Attorney III

Job Description and Duties

Will consider Attorney or Attorney IV.

Under the general direction of a Deputy Chief Counsel, Assistant Chief Counsel and/or Attorney Supervisor, the Attorney Ill  studies, interprets and applies laws, court decisions, and other authorities in the preparation of moderately difficult and/or  complex cases, opinions and briefs; prepares and presents cases for trial; and/or does a variety of transactional work.

Personal Leave Program: Effective July 1, 2025, state employees are subject to temporary salary reductions ranging from 2% to 4.62% in exchange for Personal Leave Program (PLP) hours. Please note that the salary ranges listed in this Job Control may not reflect these reductions associated with the 2025 Personal Leave Program. Please follow the link for more information regarding the 2025 Personal Leave program: .

PARF# 42-27-0087 / JC-536846

The Caltrans Legal Division Los Angeles Office is seeking dedicated attorneys to support the Department and the State of California. The successful candidate will join an established team representing the Department in high-stakes litigation and house counsel work.

Caltrans Legal Division is a full service, in-house law office with statewide singular responsibility for meeting Caltrans' diverse litigation and transactional law needs. Caltrans Legal is unique in the state in this regard. The Legal Division represents Caltrans in Superior, Federal and Appellate courts, and before the Office of Administrative Hearings and the State Personnel Board. Utilized by all programs within Caltrans to provide legal representation in a variety of transactional areas, the Legal Division also advises on federal and state statutes, regulations and judicial case-law authority, and how those laws impact Caltrans' policy makers, operational needs, and associated risks.

Caltrans Legal provides excellent training resources and professional development through practical, on-the-job experience, supportive supervision, and teamwork. The division offers statewide committees with members from each of our office (Sacramento/HQ, Oakland, Los Angeles, San Diego and Fresno) to facilitate information sharing and networking, as well as workshops to provide opportunities for all our attorneys to develop statewide relationships and learn about the areas of practice. Caltrans consistently proves to be a great place to learn, develop and hone the skills necessary to become an accomplished practitioner of law. Attorneys may receive promotions in place based on available funds, successful performance, and compliance with labor union requirements.

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Attorney/ Attorney III/ Attorney IV exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions.  To apply for the exam, please click  here and search by typing in the classification title.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Position located at 100 S Main St Los Angeles, Los Angeles County.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

This position may be eligible for telework. The amount of telework is at the discretion of the Department and based on Caltrans’s evolving telework policy. Caltrans supports telework, recognizing that in-person attendance may be required based on operational needs. Employees are expected to be able to report to their worksites with minimum notification if an urgent need arises. The selected candidate will be required to commute to the headquartered location as needed to meet operational needs. Business travel may be required, and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquartered location, primary residence, and may be subject to CalHR regulations or applicable bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the headquartered location will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

Special Requirements

• The positions require a CA BAR membership License. You will be required to provide a copy of your license prior to being hired.

• Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a State owned or leased vehicle.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment.  If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification.  Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment.  Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent.  Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: or Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

Please take this 1-minute Caltrans Recruitment survey to tell us how you found out about this job. 

Apply today to join our team!  We especially encourage applicants to check out our tool!  The is a tool to assist and help candidates understand and succeed in applying to Caltrans positions.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Demonstrated ability to independently manage complex transactional matters and/or litigate cases, including conducting legal research, preparing and arguing law and motion, managing discovery and handling trial proceedings.

• Strong verbal advocacy and exceptional proficiency in technical legal writing.

• Ability to work effectively in high-pressure, collaborative team environments.

Benefits

to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

“Employees in this classification may be eligible for a Recruitment Hire-Above Minimum Authorization salary rate commensurate to 

Important Application Instructions

The State application (STD. 678) is required, and each section must be filled out completely and thoroughly. For mailed or hand delivered applications to be considered for this position, the Job Control number (JC-536846), PARF# 42-27-0087 and title of the position (Attorney, Attorney III, or Attorney IV) must be included on the STD. 678 form.

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts.  Confidential information that should be  excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age.  The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position.  Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

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 optional. It may be included, but is not required.