Office of General Counsel

The Attorney General is the State’s top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of California through a broad range of duties. The Attorney General is the head of the Department of Justice, which is one of the largest state agencies, as well as one of the largest law offices in California. The Department has numerous constituent bureaus and programs, and the Department performs a variety of important law enforcement and criminal justice information functions.

The Office of General Counsel is a division within the Department of Justice that oversees or supports many Department-wide functions, including risk management, compliance, legal advice, and the development of policies and procedures.

Attorneys in the Office of General Counsel

Attorneys in the Office of General Counsel have significant Department-wide responsibilities and are expected to provide legal advice on a wide variety of difficult, complex, sensitive, and consequential matters to public officials, external clients, and senior staff throughout the Department. Subject matters within the Office of General Counsel’s purview include but are not limited to information security and data storage and disclosure; law-enforcement operations; contracting, agreements, and grants; professional ethics; financial conflicts and other government ethics requirements; regulations; the Public Records Act; the Administrative Procedure Act; the Bagley-Keene Act’s open meeting requirements; and public finance.

Attorneys are also expected to lead or support internal investigations, operational projects that further the Office’s risk‑management and compliance missions, and the development and implementation of policies and procedures within the Department. These assignments are highly variable in nature and require flexibility, an ability to quickly become familiar with a new program area or area of law, an ability to gather facts and assess legal risks, an ability to quickly establish effective working relationships with employees throughout the Department, including senior executives, and an ability to manage investigations and projects over a long period of time.

Attorneys generally will not function as lead attorneys in litigation matters, but they may have opportunities to volunteer to participate in litigation matters.

Attorneys with a track record of accomplishments in complex or high‑stakes litigation, policy, or advice matters, or attorneys who demonstrate the potential to successfully handle a wide range of legal and operational challenges are encouraged to apply for this position.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .

Position Details

Job Code #: JC-524722

Position #(s): 420-261-5705-XXX

Working Title: Office of General Counsel

Classification: DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL IV

Salary: $11,993.00 - $16,096.00 (minimum for new to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.)

Shall Consider

DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL III: $10,852.00 - $15,325.00

DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL V: $12,659.00 - $16,883.00

# of Positions: 1

Work Location: United States

Telework: Hybrid

Job Type: Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

• These positions are located in the Office of General Counsel and will be filled in either Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego or San Francisco. Please clearly indicate which city you prefer in your cover letter.
• The Deputy Attorney General classifications qualify for a “Hire Above Minimum” (HAM) salary ( Hiring Above Minimum Policy ). The starting salary for each classification will be:
• Deputy Attorney General III (5 years): $12,046
• Deputy Attorney General IV (6+ years): $13,313
• Deputy Attorney General V (lateral): $14,051
• DAG V consideration – lateral transfers only.
• Please disregard the SROA/Surplus language below, as the Department of Justice requires applicants to submit their SROA/Surplus Letter if that is the basis of their eligibility.
• For more information about the department please visit the Attorney General’s website at
• Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary wage reductions in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) accruals. The specific rate and hours earned were negotiated and agreed upon by each bargaining unit. The actual monetary impact of these temporary reductions can vary based on your bargaining unit and/or federal and state tax withholdings. For additional information please visit Human Resources Manual – CalHR.

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!