​Principal Deputy Legislative Counsel II

California State Personnel Board Specification

SALARY INFORMATION

Description

Under general direction, to assist the Chief Deputy Legislative Counsel, C.E.A., in planning, organizing, directing, and reviewing the work of the legal staff of the Legislative Counsel Bureau and to have full responsibility for a major section of the Legislative Counsel Bureau; and to do other related work.

Assists the Chief Deputy Legislative Counsel, C.E.A., by planning, organizing, directing, and coordinating the work of the legal staff; confers with the Legislative Counsel and the Chief Deputy Legislative Counsel, C.E.A., on matters of policy and procedure; acts for the Chief Deputy in his/her absence; confers with persons, legislative committees, and groups interested in drafting legislative measures; prepares the most difficult and complex elements of proposed legislation and secures assistance for interested parties in preparing less complex legislation; gives advice concerning legislative rules and procedures; coordinates the various legal activities of the office; reviews and approves drafts of proposed legislation, opinions, and letters written by other deputies and has authority for making final decisions on all legal problems; reviews and may prepare opinions for members of the Legislature and State officers regarding the legal effect and constitutionality of proposed and enacted legislative measures; trains and evaluates the performance of legal staff members and takes or recommends appropriate action; dictates correspondence and prepares reports.

Minimum Qualifications

Membership in The State Bar of California. (Applicants must have active membership in The State Bar before they will be eligible for appointment.) and

Either I

One year of experience in the Legislative Counsel Bureau performing duties comparable to those of a Principal Deputy Legislative Counsel I or two years of experience performing duties comparable to those of a Deputy Legislative Counsel IV.

Or II

Experience: Five years of broad and extensive experience in the practice of law* including four years of responsible experience in the drafting or codifying of legislation or administrative regulations and in one or a combination of the following:

1. Advising on legislative matters on behalf of the California State Legislature or a governmental agency. or

2. The preparation of legal opinions for the California State Legislature or governmental agencies or the presentation of contested matters before the courts on behalf of governmental agencies.

Two years of the above experience shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

(Experience in California state service applied toward this requirement must include at least two years in a class at a level of responsibility at least equivalent to Deputy Legislative Counsel IV.)

* Experience in the "practice of law" or "performing legal duties" is defined as: (1) only that legal experience acquired after admission to The State Bar, or (2) experience as a judicial clerk for a federal court, California's state courts, or any other state's courts, or (3) legal experience acquired while practicing under a provisional license to practice law issued by the State Bar of California’s Provisional Licensure Program, to constitute experience in the practice of law. For an individual's judicial clerkship to qualify as experience in the practice of law or “performing legal duties”, the experience must have been gained after receipt of a Juris Doctor or equivalent degree.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: Scope and character of California statutory law and provisions of the California State Constitution, including their relationship to judicial precedents and Federal constitutional provisions and laws; constitutional law; rules, organization, and operation of the California State Legislature; purposes, organization, procedure, and work of the Legislative Counsel Bureau; tables and indexes used in drafting legislation and in preparing opinions; legal terminology; legal research; legal principles and precedents and their application to difficult, complex, and novel legal problems; legal office methods and procedures; techniques of effective supervision.

Ability to: Plan, organize, direct, and review the activities of a legal staff and to effectively administer the operation of a major section of the Legislative Counsel Bureau; perform and direct legal research; present statements of fact, law, and argument clearly, logically, and effectively in written or oral form; perform and direct difficult codification work and statute drafting; dictate and review a large volume of difficult legal correspondence, work effectively under high pressure and unfavorable conditions; analyze situations accurately and take effective action.

Preferred or Desirable Qualifications

All employees shall have general qualifications as described by California Code of Regulations, title 2, section 172.

Class History