Attorney V

Job Description and Duties

Anticipated Interview Dates: We anticipate holding in-person interviews beginning the week of August 17, 2026.

The CalPERS Legal Office is currently seeking an Attorney V in the Pension & Tax Unit with strong experience and a genuine interest in public pension and employee benefits law. The duties include but are not limited to:

• Independently providing expert advice and guidance to senior and executive management on the most complex and difficult public pension design, funding, and administration matters specific to CalPERS.
• Advising clients on matters of difficult and complex governmental law, including Constitutional and statutory interpretation, pension and employee benefit law, federal tax law, administrative law and regulations, open meeting law, public records requests, and fiduciary principles. 
• Providing informal or oral advice to system management and staff on a variety of program-specific legal issues, as needed. Evaluating difficult and complex state and federal legislation to determine the potential impact on CalPERS, including assisting in the preparation of bill analyses, drafting legislation, and recommending amendments. 

Telework Information: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with up to two days of remote work and three days or more onsite, per week.

Sponsorship
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

Effective July 1, 2025, The California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025). PLP 2025 directs that each employee shall receive a 4.62 percent reduction in pay in exchange for 8 hours PLP 2025 leave credits, monthly. The salary range(s) included in the job advertisement do not reflect the 4.62 percent reduction in pay.

This position is eligible for a Hire Above Minimum (HAM) salary. Government Code section 19836 authorizes the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to allow an exception to provide a rate above the established minimum salary range for selected classifications, as determined by CalHR.

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Special Requirements

Minimum Qualifications
All experience and education relating to the Minimum Qualifications (MQs) listed on the Classification Specification should be included in your application package to clearly demonstrate how you meet the MQs for this position. If you are using education to meet MQs, please include your transcripts with your application package. If you have a degree from outside of the United States, you must submit an evaluation of this degree to determine the US equivalency. If you need an evaluation, you can visit the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) website to find organizations that provide these services. The Classification Specification is located on this Job Posting under "Minimum Requirements."

Please Note: You may need to pass an examination to establish list eligibility prior to a final offer of employment. To find and take an exam, visit CalHR’s CalCareers website .

Career Services & Outreach
Need help with your state application, resume, Statement of Qualifications, or interview preparation?The CalPERS Career Services & Outreach (CSO) team provides comprehensive support throughout the CalPERS hiring process. Our services include one-on-one online consultations for application assistance, Statement of Qualification review, and interview preparation. To schedule an appointment and receive personalized guidance from our team, please use the following booking link: CalPERS Career Services Consultations .

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:

• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with experience collaborating across teams and with external partners.
• Strong skills related to statutory interpretation, including legislative history research and legal analysis. 
• Significant expertise in public pension and employee benefits law, including plan design, compliance, and governance. 
• Experience with Public Records Act requests, administrative rulemaking, and legislative matters.
• Commitment to public service and a strong understanding of the legal landscape governing public pensions for California’s puplic employees.

Benefits

CalPERS team members are eligible for a number of benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most team members. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and collective bargaining agreements.

Some added benefits CalPERS offers include:

• Alternate Work Schedules
• Flexible Work Hours
• Onsite childcare facility
• Onsite fitness center
• Onsite café and nearby restaurants
• Free onsite parking available Mondays and Fridays, subject to change
• Free offsite parking available with shuttle service Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays

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

Additional Information

Live Scan
Candidates not currently employed at CalPERS are required to submit to a criminal history review process utilizing Live Scan fingerprinting.

CalPERS Disclosure Requirements
If employed, you may be subject to rules imposed by Personal Trading Regulations and Conflict of Interest Code that apply to CalPERS team members, which require disclosure of certain investment information and use of a designated trading platform for securities transactions, as well as filing a Statement of Economic Interest (Form 700)

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.