Civil Rights Attorney Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Salary: $198,536.00 - $241,300.80 Annually
Location : County of San Diego, CA
Job Type: Regular - Full time
Job Number: 26394604TCR
Department: County Counsel
Division: Claims
Opening Date: 04/16/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
Job Summary
The County of San Diego's Office of County Counsel has an immediate opening in a rewarding and productive position performing legal work for local government for SUPERVISING DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL-TORTS AND CIVIL RIGHTS
Supervising Deputy County Counsel positions perform legal work in the field of local government law; supervise a section or team of assigned staff of the County Counsel's Office and/or handle the most difficult and complex caseloads or assignments; provide professional legal services to County departments, boards, commissions, or special districts; and perform related attorney work as required. This position is with the Torts & Civil Rights group which defends the County and it's employees in civil litigation. Most of the cases involve the following types of claims: civil rights (excessive force, deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, and First Amendment issues); dangerous condition of public property: and negligence cases.
The County Counsel's Office generally supports remote teleworking, and a teleworking schedule with a mix of in-office and remote work may be available in this position.
Hiring Timeline and Date
The timeline for this recruitment is outlined below.
- Job offers and background process begins shortly after interviews. Note: Current County employees may be excluded from additional background screening.
- Pre-employment Medical Screening: Approximately 3 days following successful background investigation results.
- Anticipated Start Date: Start date will be based upon successful completion of medical screening or other mutually agreed upon date. If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.If you are not selected for this interview process, you may have the opportunity to compete for future vacancies.
Minimum Qualifications
Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California; AND,

1. Two (2) years of experience as a Principal Deputy County Counsel Attorney in the County of San Diego, or at an equivalent level with another California county or city, handling above average difficult and complex cases; OR,
2. Seven (7) years of professional, post-bar civil legal experience as an attorney. Previous experience must have included serving as an attorney handling civil law matters and/or cases in a public or private sector law office.

To be considered for this position, please provide your CA Bar number or attach a copy of your California Bar Card to your application.
Note: Experience with a public entity representing public boards and commissions, preparing and trying public entity lawsuits, and drafting ordinances, policies, and public contracts is highly desirable.
Attachments
1) Please attach a copy of your resume to your application.
2) Please attach a concise substantive legal writing sample to your application.
Blind Applicant Screening
The Department of Human Resources removes personally identifiable information from all new recruitments. This practice, called Blind Applicant Screening, will hide a candidate's personal information that could influence or bias a hiring decision. Personal information includes name, phone number, address, gender, age and race. This process will help contribute to a fair and equitable selection process leading to a more diverse and inclusive workforce.
The most highly qualified candidates, based on the evaluation results, will be referred for an interview. Be sure to include your experience in meeting the minimum requirements in both the Work Experience section and the Supplemental Questionnaire section of the Application.
Conditions of Employment
As part of the County of San Diego's pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. Current County employees may be excluded from this process.
Evaluation
Qualified applicants will be placed on a six (6) month employment list based on scores received during the evaluation of information contained in their employment andsupplemental applications. Please ensure all information is complete and accurate as the responses you provide on the supplemental application questionnaire will be reviewed using an automated evaluation system. If you are successful in the initial screening process, your application will be reviewed individually to confirm that the information you provided is accurate and qualifying.
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
As an employer of over 19,000 employees, the County of San Diego is an organization committed to veteran hiring, retention, and professional development. We recognize the contributions and sacrifices made by our veterans and value the unique expertise and leadership qualities they bring to our workforce. We strive to provide veterans with the resources and tools necessary to maximize their employment opportunities, and to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life by applying the valuable skills, knowledge and training acquired in service to positions and career paths at all levels within our large organization. Click on the resource links below to learn more about how the County of San Diego supports its veterans.
Veteran's Preference PolicyThe County of San Diego offerspreferential credits for military service to assist qualified applicants in transitioning from military to civilian careers with the County of San Diego.
Military Skills Translator Do you need assistance translating your military experience into civilian experience? This tool can help!
The County of San Diego and its employees embrace the vision of: a just, sustainable, and resilient future for all. Our values include: integrity, equity, access, belonging, excellence, and sustainability. Each of which are infused throughout our operations. While also embracing a mission of strengthening our communities with innovative, inclusive, and data driven services through a skilled and supported workforce. Click here for more information on our
Under California Government Code Sections 3100 - 3109, public employees are designated as disaster service workers. The term "public employees" includes all persons employed by the state or any county, city, state agency, or public district. Disaster service workers are required to participate in such disaster service activities as may be assigned to them by their employer or by law.
The County of San Diego is committed to valuing diversity and practicing inclusion because our diverse workforce is our greatest asset and our customers are our number one priority.
Click here to see the County Counsel Benefits Summary (CC)
01
Please be sure to answer the following questions in a thorough and complete manner, as your responses may be used to determine your overall score. Please do not indicate "See Resume" as this is not an acceptable answer. Please note that if you are invited to a selection interview(s) your responses to the following questions may be subject to verification. Do you understand this information?

• Yes
• No

02
Please review the minimum qualifications for this position which are: Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California; AND,1. Two (2) years of experience as a Principal Deputy County Counsel Attorney in the County of San Diego, or at an equivalent level with another California county or city, handling above average difficult and complex cases; OR,2. Seven (7) years of professional, post-bar civil legal experience as an attorney. Previous experience must have included serving as an attorney handling civil law matters and/or cases in a public or private sector law office.Do you meet the minimum requirements to qualify?

• Yes
• No

03
To be considered for this position, you must be an active member in good standing with the State Bar of California. Are you an active member in good standing with the State of California?

• Yes
• No

04
If you answered 'Yes" to the previous question please attach a copy of your California Bar Card to your application OR indicate your Bar Number in the space below.
05
Please attach a copy of your resume and a substantive legal writing sample of no more than five (5) pages to your application. If more than five (5) pages are submitted, only the first five (5) pages will be read. NOTE: In order for your legal writing sample to be considered it MUST submitted by the recruitment close date. Have you attached a copy of your resume and legal writing sample to your application?

• Yes
• No

06
How much work experience do you have handling civil litigation matters?

• Less than 6 months of experience
• 6 months of work experience or more
• I do not possess experience

07
Please provide a detailed description of your work experience in handling civil litigation matters. Please include the following: 1) Job Title(s); 2) Employer's Name; 3) Employment Dates; 4) Types of matters handled; 5) Number of cases handled; 6) Duties performed. NOTE: In order to receive credit, please answer the question thoroughly. If you do not have this experience, please indicate "N/A".
08
Do you have experience in these areas of Law? If yes, please check all that apply.

• Legal Advocacy
• Juvenile Dependency
• Workers' Compensation
• Employment Law
• Public Works
• None of the above

09
Please provide a detailed description of your experience in each area you selected in the previous question. If you do not have experience in any of the areas of law listed in the previous question, please indicate "N/A".
10
How did you first hear about this job opportunity?

• County Website
• Family, Friends, & Neighbors
• County of San Diego Employee Resource Groups (ERG's)
• Diversity Bar Associations
• USD Law School Career Services
• MANA DE SAN DIEGO
• Alliance for Africa
• Law schools in California
• Law schools out of state (Arizona, Nevada, etc.)
• Association of Corporate Counsel
• Voice and Viewpoint
• LinkedIn
• Indeed
• County Social media (Twitter/Facebook)
• CSAC

Required Question