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Senior Deputy County Counsel-Torts and Civil Rights

San Diego County
Post Date
April 17, 2026
Closing Date
April 25, 2026
Salary
$150,051.20 - $182,416.00 Annually
Description

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.

 
The Office of County Counsel is a full-service law office, tasked with handling the County’s civil law needs, including proactive participation in all phases of government decision making and a very active and successful trial litigation program. Attorneys in this position act as advocates on behalf of the County of San Diego, as well as its departments and employees, by advising clients and representing them in civil litigation in state and federal court. This position is with the Torts & Civil Rights group, which defends the County and its employees in civil litigation. Most of the cases involve claims of civil rights violations (including excessive force, deliberate indifference to serious medical needs, and First Amendment issues), dangerous condition of public property, or negligence.
 
Click here to view the complete job description for the Senior Deputy County Counsel classification.
 
Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate is an analytical thinker, able to accurately articulate the critical issues in a case. Additionally, the ideal candidate has excellent legal research and writing skills, courtroom presence, and the ability to work in a supportive and professional team environment with other attorneys and support staff.

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.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications 
Active membership in good standing with the State Bar of California, AND three (3) years of professional, post-bar civil legal experience 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.

Attachments
 1) Please attach a copy of your resume to your application.
2) Please attach a concise substantive legal writing sample to your application.

Also Required
Positions may involve necessary and timely transportation for field travel, requiring the ability to arrange transportation to different worksites, meetings, or field work.

Must have a reputation for honesty and trustworthiness. Misdemeanor and/or felony convictions may be disqualifying depending on type, number, severity, and recency.

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 application and supplemental application questionnaire. 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.

Accommodation
Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions of the job, on a case-by-case basis.