DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Job Description:

DEPUTY COUNTY COUNSEL WORKERS' COMPENSATION

Description

Position/Program Information

EXAM NUMBER

U9206Z

TYPE OF RECRUITMENT

Open Competitive Job Opportunity

FIRST DATE OF FILING

Wednesday, November 20, 2024, at 8:00 a.m. (PT)

THIS EXAMINATION WILL REMAIN OPEN UNTIL THE NEEDS OF THE SERVICE

ARE MET AND IS SUBJECT TO CLOSURE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE.

ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICE OF THE COUNTY COUNSEL:

The Office of the County Counsel provides legal representation, advice and counsel to the Board of Supervisors, County departments, special districts, and other public agencies, as mandated and authorized by the County charter and State statutes. The Office provides a broad range of legal services directed at promoting the public service objectives of the County, while protecting the County from loss and risk. The Office of the County Counsel is committed to inclusion, diversity, equity, and antiracism (IDEA), and we believe these principles are necessary to build a culture of belonging for all employees, volunteers, and contractors. Our commitment is to deliberately and intentionally advance IDEA and, by doing so, more effectively serve the County of Los Angeles.

BENEFITS:
The County of Los Angeles offers one of the strongest public-sector benefits packages in the nation, including a wide range of health care options, pensions through LACERA, 401k and 457b savings plans with matching, and 13 paid holidays.

DEFINITION:
Performs difficult legal work in representing the Board of Supervisors, the County and its departments/agencies on legal issues and in litigation involving complex issues of administrative, public agency and civil law.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS:
These journey level positions are allocated only to the Office of the County Counsel. Deputy County Counsel positions are characterized by and responsible for assignments involving a full range of matters involving complex issues, the resolution of which have the potential to negatively impact the County's programs, policies or operations or might result in serious monetary losses. Candidates are expected to demonstrate strong written analytical skills, legal knowledge, and act independently under general oversight and direction. In addition, incumbents must possess the ability to appear in federal and state court, and administrative hearings.

Essential Job Functions

Represents the County of Los Angeles in the defense of workers' compensation claims before the California Workers' Compensation Board, the California Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court.

Provides legal advice to County departments concerning complex workers' compensation matters, including but not limited to, return-to-work, temporary disability, salary continuation, and permanent disability.

Oversees services provided by outside contract law firms that represent County of Los Angeles in defense of workers' compensation claims. Approves contract law firms request for payment of attorney fees.

Drafts proposed legislation and opinions relating to workers' compensation related issues as requested by the Board of Supervisors and County departments.

Works with County third party administrators on the resolution of workers' compensation claims to ensure County employees receive the benefits they are entitled to in a timely fashion.

Confers with attorneys, County officials and other interested parties for the purpose of obtaining information relative to the preparation of assigned cases, legal opinions, and contracts.

Conducts legal research by utilizing on-line services such as Sullivan on Comp, Westlaw & Lexis-Nexis, materials in the law library, and other treatises in order to advise County staff regarding workers' compensation matters.

Analyzes written medical and legal documents; confers with witnesses, experts, investigative personnel and others for the purpose of obtaining relevant information relating to the litigation of such matters.

Engage in and advance the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism mission of the Office of the County Counsel.

Requirements

SPECIALTY REQUIREMENTS / TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
Three years of full time experience practicing workers' compensation law in the State of California.

LICENSE:
*Admission to practice law in all courts of California.

A valid California Class C Driver License or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation when needed to carry out job-related essential functions.

PHYSICAL CLASS:
Physical Class II - Light: This class includes administrative and clerical positions requiring light physical effort that may include occasional light lifting to a 10 pound limit and some bending, stooping, or squatting. Considerable ambulation may be involved.

Additional Information

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience representing County departments or other public entities in workers' compensation matters.
• Experience handling litigated claims that require application of Labor Code Section 3212 et seq. and Labor Code Section 4850
• Additional points will be granted for experience beyond the Specialty Requirements.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT INFORMATION
*A copy of a valid and active California Bar card with a visible watermark of the year - OR - A printed copy of the member profile information from the State Bar of California website, with an "Active" status designation. If you are unable to attach the required document(s), you must email them to CoCoExams@counsel.lacounty.gov .

We do not accept password-protected documents. Ensure documents are unlocked before attaching to your application or sending to CoCoExams@counsel.lacounty.gov .

Applications received without this required documentation, at the time of filing or within five calendar days from the application submission date, will be rejected as incomplete.

AT THE TIME OF FILING, you are encouraged to provide a copy of your resume, which details relevant professional experience.

Please DO NOT attach or upload your writing samples, or confidential case files to your application.

EXAMINATION CONTENT
This examination will consist of an evaluation of experience and desirable qualifications based on application information, weighted 100%.
Candidates must achieve a passing score of 70% or higher on the examination in order to be placed on the eligible register.

ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
The names of applicants receiving a passing grade in the examination will be placed on the Eligible Register in the order of their score group for a period of six months following the date of promulgation.

Applicants will be processed on an as received basis and promulgated to the Eligible Register accordingly.

No person may compete for this examination more than once every six months.

VACANCY INFORMATION
The resulting Eligible Register for this examination will be used to fill vacancies throughout the Office of the County Counsel.

Passing this examination and being placed on the Eligible Register does not guarantee an offer of employment.

APPLICATION AND FILING INFORMATION
Applications must be filed online only. Applications submitted by U.S. mail, fax, or in person will not be accepted. Apply online by clicking on the "Apply" green button at the top right of this posting. You can also track the status of your application using this website.

Plan to submit your online application well in advance before the deadline as you may be required to verify your email address. This only needs to be done once per email address, and if you already have a job seeker account on governmentjobs.com/careers/lacounty, you can verify at any time by logging in and following the prompts. This is to enhance the security of your online application and to ensure you do not enter an incorrect email address.

Fill out your application completely. The acceptance of your application depends on whether you have clearly shown that you meet the Specialty Requirements to qualify as listed on this job bulletin. Provide any relevant job experience in the spaces provided so we can evaluate your qualifications for the job. For each job held, give the name and address of your employer, your job title, beginning and ending dates, number of hours worked per week, and description of work performed. If your application is incomplete, it will be rejected.

Important: Please note that all information included in the application materials is subject to verification at any point during the examination and hiring process, including after an appointment has been made per Civil Service Rule 6.04. Falsification of any information may result in disqualification or rescission of appointment. Utilizing verbiage from the Class Specification and Selections requirements serving as your description of duties will not be sufficient to demonstrate that you meet the requirements. Doing so may result in an incomplete application and you may be disqualified.

ANTI-RACISM, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION (ARDI)
The County of Los Angeles recognizes and affirms that all people are created equal and are entitled to all rights afforded by the Constitution of the United States. The Department of Human Resources is committed to promoting Anti-racism, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts to address the inequalities and disparities amongst races. We support the ARDI Strategic Plan and its goals by improving equality, diversity, and inclusion in recruitment, selection, and employment practices.

SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER
Please include your Social Security Number for record control purposes. Federal law requires that all employed persons have a Social Security Number.

COMPUTER AND INTERNET ACCESS AT PUBLIC LIBRARIES
For applicants who may not have regular access to a computer or the internet, applications can be completed on computers at public libraries throughout Los Angeles County.

NO SHARING OF USER ID AND PASSWORD
All applicants must file their application online using their own user ID and password. Using a family member's or friend's user ID and password may erase a candidate's original application record.

Teletype Phone: (800) 899-4099
Alternate Teletype Phone: (800) 897-0077
California Relay Services Phone: (800) 735-2922

Department Contact Name: Stephanie S. Millan
Department Contact Phone: (213) 974-0828
Department Contact Email: smillan@counsel.lacounty.gov or CoCoExams@counsel.lacounty.gov

Exam Number: U9206Z

For detailed information, please click here

Closing Date/Time: Continuous

Salary:

$137,412.00 - $195,516.00 Annually