Assistant District Counsel / Senior Assistant District Counsel

Assistant District Counsel / Senior Assistant District Counsel

Valley Water
Salary: See Position Description
Job Type: Full–Time
Job Number: 01812–U
Location: CA, CA
Department: Office of District Counsel
Closing: 9/16/:59 PM Pacific

Description

Assistant District Counsel: $246,504.54 – $313,004.60 Annually
Senior Assistant District Counsel: $273,884.42 – $347,775.80 Annually

Valley Water's (Santa Clara Valley Water District) mission is dedicated to ensuring Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley have access to safe, clean water to support a healthy life, environment, and economy.

Valley Water's Office of District Counsel is seeking an experienced attorney to augment the Office's ability to advise the Board and staff on a wide array of agency initiatives, including support for environmental and real estate needs of major public works projects, procurement and public works construction, compliance in a highly regulated operating environment, labor and employment matters, general government law, dispute resolution, and inter–agency transactions.

The incumbent would be hired as Assistant District Counsel or a Senior Assistant District Counsel, and the exact classification will be determined at point of hire. Both classifications are designated as unclassified/at–will.

Key Responsibilities

Assistant District Counsel:
• Has primary responsibility within assigned areas for planning, organizing, coordinating, and managing Valley Water legal work. Areas of responsibility may include (without limitation) water resources; flood risk reduction; public entity risk management/litigation, labor and employment, real estate transactions and eminent domain, public works contracting, non–construction government procurement and contracts, employee health and safety, unhoused issues, public records requests, Ralph M. Brown Act compliance, conflict of interest and ethics, deferred compensation, emergency operations, environmental law (e.g., CEQA/NEPA, ESA/CESA), intellectual property and licensing, litigation management, administrative law, and public agency financing, and other areas as assigned from time–to–time.
• Prepare, draft, and review a variety of legal documents including services contracts, resolutions, ordinances, pleadings, legislative bills, policies, briefs, and other written materials.
• Other duties as assigned.

Senior Assistant District Counsel:
• Provide timely, accurate, and politically neutral advice to the Board of Directors, executives, and front–line staff with respect to major capital projects.
• Handle agreements with contractors, consultants, and vendors, inter–agency contracts, and Valley Water governance matters.
• Represent Valley Water before external parties such as regulators, legislators, partners, adverse parties, and dispute–resolution fora.
• Manage one or more staff members and/or more junior attorneys.
• Provide training to other attorneys and staff on areas of expertise to improve operational flow.
• Act on behalf of District Counsel in their absence.
• Other duties as assigned.

Ideal Candidate's Background Includes

For Assistant District Counsel:
Two years of recent experience in the active practice of law in the State of California, including experience in one or more of the following fields: water resources; flood risk reduction; public entity risk management/litigation, labor and employment, real estate transactions and eminent domain, public works contracting, non–construction government procurement and contracts, employee health and safety, unhoused issues, public records requests, Ralph M. Brown Act compliance, conflict of interest and ethics, deferred compensation, emergency operations, environmental law (e.g., CEQA/NEPA, ESA/CESA), intellectual property and licensing, litigation management, administrative law, and public agency financing.

For Senior Assistant District Counsel:
Six years of recent experience in the active practice of law in the State of California, including experience in one or more of the fields listed above.

Ideal Skills and Abilities for both roles:

• A can–do, solutions–oriented mindset is a must, as is a sense of humor.
• A high degree of political acumen and the ability to think strategically.
• Maintain effective relationships with federal, state, regional, municipal, and local agencies, and with Silicon Valley's major stakeholders.
• Comfortable operating in complex legal and regulatory environments.
• Analyze and apply principles of law.
• Present statements of law and fact clearly, succinctly, and logically, both orally and in writing.
• Prepare legally sufficient transactional documents and a variety of reports and correspondence.

Training and Education

Graduation from an accredited four–year college or university, and graduation from an accredited law school.

Required License or Certificate for both roles:

• Must be a current member, in good standing, of the California State Bar Association.
• Must have pledged to comply or be willing to pledge to comply with Santa Clara Bar County Association Code of Professional Conduct.
• Possession of, or ability to obtain, an appropriate, valid California driver's license.

Selection Process/To Apply:

Please submit your application along with cover letter and resume by the application deadline. In your cover letter, please provide your CA State Bar Association number and address the following three prompts:
• Who is the client of an attorney for a public entity? How would that influence the performance of your duties as the Assistant District Counsel for the Santa Clara Valley Water District?
• Please describe the top three achievements of your professional legal career and why you are proud of them.
• Tell us about your experience in the following areas: Environmental Law, Real Estate Transactions and Eminent Domain, Public Contracting/Public Works, Water Resources, Flood Risk Reduction, Public Entity Risk Management/Litigation, Labor relations, Employment Law, Employee Health & Safety, California Public Entity law.