Supreme Court Chambers Attorney, Personal Legal Staff of the Chief Justice

Overview

The California Supreme Court is accepting applications to fill a position as Supreme Court Chambers Attorney to serve on the personal legal staff of Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero. Responsibilities will include assisting the Chief Justice in drafting conference memoranda, calendar memoranda, and opinions in cases assigned to her, reviewing and critiquing memoranda and proposed opinions in cases assigned to other justices of the Supreme Court, and reviewing memoranda for the court’s weekly petition conference. The Chambers Attorney may also assist the Chief Justice in addressing issues related to the administration of justice in California’s judicial system.

These responsibilities require that a Supreme Court Chambers Attorney carefully and accurately review appellate briefs, trial records, and other documents; thoroughly research and analyze existing law; draft clear, well-organized, and thorough memoranda; handle multiple assignments simultaneously and expeditiously; and make recommendations to the Chief Justice regarding the resolution of legal issues presented in cases before the court.

A Supreme Court Chambers Attorney must be able to work closely with other members of the Chief Justice’s staff, as well as with other members of the court’s staff. The position requires excellent oral and written communication skills, as well as a cooperative and collaborative attitude.

The successful candidate will be expected to work out of the Supreme Court’s facilities in San Francisco or San Diego, with the possibility of remote work for limited portions of each workweek.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

California State Bar membership and relevant experience in the practice of law; exceptional research, analytical and writing skills and experience; broad and practical knowledge of the law; familiarity with appellate practice; mature and sound judgment; ability to work cooperatively with other members of the staff and court; and ability to delve into issues thoroughly and work independently while welcoming supervision and editing of one’s work product.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS 
Substantial experience as a judicial staff attorney, appellate practitioner, or litigator responsible for the drafting of significant dispositive motions, or a comparable position emphasizing legal writing and analysis, and experience in an adjudicatory (as opposed to solely advocacy) setting.

APPLICABLE POSITION LEVELS AND SALARY RANGES 
Level B: Active membership in the State Bar of California and the equivalent of two years of post-bar legal experience in a legal setting such as a private law practice, corporation, government agency, law school, court, or legal publishing company.
OR
Equivalent to two years of post-bar legal experience in a legal setting as described above, including one year of experience as an appellate attorney, Level A, with the judicial branch.
Salary: $8,319 - $10,572 per month 

Level C: Active membership in the State Bar of California and the equivalent of three years of post-bar legal experience in a legal setting such as a private law practice, corporation, government agency, law school, court, or legal publishing company.
OR
One year of experience as an appellate attorney, Level B, with the judicial branch.
Salary: $9,148 - $11,625 per month 

Level D: Active membership in the State Bar of California and the equivalent of four years of post-bar legal experience in a legal setting such as a private law practice, corporation, government agency, law school, court, or legal publishing company.
OR
One year of experience as an appellate attorney, Level C, with the judicial branch.
Salary: $10,532 - $14,052 per month 

Level E: Active membership in the State Bar of California and the equivalent of six years of post-bar legal experience in a legal setting such as a private law practice, corporation, government agency, law school, court, or legal publishing company.
OR
Two years of experience as an appellate attorney, Level D, with the judicial branch.
Salary: $11,918 - $15,907 per month

Level F: Active membership in the State Bar of California and two years of experience as a Supreme Court Chambers Attorney, Level E, or two years of experience as a senior appellate attorney with the judicial branch. There is no external-only qualifying experience for Level F in this class.
Salary: $13,796 - $16,305 per month 

Work experience as a law clerk to a state or federal judge prior to formal admission to the California State Bar will be considered equivalent to post-bar legal experience.

Pay and Benefits

Some highlights of the benefits package for qualifying employees include:

• CalPERS Retirement Plan
• Health/Dental/Vision benefits program
• 14 paid holidays per calendar year
• Choice of Annual Leave or Sick/Vacation Leave
• 1 personal holiday per year
• Up to $130 per month reimbursement for qualifying commuting costs
• 401(k) and 457 deferred compensation plans
• Employee Assistance Program
• Basic Life and AD&D Insurance
• FlexElect Program
• Pretax Parking
• Long Term Disability Program (employee paid/optional)
• Group Legal Plan (employee paid/optional)

How To Apply

To ensure earliest consideration, please apply by Friday, February 7, 2025. Interviews will be targeted for early March 2025. The position will remain open until filled. Only those candidates invited to interview will be contacted.

To apply, please click the Apply for Job button.

As part of your online application, please attach: (1) your resume and (2) your response to this supplemental question: In view of the job description set out above, please describe your relevant experience, focusing on your writing, analytical, and organizational skills. If you have had legal experience in a non-adversarial capacity, please also include a discussion of that experience. Submission of a writing sample is encouraged but not required.

Reasonable accommodation will be provided to applicants with disabilities who request such accommodation. Reasonable accommodation needs should be requested through Human Resources at the number below.

If you have any questions, please contact the Supreme Court of California, Human Resources at (415) 865-4260. 

Supplemental Questions

In view of the job description set out above, please describe your relevant experience, focusing on your writing, analytical, and organizational skills. If you have had legal experience in a non-adversarial capacity, please also include a discussion of that experience. Submission of a writing sample is encouraged but not required.

Other Information

Please note, the Supreme Court of California will require verification of employment eligibility or authorization to legally work in the United States.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Supreme Court of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer.