Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Positions at the Water Boards may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position.

The State Water Resources Control Board’s Administrative Hearings Office (AHO) has an opening for an Attorney to serve as a Hearing Officer in water right enforcement matters and other regulatory proceedings. The position location is 1001 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, with a telework option.

The State Water Resources Control Board exercises adjudicatory and regulatory functions to administer water rights in the state. The AHO is an independent organizational unit within the State Water Board that provides a neutral, fair, and efficient forum for water right adjudications. Hearing Officers within the AHO conduct water right hearings in enforcement matters, water right permitting matters, and other matters assigned to the office by the State Water Board. The job opening presents an opportunity for an attorney with experience or interest in water rights law to join this developing and collegial office to address some of the most significant and complex water rights matters in the state.

Duties:

Under the direction of the presiding and senior hearing officers, the Attorney will review, analyze, interpret, and apply laws, court decisions, State Water Board decisions and orders, and other legal authorities in the preparation of proposed orders, opinions, and briefs; prepare legal documents, memoranda, digests, summaries, and reports; evaluate evidence; assist in and hold hearings; assist with investigations; assist with the drafting of legislative measures and departmental rules and regulations; conduct legal research; and advise staff members regarding the legal effect of rules and regulations, proposed legislative measures, statutory law, court decisions, and administrative actions. The Attorney will assist Senior Hearing Officers and serve as a Hearing Officer for water right hearings, which includes conducting pre-hearing case management, overseeing alternative dispute resolution, issuing pre-hearing rulings and orders, ruling on evidentiary objections, overseeing the conduct of the administrative hearings, drafting detailed decisions and orders, and presenting proposed decisions and orders to the State Water Board.

The AHO fosters an intellectually stimulating, dynamic, and collegial environment. This growing office consists of approximately three Hearing Officers, three technical staff, and two support staff. We invite recent takers of the California Bar exam, as well as newly admitted attorneys, to apply. We value diversity and inclusion and welcome candidates from all backgrounds

Additional information:

Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class.

If the position requires driving, you must possess a current and valid driver’s license. Please Do Not include full Social Security Number, method of eligibility, and LEAP information in your application package.

Salary information – CalHR salary rules allow appointment at the entrance rate (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, § 599.673) of a classification. For classes with alternate ranges, placement is based on education/experience.

Please let us know how you heard about this position by taking this brief survey: .

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Special Requirements

In order to be considered for this position, you must include the following:

• RPA# 24-350-008 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.
• Active membership in the California State Bar.

Must have Attorney list, transfer, or reinstatement eligibility and be reachable on the certification list. Here is the link to the exam:  

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States that does meet accreditation standards must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due during final minimum qualification evaluation of candidate(s). A link of accepted evaluation agencies can be found here:

Electronic submittal of applications and attachments through jobs.ca.gov is preferred. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted. You are required to complete employment history on the application form (STD. 678), including work experience, dates, hours worked, contact names and phone numbers of supervisors on the state application. Applicants who fail to submit a completed STD. 678 may be disqualified.

In the hiring interview, the panel will consider education, experience, personal development, personal traits and fitness for the job. In appraising experience, more weight may be given to the breadth of pertinent experience and evidence of the candidate's ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibilities than to the length of his/her experience. For additional information, you may refer to the class specification.

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:

Excellent written and oral communication skills and knowledge/experience in water rights law will be most highly valued. Other desirable qualifications include knowledge of and experience with legal research principles, knowledge of and experience in administrative law; knowledge of and experience in judicial trial, or administrative hearing practice; experience drafting administrative or judicial decisions, such as serving as a judicial clerk or administrative law judge; and demonstrated leadership skills, such as serving as a law review editor or seminar or conference chair or officer in a law-related or public service organization. General civil litigation experience; participation in law journal or moot court; publication in legal or academic journal.

Benefits

Water Board employees may be eligible for benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most permanent, full-time employees, and some permanent, part-time employees. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and may be subject to collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the State of California and employee organizations that define wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment.

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

Statement of Qualifications

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted along with the State Application and serves as documentation of candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. It should be typed, no more than two (2) pages in length, single-spaced, using Arial, 12-point font , and normal margins.

The SOQ should describe why the applicant believes they have the experience and qualifications to successfully fulfill this role.

Applications received without the SOQ addressed as stated may not be considered.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as a response to the SOQ.

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 - Two recent writing samples are required and must be included.
• Other - Cover Letter is required and must be included.
• Statement of Qualifications - Required and must be included. Please see below for specific SOQ requirements.
• Other - Law school transcripts are rquired and must be included (a photocopy or unofficial transcripts will be accepted).

Job Tags

Permanent employment, Full time, Part time, Work experience placement, Remote job,

Similar Jobs