Frequently asked questions from attorney candidates

Why does your Office have openings?  

• CCO is growing!  The need for attorneys in our office has significantly grown in the last decade, from 60 attorney positions in 2012, to 108 in 2022.  This increase reflects the large array of litigation and policy matters that our Office works on as legal counsel to the County, its Board of Supervisors and elected officials, the County Executive, every County department, and other government bodies.   

Office structure and substantive team assignments 

• What is the supervisory structure at the Office?  The Office’s legal work is carried out by 15 teams.  Each team has a Lead Deputy County Counsel who oversees the team’s work and numerous Deputy County Counsels who carry out the team’s work.  The Office’s management team consists of the County Counsel, eight Assistant County Counsels (each of whom supervise several teams), and the Office’s Legal and Compliance Officer. 
• Are attorneys only assigned to one team or multiple teams?  It depends.  Many attorneys are “cross-assigned” to more than one team, but some attorneys are only assigned to a single team.  

Office culture 

• What type of culture does the Office have?  While every attorney will describe our Office culture differently, some words that come up frequently are “supportive,” “collaborative,” and “growth-oriented.”  We are an office committed to excellence, public service, and effective legal advice and advocacy.  We strive to create a safe space for attorneys to develop their skills and interests and build experience in practice areas for which they have a passion.  We are dedicated to a culture that focuses on creative problem-solving for the benefit of the County.  In addition to valuing excellent legal work, our Office also values kindness, collegiality, and respect among colleagues.  We support getting to know one another as colleagues through activities such as our annual Halloween lunch, end-of-year holiday event, summer picnic for Paralegal Appreciation Day, and other events organized by our Social Committee and Wellness Workgroup.  In addition to Office-wide events, attorneys frequently eat lunch together on the back patio of the Office, and many teams have their own traditions of gathering for annual retreats, lunches, and other social events. 

Telework policy 

• Does the Office have a telework policy?  Yes.  To provide attorneys with flexibility and other important benefits, the Office allows attorneys to telework up to two days per week.  The Office also believes that in-person work best facilitates collaboration, relationship building, and mentorship.  In order to balance these goals, all County Counsel staff, including attorneys, are required to work in the Office on Wednesdays and Fridays.  In addition, attorneys are required to work one more day in the Office, which they can elect to be either Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday.  At this time, attorneys must meet the following requirements to telework: 
  • Have worked for the Office for at least two weeks; 
  • Must be available to come to County facilities in person if a need arises (e.g., attending a court hearing or an in-person meeting with departments); and 
  • Must sign and agree to the terms of the County of Santa Clara Office of the County Counsel Attorney Telework Agreement. 
• What is the County of Santa Clara Office of the County Counsel Attorney Telework Agreement?   Attorneys who have been working for the office for at least 2 weeks may elect to participate in the Office’s telework program by signing and agreeing to the terms of the County of Santa Clara Office of the County Counsel Attorney Telework Agreement.  These agreements are renewed (i.e., signed by the attorney and approved by the County Counsel) annually on June 30^th, regardless of when they are signed.  Telework Agreements can be modified with the approval of the County Counsel. 
• Are attorneys allowed to telework from any location?  No.  Attorneys must telework from an approved location, like a home office or room, that is private and secure, such that confidential information is not inadvertently disclosed to third parties.  An attorney’s designated telework location(s) is listed in the approved telework agreement. Telework locations must be within 75 miles of the office to allow attorneys to promptly come to a County facility if a need arises. 

Retention 

• What efforts has the Office undertaken to retain attorneys?  The Office values its staff and attorneys.  Lead Deputy County Counsels and Assistant County Counsels meet regularly with attorneys on their teams for check-in meetings to provide attorneys opportunities to articulate their professional goals, to appropriately coordinate and manage workload, to assess whether attorneys’ professional goals are being met, and to ensure that attorneys’ interests are considered when they are given projects.  The Office also fosters a very supportive and collaborative work environment that helps attorneys succeed, even if they are responsible for a task they’ve never done before.  In addition, the Office focuses on health, wellness, and social activities that provide attorneys with opportunities to engage in healthy activities and to meaningfully connect with other staff in the Office. 

Mentorship 

• What are the opportunities for mentorship?  Currently, formal mentorship for attorneys is provided through the Leads and Assistants for the team(s) the attorney is assigned to.   Informal peer-mentorship networks are also formed throughout the Office, and there are opportunities for attorneys to serve as mentors to summer law clerks/interns.   

Opportunities for feedback 

• Are attorneys provided feedback on their work performance?  Yes!  There are many opportunities for feedback.  The most formal opportunity is via our Office’s annual evaluation process, during which each attorney meets with that attorney’s supervisors and receives a written evaluation.  In addition, during an attorney’s first year in the Office, the attorney has quarterly formal check-ins with all of their Lead Deputy County Counsels and Assistant County Counsels.  While these are not considered formal evaluations, they are an opportunity for the attorney to ask for and receive feedback.  Besides these Office-wide practices, Leads and Assistants have periodic check-ins with the attorneys on their team, during which they go over the attorney’s assignments and provide feedback as necessary and appropriate.  

Attorney qualifications 

• What are the qualifications for attorneys in the Office? Applicants must be a member in good standing with the State Bar of California.  The Office of the County Counsel seeks a diverse applicant pool for every position, and welcomes qualified applicants of all backgrounds.  Prior public law experience, including clerkships, can be valuable, but are not required.  The Office hires attorneys with experience in various sectors with a demonstrated history of hard work, dedication, and an eagerness to learn.  Given the complexity of the County, almost all attorneys who join the Office receive training after their arrival to build a foundation for public law practice. 
• The Office also hires attorneys at all phases of their career.  While the Office rarely hires attorneys straight out of law school, a significant portion of our new attorneys have less than five years of experience.  When reviewing applications from recently graduated attorneys, the Office considers relevant experience before and during law school, including non-legal experience relevant to the work of the County’s many agencies and public services.  The Office greatly values excellent writing skills and carefully reviews submitted writing samples as part of the hiring process.  We also look for indicia that an attorney will be a skilled, effective, and creative lawyer. 

Training 

• What kind of professional training opportunities are there for attorneys?  The Office offers frequent training opportunities on various topics.  The Office offers Office-wide, on-site MCLE trainings to all attorneys on important legal topics.  These trainings satisfy the state bar’s MCLE requirements.  Newer attorneys also receive foundational trainings in several areas.  Robust training and learning also happens at the team level, ranging from informal peer-to-peer mentorship to structured monthly team meetings for knowledge sharing and roundtable discussions on novel issues.  The Office also supports attorneys in attending external training opportunities, such as relevant conferences.