Civil Rights Enforcement Section – Federal Litigation Attorneys

CRES handles a broad range of significant civil rights and constitutional matters on behalf of the Attorney General and the State of California. The advertised positions will support CRES’ general civil rights work and CRES’ increasing workload addressing racial justice, social justice, equity, and implicit and explicit bias in policing and governmental services such as education, child welfare, and voting rights. General topics of work also include the areas of restorative justice, children’s justice, hate crimes, disability rights, and the protection of targeted populations; and federalism issues, including drafting comment letters and amicus briefs, and handling litigation in matters relating to executive orders, federal regulations, and constitutional issues. The Section also represents and advises several state agencies, including the California Civil Rights Department, for which CRES serves as appellate counsel. Well-qualified candidates will have demonstrated a commitment to social justice, countering bias, and advancing the rights of Californians through investigation, litigation, or other forms of advocacy, as explained in their statement of qualifications.

Assignments in the Civil Rights Enforcement Section may include: proactively planning, organizing, managing, and conducting civil litigation in state and federal courts, as well as large-scale investigations, often on cutting edge, novel issues of law and fact; researching complex legal issues and authoring amicus curiae briefs on emerging constitutional rights, civil liberties, and federalism issues; engaging with civil rights organizations, other advocates, and members of the public; providing advice on sensitive and high-profile matters to the Attorney General, other high level state officials and agencies, and other sections and divisions of the California Department of Justice (Cal DOJ); reviewing and analyzing proposed state legislation; preparing informational materials for the public; and developing model policies, training, and best practices for state and local agencies. Well-qualified candidates will have demonstrated an ability to work in a focused and dedicated team while maintaining a proactive focus on individual contribution to the overall mission. The most competitive candidates will likely have significant experience with systemic impact investigations and/or developing and litigating complex matters in federal and state courts.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Active membership in The California State Bar
• 5 years of legal experience

Desirable Qualifications:

• Background in investigations and litigation
• Legislative advocacy, enforcement, or dispute resolution experience
• Background in general civil rights issues

Monthly Salary: New to State candidates will be hired at the starting salary of the classification, listed below.

• Deputy Attorney General III (5 years): $11,695
• Deputy Attorney General IV (6+ years): $12,925

Benefits of working for the State of California:

• Work-life balance
• 11 paid holidays
• Flexible paid leave options
• Consistent wage increases
• Pension retirement
• Job Stability
• Health/Dental/Vision Insurance
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• And more!