Counsel

Full job description The County of Santa Clara Office of the County Counsel is seeking talented, highly motivated attorneys to fill open positions described in detail below. Prior public-sector experience is desirable, but not required for any open position.
About the Office of the County Counsel The County of Santa Clara's Office of the County Counsel is one of the nation's preeminent public law offices, serving as legal counsel to the County, its Board of Supervisors and elected officials, every County department and agency, and the County's various boards and commissions. The Office's work covers a wide array of litigation and policy matters that significantly affect the health, safety, and well-being of the County's 1.9 million residents.? The Office supports the County's efforts to protect public health and the environment, provide healthcare services, address homelessness, maintain roads and parks, ensure access to a fair criminal justice system, and protect vulnerable populations. The Office handles nearly all of the County's civil litigation, including employment, personal injury, child welfare, breach of contract, civil rights, taxation, environmental law, and social justice and impact litigation. The Office also provides all of the day-to-day legal services expected from any in-house legal team, researching and analyzing emerging areas of law, crafting policies, analyzing and commenting on legislation, advising and counseling the Board of Supervisors and County departments on transactional matters, addressing challenging issues facing local governments, and developing innovative local ordinances and programs to advance social and economic justice for the county's residents and to promote local, state, and national public policy reform.
The Office has widely been recognized for its excellence. In 2019, the Office received the American Bar Association's prestigious Hodson Award??. Awarded to one office nationwide each year, the Hodson Award recognizes outstanding performance and extraordinary service by a government or public-sector law office. In 2022, the Office's Child and Family Protection Team received the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Award from the International Municipal Lawyers Association for its transformative work in guiding Santa Clara County's child welfare system toward a model that promotes equity, inclusion, and cultural competency in the provision of government services to highly vulnerable client populations. And in 2021, the Office received a California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award for its leadership role in shaping the regional, statewide, and national response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, numerous attorneys within the Office have been individually recognized for their contributions in shaping appellate and Supreme Court decisions through our amicus briefs and by spearheading nationwide efforts to coordinate broad coalitions of counties, cities, and national local government organizations on issues of vital interest including local government discretion over policy decisions, protecting public health and safety, ensuring funding for local health care, and defending against environmental harms.
Civil Rights, Tort, and Employment Litigation Team We are seeking an experienced employment litigator for our Civil Rights, Tort, and Employment Litigation Team. This Team defends the County in lawsuits filed not only against the County, but also its officials, and/or its employees. In addition to employment cases, the Team's docket includes a wide variety of other subject matter areas, including tort, employment, civil rights, medical malpractice, and dangerous condition of public property actions to name a few. Our litigators handle all phases of litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts. Additionally, our litigators represent all County departments and have developed expertise in the work of each department to provide advice and training on risk management issues to improve policies, practices, and to minimize legal exposure to the County. We are interested in candidates who would like to work in a collaborative and dynamic public-sector litigation practice, have experience in employment litigation, and five (5) or more years of litigation practice. Experience in the other specific types of cases described above is desirable, but not required.
Health and Hospitals Team We are seeking an experienced health care attorney to join our Health and Hospitals Team, which provides legal advice to the County's health care delivery system. This Team counsels Santa Clara Valley Medical Center (SCVMC), a 731-bed acute care hospital and Level 1 trauma center and 50-bed psychiatric hospital; O'Connor Hospital, a 358-bed acute care hospital; Saint Louise Regional Hospital, a 95-bed acute care hospital; and a network of health centers and urgent care clinics across Santa Clara County. Attorneys also serve as legal counsel to the Behavioral Health Services Department; the Public Health Department; the Custody Health Services Department; the Emergency Medical Services Agency; and Valley Health Plan, the County's Knox Keene-licensed, publicly-sponsored health plan.
The ideal candidate will have a range of experience furnishing general advice and counsel to large health care providers and/or plans. Desirable skillsets include, but are not limited to, health care contracting; regulatory compliance, including with regard to state and federal claims, billing, consent and data privacy, finance and cost reporting, pharmacy, and/or Federally Qualified Health Center requirements; experience advising hospital and clinic quality and risk departments, including on responses to federal and state survey activities; and payor-side managed care experience, including with complex delegation agreements and provider dispute/grievance resolution. Familiarity with California's health care regulatory landscape, including requirements set forth by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS), the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC), and the Department of Healthcare Access and Information (HCAI), would be an asset.
General Qualifications · Member in good standing with the State Bar of California;
· Demonstrated history of hard work, dedication, and academic excellence;
· Ability to prioritize and manage several simultaneous projects under deadlines;
· As some of the work done in the Office of the County Counsel will undoubtedly be new to any applicant, the ideal candidate will be flexible and show an eagerness to learn;
· Self-motivated and willing to take ownership of any matter;
· Team player. Our Office is a collegial and supportive environment in which employees willingly pitch-in to help one another;
· Exceptional legal research and writing skills;
· Strong communication skills. Our attorneys must be able to explain complex legal issues to judges, arbitrators, elected officials, a diverse range of clients, and, occasionally, members of the public; and
· Able to establish and maintain excellent working relationships with other County staff.
Salary and Benefits Salaries vary based on experience and qualifications. For attorneys with five or more years of experience, the annual salary range is $225,902 to $281,170.
The County offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for all attorneys and their dependents. Attorneys also receive substantial pension benefits, long-term disability insurance, life insurance, and related coverage.
How to Apply Applicants interested in any of the above positions should send a résumé, list of five references, and brief cover letter to Assistant County Counsel Michaela Lewis via . Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, and interested applicants are encouraged to apply promptly. For those interested in applying, please refer to:
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $225,902.56 - $281,170.24 per year
Benefits:
Dental insurance Flexible spending account Health insurance Health savings account Life insurance Paid time off Retirement plan Tuition reimbursement Vision insurance Schedule:
8 hour shift License/Certification:
California Bar Membership (Required) Work Location: Hybrid remote in San Jose, CA 95110