Attorney IV

Job Description and Duties

Under the general direction of the Assistant General Counsel and consistent with good customer service practices, the incumbent independently, and with broad discretion, provides legal advice and services with a high degree of independence and initiative, handling sensitive, difficult, and complex legal work performed by the Office of General Counsel (OGC) related to legal work in multiple areas of law including public policy laws, environmental law, administrative law, real property law, (including acquisition, management, disposal and encroachments), environmental  permitting, grants and contracts, and tribal issues at the Department of Water Resources (DWR). The incumbent advises, with a high level of specialization, on cases and/or matters involving opposing counsel that involve novel theories, emerging areas of law, and precedential significance. The incumbent, under the general direction of the Assistant General Counsel, may have contact with members of the legislature, gubernatorial appointees, constitutional officers, and the general public.

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

This position is covered in the Political Reform Act and requires financial disclosure within 30 days of the first and last day physically worked in a covered position and annually by April 1.

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:

• Able to work cooperatively with a variety of individuals and organizations
• Must be able to professionally communicate with DWR executive management, colleagues, and internal and external stakeholders
• Environmental-related experience, including in permits, the Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA), CA Endangered Species Act (CESA), CA Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
• Experience with real property
• Experience with state contracting
• Experience with litigation
• Experience with regulatory agencies or programs
• Experience with grants/bonds
• Experience with legislative review and administrative law (Public Records Act and/or Administrative Procedure Act)
• Experience with tribal resources

Benefits

to read about the outstanding benefits offered to eligible employees.

Personal Leave Program 2025: 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 

Special Instructions

To be considered, submit a completed State application (STD. 678), resume , and cover letter. Please reference SAP Position #50026882 and Job Control #517323 in the “examination(s) or job title(s) for which you are applying” section of your application.  The hiring unit will receive only the documents specified in the Required Application Package Documents section.

The following basis of eligibility will be considered: List eligibility, transfer, LEAP, reinstatement, and SROA/Surplus.

Employment History on the STD 678 must be complete and include dates, accurate hours per week, total hours worked, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors.  Resumes, cover letters, and/or other attachments will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application. 

. This survey is for research purpose only and will not affect the application status.

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.
• Other - Cover Letter