Assistant Chief Counsel

Job Description and Duties

This Assistant Chief Counsel position will be a member of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife's (CDFW) highly collaborative and creative legal office comprised of natural resources, employment, contract, administrative, and water law legal professionals. The Assistant Chief Counsel will work under the direction of the General Counsel, will undertake and supervise complex professional legal work relating to state and federal natural resources laws in California, with an emphasis on doing so in the terrestrial (rather than aquatic) environment. For example, this includes work in the areas of the California Endangered Species Act, the Federal Endangered Species Act, the Natural Community Conservation Planning Act, mitigation banking, conservation easements, the Regional Conservation Investment Strategies program, the California Environmental Quality Act, timber, and the public trust doctrine. This work includes undertaking and supervising the delivery of legal counsel to CDFW's management, Habitat and Conservation Planning Branch, Wildlife Branch, and regional habitat conservation staff.

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:

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This position may be eligible for a telework opportunity in accordance with departmental policies and operational needs. Beginning July 1, 2026, employees will be required to work in-person at least four (4) days per week in alignment with Executive Order N-22-25. Additional in-office days may be required based on operational needs.

Link to Attorney, Assistant Chief Counsel Exam:

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Be able to work a full-time schedule that may include working over eight hours per day and weekends when necessary, including the ability to work more than forty hours per week when otherwise required by operational needs in or to effectively represent clients. Occasionally be able to travel significant distances and stay away from the home location for short periods. Work in an enclosed interior or exterior window office in a smoke-free environment. Work may require sitting at a computer terminal while performing research and other duties for a significant time, which may exceed six to eight hours a day. Be able to lift up to 25 pounds of books, legal files, exhibits, or the like.

Special Requirements

This position requires active membership in the California State Bar.

The selected candidate may be required to provide a copy of the license prior to being hired.

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:

Special Personal Characteristics: This position requires outstanding communication skills and the

application of sound judgment.

Interpersonal Skills: This position requires outstanding interpersonal skills in supervision and working

with others as part of a team.

Benefits

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

Filing Instructions

You must reference Position Number 565-007-5871-006 and RPA Number E-OGC 26-004 in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) for Which You Are Applying section of the State Application Form (Std. Form 678). Applications that do not list the Position Number and RPA Number may not be considered.

It is recommended that Application Packages be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at . If applications are mailed, we recommend applications are sent certified mail as we are unable to verify receipt.

Applications that do not follow the Filing Instructions may not be considered.

This advertisement may be used to fill additional vacancies for this JC.

Resume – Resumes will be reviewed in addition to the STD 678 for employment history. Resumes must include the complete to and from dates (MM/DD/YYYY) and hours worked per week.

Applicants must submit a complete and accurate application package, free from spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors.

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 -

  A Cover Letter is required and must be submitted along with your STD 678 application. Failure to include a Cover Letter will result in an incomplete application submission.