Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Please note, the Water Boards do not participate in E-Verify.

The State Water Resources Control Board’s Administrative Hearings Office (AHO) has a full-time opening for an Attorney I (will also consider Attorney III) to serve as a hearing officer or to support a more senior hearing officer in water right matters, including water right enforcement matters. The position location is 1001 I Street, 19 th Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814, with a hybrid telework option. 

The State Water Resources Control Board exercises adjudicatory and regulatory functions to administer water rights in the state. The Administrative Hearings Office is an independent organizational unit within the State Water Board that provides a neutral, fair, and efficient forum for water right adjudications. Hearing officers within the Administrative Hearings Office conduct water right hearings in enforcement matters, water right permitting matters, and other matters assigned to the office by the State Water Board. The job opening presents an opportunity for an attorney with interest or experience in water rights law to join this developing and collegial office to address some of the most significant and complex water rights matters in the state.   

Duties: Under the direction of the presiding hearing officer, serve as a hearing officer for water right hearings, which includes conducting pre-hearing case management, overseeing alternative dispute resolution, issuing pre-hearing rulings and orders, ruling on evidentiary motions, overseeing the conduct of administrative hearings, drafting detailed decisions and orders, and presenting proposed decisions and orders to the State Water Board, and assist?other hearing officers in the administration of proceedings before the AHO. The ability to work independently to conduct hearings is expected to increase with experience.

The applicants can review the Duty Statement attached.

Additional information:

Candidates must possess essential personal qualifications including integrity, initiative, dependability, good judgment, the ability to work cooperatively with others, and the ability to perform the assigned duties of the class.

If the position requires driving, you must possess a current and valid driver’s license. Please Do Not include full Social Security Number, method of eligibility, and LEAP information in your application package.

Please let us know how you heard about this position by taking this brief survey: .

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Positions at the Water Boards may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position and might be expected to comply with after July 1, 2026.

In accordance with the Statewide Telework Policy and GC 14200, the successful candidate must reside in California upon appointment.  Proof of residency may be required.

Salary Information - CalHR salary rules allow appointment at the entrance rate (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 2, § 599.673) of a classification. For classes with alternate ranges, placement is based on education/experience. E mployees appointed to the Attorney or Water Resource Control Engineer classification will receive Recruitment Higher Above Minimum (HAM) rate in accordance with the approved

In addition, note: Effective July 1, 2025, the State of California implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) which reduces an employee’s monthly salary in exchange for leave credits. Employees appointed to this classification will have their monthly salary reduced and will accrue hours of PLP 2025 on the first day of each pay period in accordance with the applicable The salary range(s) included on this job posting do not reflect the reduction in pay.

Special Requirements

In order to be considered for this position, you must include the following:

• RPA# 25-350-010 in the “Examination or Job Title(s)” section of the State application when submitting a hardcopy application.
• Active membership in the California State Bar.

Must have Attorney or Attorney III list, transfer, or reinstatement eligibility and be reachable on the certification list.

Here is the link to the exam for Attorney:   .

Here is the link to the exam for Attorney III:   .

An applicant with a college degree obtained outside the United States that does meet accreditation standards must have education records evaluated by a credentials evaluation service. Evaluation of education records will be due during final minimum qualification evaluation of candidate(s). A link of accepted evaluation agencies can be found here: .

Electronic submittal of applications and attachments through jobs.ca.gov is preferred. Emailed or faxed applications will not be accepted. You are required to complete employment history on the application form (STD. 678), including work experience, dates, hours worked, contact names and phone numbers of supervisors on the state application. Applicants who fail to submit a completed STD. 678 may be disqualified.

In the hiring interview, the panel will consider education, experience, personal development, personal traits and fitness for the job. In appraising experience, more weight may be given to the breadth of pertinent experience and evidence of the candidate's ability to accept and fulfill increasing responsibilities than to the length of his/her experience. For additional information, you may refer to the class specification.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills.  

• Knowledge or experience in assisting with or researching water rights law, such as the representation of clients on water rights matters or teaching.   

• Knowledge of administrative law.  

• Knowledge of and/or experience in judicial trials or administrative hearing practice.  

• Knowledge of and/or experience drafting administrative or judicial decisions, such as serving as a judicial clerk or administrative law judge.   

• Leadership skills, such as serving as a law review editor or seminar chair or officer in a law-related or public service organization. 

• Civil litigation knowledge/experience. 

• Knowledge of and/or experience writing law journal articles. 

• Knowledge of and/or experience representing a government agency. 

• Knowledge or experience in natural resources law or environmental law. 

Benefits

Water Board employees may be eligible for benefits. Health benefits and leave programs are available for most permanent, full-time employees, and some permanent, part-time employees. Benefit eligibility may depend on length of service and may be subject to collective bargaining agreements negotiated between the State of California and employee organizations that define wages, hours, and terms and conditions of employment. and

Statement of Qualifications (SOQ)

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must be submitted along with the State Application and serves as documentation of candidate’s ability to present information clearly and concisely in writing. It should be typed, no more than two (2) pages in length, using Arial 12 point-font , and normal margins.

Describe your experience, abilities, and personal characteristics that qualify you to excel in this role. 

Applications received without the SOQ addressed as stated may not be considered.

Note: Resumes, letters, and other materials will not be evaluated or considered as a response to the SOQ.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.
• Other - Two recent writing samples are required and must be included.
• Other - Statement of Qualifications – Please see below for specific requirements.
  • For guidance on writing effective SOQs, visit:  Work4CA: How to Write a Statement of Qualifications . Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be useful in the development of written responses; however, it is important to use these tool s responsibly and ethically. Failure to comply may result in disqualification.
• Other - Law school transcript is required and must be included (a photocopy or unofficial transcript will be accepted).

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