Position Number and the Title of this position in the "Examination or Job Title(s) For Which You Are Applying" section located on the first page of your State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678.
- Clearly indicate the basis of your eligibility (cert, transfer, reinstatement, etc.) in the "Explanations" section located on the first page of your State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678.
- Remove and do not submit the "Equal Employment Opportunity" questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678. This page is for examination use only.
Do not include your full Social Security Number on your documents and/or do not provide any LEAP information.
Department Website: https://www.dir.ca.gov/
Special Requirements Must be a member of the California Bar and qualified to practice law in California. The minimum requirements are defined in the Class Specification for Attorney III.
Legal Writing Sample. Please submit a legal writing sample of no more than 10 pages preferably written within the past three years. The date the writing sample was written must appear on the document submitted.
Application Instructions Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Final Filing Date: 8/20/2026
Who May Apply
Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).
How To Apply
Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:
Address for Mailing Application Packages
You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:
Department of Industrial Relations
Cert Mailing Address Sacramento
Attn: Human Resources/Certs Unit
1416 9th Street, 13th Floor
Sacramento , CA 95814
Address for Drop-Off Application Packages
You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:
Department of Industrial Relations
Cert Drop Off Address Sacramento
Human Resources/Certs Unit
1416 9th Street, 13th Floor
Sacramento , CA 95814
08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Required Application Package Documents
The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:
- Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
- Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
- Other - Legal Writing Sample.
Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.
Desirable Qualifications In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:
- Knowledge concerning the work of the Department, labor and employment law, wage and hour law, and workers' compensation law.
- Prior experience serving as counsel to a public agency.
- Prior experience writing and filing briefs in the California Court of Appeal and/or California Supreme Court and/or federal courts.
- At least three years of civil litigation experience.
- Prior experience analyzing and working on legislation and/or administrative regulations.
- Strong interpersonal skills and the ability and desire to contribute to collegial office environment.
- Proficiency in Word and other Microsoft applications.
Benefits Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website .
Comprehensive health benefits package with medical, dental, and vision options.
Contact Information The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.
Department Website: https://www.dir.ca.gov/
Human Resources Contact:
Certification Unit
(800) 564-0771
[email protected] Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
EEO Contact:
Diversity and Inclusion Office
(916) 559-6999
[email protected] 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.
Additional Information Preference will be given to persons with State Restriction of Appointments (SROA) or Surplus status. Applicants must attach a copy of their most recently dated letter that specifies their designation as either SROA or surplus candidate as proof.
Qualified candidates must have eligibility in State employment, be in a reachable rank on an employment list for this classification, be currently in this classification, or have transfer eligibility to this classification.
If you do not hear from us in 4-6 weeks, you may assume the position has been filled by another applicant. Please note that all additional vacancies that become available may be added to this advertisement.
Please note that the Exam and Certification Online System (ECOS) does not allow you to resubmit your application once you withdraw it. If you have any updates to your online application, please contact the Personnel, Recruitment, & Hiring Unit at (800) 564-0771.
Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey: DIR Applicant Survey
