Job Posting: Attorney V

Department of Public Health

JC-513757
-
Attorney V
ATTORNEY V

$12,659.00 - $16,883.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 5/1/2026

Job Description and Duties

This classification is authorized to receive a starting salary rate of $14,051.00 under Pay Scales Section 5.


This position supports the California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) mission and strategic plan by handling the most difficult and complex legal work and litigation for CDPH by developing innovative strategies in the public health field, responding to regulatory challenges, and engaging in litigation matters.

 

The Attorney V provides legal and policy advice on administrative, procedural, and regulatory issues and projects that have a significant impact on public health,  health policy, and political impact on the Department. The Attorney V must function reliably and independently with broad discretion, under great pressure in politically sensitive situations, and be able to complete the work required within strict time requirements, or on an expedited basis, with minimum supervision.

 

The incumbent may also be relied upon to directly and expertly advise the Chief Counsel, the Senior Assistant Chief Counsels, the Assistant Chief Counsels, the Attorney General’s Office, the Director, the California Health and Human Services (CHHS) Agency executive staff members and the Governor’s Office. The incumbent must be able to work cooperatively with the OLS and CDPH management and maintain exemplary work habits in the most complex areas of federal and state law. The Attorney V may also serve as the lead in responding to state and federal funding litigation, as well as standard litigation responses for the department, while acting in a lead capacity over the work of other attorneys and staff.

 

The incumbent will have the highest level of expertise, distinguishing themselves in the public health regulatory and litigation field. The Attorney V will work with department and government leaders on innovative theories in the changing landscape of public health law both through operations and litigation.  

 

The incumbent works under the general direction of the Career Executive Assignment (CEA) Senior Assistant Chief Counsel (ACC) of the Operations and Administrative Litigation (OPAL) team.

In July 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program (PLP) 2025. This program temporarily reduces employees’ monthly base pay in exchange for paid leave credits. This position is subject to PLP 2025 and will have a monthly base pay reduction of 4.62% in exchange for 8 hours of leave credits through October 2026. The salary ranges shown on this job posting do not reflect the salary reduction.

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

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CDPHRecruitment


You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

Telework Information:

 

This position may be eligible for telework up to three (3) days per week and is required to report in-person to the designated headquarters office location a minimum of two (2) days per week. The amount of telework permitted is at the discretion of the Department and is subject to change, consistent with CDPH’s Telework Program. All employees who telework are required to be California residents in accordance with Government Code 14200. Candidates who reside outside of the state of California may be interviewed; however, the selected candidate must have a primary residency in the state of California prior to appointment (and continue to maintain California residency) as a condition of employment. Failure to meet this requirement may result in the job offer being rescinded.

 

Business travel may be required, and reimbursement considers an employee’s designated headquarters office subject to regulations and bargaining unit contract provisions. All commute expenses to the designated headquarters office will be the responsibility of the selected candidate.

 

The headquarters office location for this position is identified in the attached duty statement.

 

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-513757
Position #(s):
580-140-5781-001
Working Title:
Attorney V
Classification:
ATTORNEY V
$12,659.00 - $16,883.00 A
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.
# of Positions:
1
Work Location:
Sacramento County
Telework:
Hybrid
Job Type:
Permanent, Full Time

Department Information

At the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the core of our mission to advance the health and well-being of California’s diverse people and communities. We are genuinely and strongly committed to cultivating and preserving a culture of inclusion and connectedness where we can grow and learn together with a diverse team of employees. In recruiting for team members, we welcome the unique contributions that you can bring to us and the work we do.

The Office of Legal Services (OLS) provides comprehensive legal support and services to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) programs and leadership to advance CDPH’s mission to optimize the health and safety of all Californians. OLS is comprised of four legal teams: the Operations and Administrative Litigation (OPAL) team; the Center for Health Care Quality (CHCQ) team; the Public Health Programs (PHP) team; and the Regulations, Privacy and Special Projects (RPSP) team. This position is for the OPAL team.

* The salary information listed on this advertisement may not reflect recent salary increases from salary adjustments or changes in the fiscal year.

 *The CDPH is  an E-Verify employer.

Department Website: https://www.cdph.ca.gov

Special Requirements

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678) and/or Resume, including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week, and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY).  Application packages without this information will experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

 

A completed State application (STD. 678) and any other relevant documents (e.g., unofficial transcript, copy of degree, resume, etc.) should be submitted electronically via your CalCareers Account. Please reference Job Control # 513757 and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application. Please remove any confidential information (i.e., social security number, date of birth) from your documents prior to submission.

 

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 CalCareers Account at www.CalCareers.ca.gov. Submitting an electronic application through your CalCareers account is strongly recommended since electronic applications will be received/processed faster than other methods of filing. Please submit only one application.

 

If you are unable to submit your application electronically through your CalCareers account, please email apply@cdph.ca.gov for assistance and a CDPH Human Resources Division staff member will contact you to assist with the online application process or, a hard copy application package may be submitted through an alternative method as explained in the How to Apply section below. When submitting your application in hard copy, a completed copy of the Application Package listing must be included.

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.

Final Filing Date: 5/1/2026

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s).

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

How To Apply

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 www.CalCareers.ca.gov. 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:

Department of Public Health
CCAU Mailing
Attn: Classification & Certification Unit
P.O. Box 997378
MS 1700-1702
Sacramento, CA 95899-7378

Address for Drop-Off Application Packages

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

Department of Public Health
CCAU Drop Off
Classification & Certification Unit
1615 Capitol Avenue Suite 73.430
Sacramento, CA 95814
08:00 AM - 05:00 PM

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 www.CalCareers.ca.gov. 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 - Please see Statement of Qualifications instructions below at end of posting.  Any applications received that do not provide a written response to the SOQ may be rejected.
  • Other - A Cover Letter is required and must be submitted with your application package. Applications received without a Cover Letter may be rejected.
Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

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:

The ideal candidate possesses experience with highly complex, cutting edge, sensitive, or high impact legal matters or special projects. Exhibits strong leadership and/or management skills and ideally has a background in litigation with civil or administrative experience and skills, knowledge of California state administrative law (particularly the Administrative Procedure Act), state contracting, and/ or an understanding of public health principals and practice.  Possesses excellent analytical, research and communication skills (both written and oral) as well as a demonstrated ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple projects with short-term deadlines. 

Benefits

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

Contact Information

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: https://www.cdph.ca.gov
Human Resources Contact:
Human Resources Division
(916) 445-0983
apply@cdph.ca.gov
Hiring Unit Contact:
Connor Kubota
(279) 667-2065
connor.kubota@cdph.ca.gov

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

EEO Contact:
EEO Office
(916) 445-0938
California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice) TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) Instructions:

All applicants must submit a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) responding to the questions below. The SOQ is a narrative discussion of how your education, training, experience, and skills qualify you for the Attorney V position with the Office of Legal Services, Operations and Administrative Litigation (OPAL) team. Your SOQ will be evaluated for clarity, organization, content, and writing ability.

Maximum length: 2 pages, single spaced.

1. Complex Public Health Legal and Policy Work

Describe your experience handling highly complex, cutting edge, sensitive, or high impact legal matters or special projects. If relevant to your experience, please address experience , particularly in areas involving public health, administrative law, or regulatory interpretation.

2. Litigation and State Contracting Experience

Describe your experience representing a department or client in administrative hearings, writ matters, or other litigation. Describe your experience with state contracting either with a state department or representing an entity contracting with the state, including experience with the State Contracting Manual.

3. Leadership Training and Experience

Describe your experience and training in leadership and mentorship, including how you have contributed to the development of staff, integration of new attorneys, or improvement of legal operations or tracking systems.

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. 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.

Application Methods:
Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account)
By Mail
Drop-off
Print Job