Deputy Attorney IV
County of Orange 1055 N. Main St., California, United States
- Location: 1055 N. Main St., California, United States
- Categories: Legal Services, Other
- Job Type: Full Time
- Posted: Nov 20, 2025
Job Description:
Deputy Attorney IV
Description
CAREER DESCRIPTIONDeputy Attorney IV
Salary may be negotiable within the above range, based on position requirements and the successful candidate's qualifications, subject to appropriate authorization.
THIS RECRUITMENT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
This recruitment will be open for a minimum of five (5) business days and will remain open until 11:59 p.m. (PST) on Wednesday, December 10, 2025 .
Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.
This recruitment will establish an open eligible list to fill current and future Deputy Attorney IV
vacancies within Child Support Services.
CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES
Child Support Services (CSS) is an award-winning, forward-thinking agency of over 312 professionals, dedicated to helping parents financially support their children. The core mission is assisting parents in establishing paternity, establishing financial and medical child support orders, and facilitating the payment of that support through various means, including court action. Under the direction of the Department Director, CSS delivers human services to the community based on a balanced approach emphasizing customers, staff, business efficiencies, and performance. CSS also works in close partnership with the Orange County Superior Court, California Department of Child Support Services, and other local child support agencies throughout California.
Click here for more information of Child Support Services.
Click here for more information on the County of Orange.
ARE YOU AN ATTORNEY WHO IS:
- Is flexible and able to embrace change?
- Thinks strategically?
- Has a desire to lead CSS projects, plans, and/or initiatives?
- Strives for personal and professional growth of self and others?
- Has a demonstrated commitment to the community we serve?
Under direction, performs the more difficult child support enforcement legal and trial work; supervises or assists in supervision of staff attorneys; trains and advises staff attorneys regarding changes in legal concepts, trial techniques and procedures; and/or perform other difficult and complex professional legal work as required.
The Deputy Attorney IV role is to provide support to all activities of the Department including, but not limited to the following expectations:
Conducts and assists with civil child support enforcement hearings, including civil contempt in Superior Court; files or responds to child support actions and/or matters, including appropriate legal motions; evaluates evidence and determines the nature of the child support matter; justification for bringing or defending a child support action; confers with judges/commissioners, both parties, and/or opposing attorneys; evaluates and undertakes appropriate case settlements and/or stipulations; prepares briefs and other legal documentation; confers with various agencies, the public, and/or witnesses; undertakes all needed legal and policy related tasks that are not solely court and/or courtroom related to effectively support the mission and vision of the department. Serves as a technical expert in child support establishment and enforcement law, advises other deputies on precedent decisions and new developments in the laws; advises deputies on rules of evidence and points of law, which may be used in arguing cases. Plans, develops and conducts departmental in-service training in the techniques and procedures of trial work; searches for material that has been successfully used in other jurisdictions in this type of training; identifies problems that are particularly critical among the staff attorneys and develops departmental training programs in these areas. Assists the deputy in charge of a branch court in assigning and reviewing work of staff attorneys. Prepares pleadings and other papers in connection with lawsuits, hearings, child support enforcement actions and other legal proceedings. Performs a wide variety of legal research and prepares briefs. DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS & CORE COMPETENCIES
The ideal candidate will possess five years’ experience as an attorney in the practice of criminal law, governmental civil law, or child support enforcement law or comparable experience that would demonstrate the application of the required knowledge and abilities. Although not required, previous supervisory experience is highly preferred.
In addition, the ideal candidate will possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities to demonstrate all of the competencies listed below:
Technical Experience | Technical Knowledge
- Effectively and strategically handle complex and high profile cases
- Maintain a breadth and depth of knowledge as to current child support case law, statutes and regulations on a local, state, and national level
- Provide legal analysis on policies and law including recommendations
- Analyze, review, and draft child support related legislation
- Remain up to date and share information as to department goals, initiatives and announcements
- Oversee management of court calendar
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work well with other court partners, the community, private bar and stakeholders
- Ability to prepare legal documents such as pleadings, briefs and opinions
- Ability to present statements of fact, law and argument clearly and logically in written and oral form for attorney and non-attorney audience
- Demonstrating ability to compose complex written communications.
- Identify customer needs and monitor efficiency and opportunities to improve customer service provided by Attorney Unit
- Planning, developing, and conducting departmental in-service training in the techniques and procedures of trial work
- Searching out material that has been successfully used in other jurisdictions in this type of training
- Identifying problems that are particularly critical among the staff attorneys and developing departmental training programs in these areas
- Effectively manage assigned duties including supervisory duties and personnel management
- Remain up to date on duties/assignments and assure policies and procedures are adhered by attorneys under his/her supervision
- Attend court on a regular basis; observe and evaluate attorney performance; provide feedback
- Monitor calendar workload and attorney assignments for appropriate planning and overall needs assessment
- Lead and manage projects, initiatives, and workgroups
- Recruit and supervise law students and volunteers
- Keep the Senior Attorney up to date on pertinent information, issues, etc. in regards to Attorney Team; elevate appropriate issues as appropriate
- Demonstrated ability to lead and/or manage project plans and initiatives to improve the child support program and assist our customer base
- Ability to work well with other units, departments and staff within CSS
- Demonstrated leadership capacity
- Ability to represent CSS in a myriad of public forums in a professional and competent manner
Active membership in the State Bar of California
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Required Experience/Education: Active membership in the State Bar of California.
Click here to view the complete Minimum Qualifications for the Deputy Attorney IV classification.
SPECIAL QUALIFICATIONS
Background Check: All candidates considered for the position will be required to successfully pass a background check to the satisfaction of the County. The background check may include professional references, criminal check, credit check, educational verification (e.g. degree, license, or official transcripts), etc.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS
Human Resource Services (HRS) screens all application materials for minimum and desirable qualifications. After screening, qualified applicants will be referred to the next step in the recruitment process. All applicants will be notified via email of their status in the process.
Application Screening (Refer/Non-Refer)
Applications and supplemental responses will be screened for qualifications that are highly desirable and most needed to successfully perform the duties of this job. Only those applicants that meet the qualifications as listed in the job bulletin will be referred to the next step.
Application Appraisal Panel (AAP) | (Refer/Non-Refer)
An Appraisal Panel (AAP) of job knowledge experts will thoroughly screen and evaluate the application, supplemental questionnaire, and resumes for job knowledge, competencies, and related experience described above.
Based on the Department's needs, the selection procedures listed above may be modified. Applicants will be notified of any changes in the selection procedures.
Eligible List
Once the assessment has been completed, HRS will establish an eligible list of candidates. Candidates placed on the eligible list may be referred to a selection interview to be considered for present and future vacancies.
Please Note: The information you provide on your application and/or response to the supplemental questions may be used as a scoring device, so please be thorough and complete in your response. "See Resume" is not a qualifying response and will not be scored in lieu of the required information.
Veterans Employment Preference Policy (VEPP)
The County is committed to providing a mechanism to give preferential consideration in the employment process to veterans and their eligible spouses and will provide eligible participants the opportunity to receive interviews in the selection process for employment and paid internship openings. Please click here to review the policy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
EMAIL NOTIFICATION
Email is the primary form of notification during the recruitment process. Please ensure your correct email address is included in our application and use only one email account.
NOTE: User accounts are established for one person only and should not be shared with another person. Multiple applications with multiple users may jeopardize your status in the recruitment process for any positions for which you apply.
Candidates will be notified regarding their status as the recruitment proceeds via email through the GovernmentJobs.com site. Please check your email folders, including spam/junk folders, and/or accept emails ending with "governmentjobs.com" and "ocgov.com." If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com .
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Click here for additional Frequently Asked Questions.
For specific information pertaining to this recruitment, contact Cindy Mora at cindy.mora@ssa.ocgov.com or (714) 245-6265.
EEO INFORMATION
Orange County, as an equal employment opportunity employer,
encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.
Non-Management Benefits
In addition to the County's standard suite of benefits, such as a variety of health plan options, annual leave and paid holidays--we also offer an excellent array of benefits such as a Health Care Reimbursement Account, 457 Defined Contribution Plan and Annual Education and Professional Reimbursement. Employees are provided a Retirement Plan through the Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS).
Please go to the following link to find out more about Defined Benefit Pensions and OCERS Plan Types/Benefits.
http://www.ocers.org/active-member-information
Click here for information about benefits offered to County of Orange employees.
Closing Date/Time: 12/10/2025 11:59 PM Pacific