ATTORNEY III

Job Description and Duties

Under general direction of the Chief Counsel and Assistant Chief Counsels, the Attorney III performs complex and sensitive legal work in the Legal Affairs Division, including, but not limited to probate conservatorships, personnel matters, statutory and regulatory interpretation, programmatic legal advice, administrative appeals, transactional matters, including housing and contract issues, criminal placement proceedings, civil and administrative litigation matters, and legislative analysis. The Attorney III represents the Department in proceedings before courts and administrative bodies throughout the state. The Attorney III must possess the ability to interact independently, professionally, and courteously with Department managers and staff while performing multiple tasks that often require stringent deadlines. The position requires moderate to frequent travel. The Attorney III may be asked to assist an Attorney IV with more complex and sensitive legal matters. The Attorney III must consistently perform outstanding legal work.       

Effective July 1, 2025, State employees are subject to a salary reduction of 4.62 percent in exchange for eight hours per month of the Personal Leave.

Maintain normal and consistent work hours, averaging 40 hours per week. Work in excess of 40 hours is expected when necessary to complete assignments in a timely manner. Attorneys are expected to be in the office or teleworking and available to clients between the core working hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., unless official state business requires them to be elsewhere. If unavailable during core
working hours, attorneys must be available by phone. Attorneys are required to maintain individual and master Outlook calendars and obtain supervisory approval for time spent away from the office that exceeds ninety (90) minutes. Attorneys acting as the AOW must be available between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. or arrange for alternate coverage from another Department attorney.

Please let us know how you heard about our position by taking this brief survey: 

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Special Requirements

The Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be typed in 12-point Arial font, single spaced, and be one page in length.  Applicants who fail to answer the question below or submit an SOQ may not be considered.

Why are you the best candiate to fill this position with the Department of Developmental Services?

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: 10/22/2026

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 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 Developmental Services - Headquarters

N/A

Attn: Savannah Schmidt

Cert Unit

1215 O Street, MS 10-40

Sacramento , CA 95814

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

Department of Developmental Services - Headquarters

N/A

Savannah Schmidt

Cert Unit

1215 O Street, MS 10-40

Sacramento , CA 95814

08:00 AM - 05:00 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 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 required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required and is a narrative discussion of how the candidate's education, training, experience, and skills meet the minimum and desirable qualifications and qualify them for the position. The SOQ serves as a documentation of each candidate's ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. SEE “SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS” ABOVE FOR INSTRUCTIONS. 

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.

Benefits

As a state employee working for the Department of Developmental Services, you and your family will have access to excellent medical, dental and vision insurance benefits in addition to retirement benefits.

Benefit eligibility may be based on job classification, bargaining unit, time base and length of appointment. Additional benefits may also be outlined for specific bargaining units in employee collective bargaining contracts. For more information, please visit the links below:

Benefit information can be found on the  CalHR website and the  CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position or application process.

Department Website:

Human Resources Contact:
Altanzul Urjinkhuu
View phone number on calcareers.ca.gov
View email address on calcareers.ca.gov

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:
Equal Employment Opportunity Office
View phone number on calcareers.ca.gov
View email address on calcareers.ca.gov

California Relay Service: View phone number on calcareers.ca.gov (TTY), View phone number on calcareers.ca.gov (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Additional Information

Electronic application submission is highly encouraged.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment. This recruitment may be utilized to fill future vacancies that may occur during the life of the certification list.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are meeting Minimum Qualifications with education, you must include your unofficial transcripts/diploma for verification.  Official transcripts may be required upon appointment.  If it is determined an applicant does not meet the Minimum Qualifications, the candidate may be withheld from the eligibility list, rendering them inactive and ineligible to be hired for the position. Candidates who have been withheld may file an appeal with the California Department of Human Resources.

All appointments are subject to State Restriction of Appointment (SROA), Departmental Restriction of Appointment (DROA), Re-employment List procedures, pre-employment physical and fingerprint clearances. Further information on the definition of the above may be found on the California Department of Human Resources' website at:  .

If you have not tak en the Attorney III or Attorney exam/assessment you may find the exam for this classification at the link below. 
Click  here to gain list eligibility for Attorney III.
Click  here to gain list eligibility for Attorney.