Remote Temporary Contracts Attorney

Virtual interviews via web portals or phone may be offered as deemed appropriate and feasible by the hiring manager - standard in-person interviews will still be offered if conditions permit.

The Legal Division for the California Public Utilities Commission is seeking to fill Attorney IV positions. Legal Division, through the General Counsel, is the attorney for the Commission. Legal Division is dedicated to improving the health, safety, and well-being of Californians. Our more than 100 lawyers and support staff provide a wide range of legal services and represent client groups through the Commission. They provide legal advice to the Commission on matters such as general rate cases to set electricity and gas authorized rates, wildfire risk reduction, and the regulation of transportation companies, and rulemakings to implement state requirements to decarbonize the energy sector and to help bridge the digital divide and extend broadband infrastructure. They also represent the Commission's Public Advocates Office to argue for the lowest possible bills for utility customers, represent Commission divisions that investigate and enforce utility misconduct and safety violations, and represent the Commission in challenges before courts of appeal, federal court, and before federal agencies such as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the Federal Communications Division.

The available Attorney IV positions are in the following Legal Division Sections: State & Federal Advisory, State & Federal Advisory & Special Projects, State Advisory I, State Advisory II, Government Law and Federal Advisory. Attorneys in these Sections advise Commissioners and Commission decision-makers and staff on most energy, telecommunications, transportation, and rail matters. The Attorney IVs are expected to be experienced attorneys who are experts in relevant areas of law and have demonstrated their ability to independently perform assignments in complex and sensitive legal work. The Attorney IVs will work under the direction of an Assistant Chief Counsel, but may assign, direct, and coordinate the work of a group of attorneys working in a specialized area to ensure that consistency is maintained throughout the process. Typical tasks may include assignment to appellate court proceedings to defend Commission decisions which may be under appeal, litigation before the Commission and federal regulatory agencies in cases involving a high degree of importance and complexity, and providing legal analysis and advice to decisionmakers on complex regulatory issues.

This is a hybrid position that will require the selected candidate to report to their assigned headquarter office a minimum of two (2) days a week. Hybrid positions may be eligible for telework under California Government Code Section 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California. In accordance with CPUC Telework Policy, telework arrangements are subject to change and may be reevaluated at any time.

ATTORNEY IV

Additional Documents
Job Application Package Checklist
Attorney

ATTORNEY IV $11,993.00 - $16,096.00

Effective July 1, 2025 , CalHR launched the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025 with Pay Differential 386. PLP 2025 temporarily reduces state employee pay in exchange for leave hours to help address budget shortfalls. Salary ranges in this posting exclude the temporary reduction. Telework: Permanent, Full Time

Department Information Legal Division/ Legal/ Advisory :
Department Website:

The SOQ should provide specific details and examples that clearly demonstrate how your training, experience, and education qualifies you for the position. Applicants who do not submit a completed SOQ and writing that exceeds the page limit will not be considered or scored. Describe, with specificity, your experience with and specific interest in public utility regulation and law and policy, or any other relevant experience you've had in public service.

For helpful guidance on writing an effective SOQ, please see the Work4CA guide.

It is strongly encouraged to apply through your CalCareer Account at
Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended and will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing.
Applicants who completed their education outside the United States (with foreign degrees/transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of United States course/degree equivalency by the application deadline.
Employment information on the STD 678 state application MUST be complete with dates, duties and responsibilities, and contact names and phone numbers of supervisors. Application Instructions
Completed applications and all required documents must be received or postmarked by the Final Filing Date in order to be considered. Dates printed on Mobile Bar Codes, such as the Quick Response (QR) Codes available at the USPS, are not considered Postmark dates for the purpose of determining timely filing of an application.
Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Complete Application Packages (including your Examination/Employment Application (STD 678) and applicable or required documents) must be submitted to apply for this Job Posting. Application Packages may be submitted electronically through your CalCareer Account at When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included. If you choose to not apply electronically, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method listed below:

Address for Mailing Application Packages

You may submit your application and any applicable or required documents to:

505 Van Ness Ave, Room 3008

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

You may drop off your application and any applicable or required documents at:

505 Van Ness Ave, Room 3008

Monday to Friday Except Holidays.
Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. 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.
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:
Familiarity with energy, telecommunications, water, environmental, rail or transportation law.
Familiarity with and/or strong background and relevant experience in regulatory laws.
Strong analytical and legal research skill and methods.
Strong civil or administrative litigation experience at any or all stages of litigation.
Experience reviewing, analyzing and drafting proposed legislation.
Ability to balance assignments and manage caseloads and several projects at once with minimal supervision.
Strong facilitation, consensus-building, parliamentarian, jurisprudential and client relations skills.
Experience with accounting, finance, utility ratemaking, tax matters, corporate and financial restructuring and/or bankruptcy, and also with enforcement proceedings in administrative and civil contexts, and criminal matters.
Experience with local government jurisdiction, planning, permitting, land use and policymaking, especially in the areas of transportation, telecommunications, municipal utilities and aggregation of electric load.

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.
Department Website:
Talent Acquisition Unit
(Hiring Unit Contact:
You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.
California Relay Service: View phone number on click.appcast.io (TTY), View phone number on click.appcast.io (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.