Job Posting: Attorney III

Department of Public Health

JC-478942
-
Attorney III
ATTORNEY III

$10,536.00 - $14,879.00 per Month

Final Filing Date: 6/6/2025

Job Description and Duties

Would you like to help protect the health and well-being of Californians while working as part of a highly collegial and collaborative legal team? Do you set high standards for yourself and enjoy working on challenging questions of law and policy?

The California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH) Office of Legal Services is seeking an Attorney III to join a team committed to protecting our State's most vulnerable residents by ensuring, among other things, that long-term care residents receive the treatment and care required by law; that patients admitted to a hospital receive care that complies with the licensing requirements; and that businesses licensed by the Department to provide care in a patient’s home are qualified to provide the care needed.

Working under the general direction of the Career Executive Assignment and Civil Service Assistant Chief Counsel (ACCs), the Attorney III will advise and support CDPH’s Center for Health Care Quality (CHCQ). CHCQ is responsible for ensuring that health care facilities and certain health professional, are licensed, regulated, inspected, and/or certified in order to operate in California. The Attorney III will work closely with the L&C Program on a wide variety of issues that may include citations for dangerous regulatory violations that occur in licensed skilled nursing facilities, such as untreated bed ulcers and avoidable falls that lead to severe injury or fatality; and administrative penalties against general acute care hospitals for regulatory violations such as sponges and other foreign objects left in patients, medication errors, a failure to accurately monitor a patient for complications after surgery, or a medical information breach  The Attorney III will also (1) assist with the drafting of new statutes and the development of new regulations to implement new laws or address gaps in existing laws; (2) advise on the legal consequences to breaches of medical information by licensed entities; (3) assist the Attorney General's Office in litigation involving CHCQ; and (4) advise on how to respond to Public Records Act requests and subpoenas. Additionally, the Attorney III may represent CHCQ in expedited informal hearings to enforce minimum staffing standards established in statute. The Attorney III may also be required to handle sensitive and high-profile matters of immense media interest and train others in CDPH. Some travel may be required.   

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

Working Conditions

Telework Information:

 

This position may be eligible for telework. 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.

 

Travel may be required for this position. Reimbursement for travel takes into consideration an employee’s designated headquarters, as reflected in the duty statement, and is 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.

 

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

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

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Additional Documents

Position Details

Job Code #:
JC-478942
Position #(s):
580-140-5795-XXX
Working Title:
Attorney III
Classification:
ATTORNEY III
$10,536.00 - $14,879.00 A
# of Positions:
2
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 CHCQ 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 not currently 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 # 478942 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: 6/6/2025

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 - A Cover Letter is required and must be submitted with your application package. Applications received without a Cover Letter may be rejected.
  • Other - A Writing Sample (10 page maximum) is Required - As part of the application package for this position, candidates are required to submit at least one writing sample. Applications received without a Writing Sample may be rejected. Please remove any confidential information.
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:

  • Excellent analytical, research, and communication skills (both written and oral)
  • Demonstrated ability to prioritize workload and manage multiple projects with short-term deadlines
  • Understanding of public health principles and practice
  • Experience with licensing and enforcement schemes and interest in and/or knowledge of modalities for the delivery of care
  • Experience drafting and/or interpreting and applying statutes and regulations
  • Knowledge of relevant state and federal privacy laws, and knowledge of the Public Records Act
  • Litigation experience and knowledge of California state administrative law, particularly the Administrative Procedure Act

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:
Dorene Salter
(279) 217-8096
dore.salter@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.

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