Staff Counsel; Ontario, CA

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Supervising Counsel and Chief Counsel, provide legal counsel/representation to CCPOA members. Attorney assignments will include the opportunity to represent peace officers in all aspects of labor relations and employment actions with public agencies in California.

The successful candidate will get the opportunity to gain broad experience with all types of labor and employment matters related to public safety, including:

• Administrative hearings before state agencies
• PERB
• Litigating claims in state and federal courts
• Union business/relations
• Representing peace officers for Internal Affairs interviews, skelly hearings and State Personnel Board hearings
• Representation during critical incident investigations concerning officer involved shootings and in-custody deaths
• Fast-paced and exciting work.

• Act as legal counsel as required.
• Maintain appropriate confidentiality of all matters learned in the course of client representation.
• Maintain professional responsibility requirements consistent with California State Bar rules.
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time while driving, flying, or performing legal tasks.
• Interact professionally with clients, opposing counsel, witnesses, court/agency personnel, CCPOA members, and CCPOA staff.
• Must be able to lift up to 25 pounds.
• Ability to travel on short notice, frequently on nights or weekends, to various locations and prisons throughout California.
• Ability and willingness to travel on short notice, sometimes at night or weekends, to various locations and prisons throughout Northern California. Most trips/representational matters are not overnight. Great opportunity for an attorney who would prefer not to sit behind a desk every day.

• Prepare pleadings and legal materials for trials, administrative hearings (including investigatory interviews and Skelly hearings), arbitrations and other legal proceedings.
• Identify and interview witnesses.
• Assemble and evaluate evidence.
• Keep supervisor informed of the progress and status of caseload.
• Inform the Executive Legal Assistant or other assigned Legal Assistant of scheduled dates (such as hearings, court dates, arbitrations, scheduled leave, etc.) and changes to those dates to update the master calendar.
• Maintain a personal calendar of all due dates, court appearances, investigatory interviews, and all scheduled appointments and personal absences (this is besides the master calendar maintained by the administrative staff).
• Keep clients and, when required, the appropriate Board of Director, informed of the status and progress of the case.
• Handle intake calls as necessary.
• Draft and analyze legislative measures and regulations.
• Perform legal research.
• Draft legal opinions as assigned.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant and current statutory/regulatory changes, appellate, administrative, and arbitration decisions and developments in the field of public sector labor law through self-study, CLE, and continual review of relevant publications (including online).
• Timely inform support staff which files should be "tickled" to ensure time limits are met.
• Draft and process grievances to their conclusion.
• Participate, analyze, and make recommendations regarding arbitration and legal matters consistent with CCPOA SOP and Bylaws. Assist with collective bargaining as assigned.
• Additional duties as assigned.

Juris Doctorate or equivalent degree, from an accredited university; admission to the California State Bar or bar pending; working knowledge of MS Word, Outlook, and Westlaw/Lexis; valid California State Drivers' License; ability to pass a criminal background check and obtain a CDCR Contractor Identification Card to gain access to CDCR institutions and facilities.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Applicants must submit a Letter of Interest, Resume and writing sample to:
jobs.hiring

CCPOA is an Equal Opportunity Employer

(EOE/M/F/Disability/Veterans)