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The Bay Area Air Quality Management District is the government agency responsible for protecting air quality in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine counties. The Air District’s mission is to create a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident, while protecting and improving public health, air quality and the global climate.

The Air District aims to achieve its mission through many strategic goals, including: reducing and eliminating health problems caused by air pollution, achieving and maintaining air quality standards, leading the Bay Area’s efforts to fight global climate change, creating high-quality regulatory programs, and applying environmental best practices in all operations. To do so, the Air District regulates air pollution emissions from stationary emission sources such as factories, refineries, and power plants, and from smaller facilities like gas stations and dry cleaners. The Air District ensures that such facilities comply with air pollution laws and regulations, provides incentives to replace older, higher-emitting vehicles and equipment with cleaner alternatives, and gives grants and provides outreach to encourage healthy clean air choices by businesses and consumers. The Air District implements these efforts with an equity focus, aiming to reduce air quality disparities and promote environmental justice by targeting local air pollution in overburdened communities.

The Air District recognizes and values the contributions of every employee and works to sustain an environment where everyone is respected. We incorporate the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion within our decision-making strategies, policies, procedures, regulations, funding initiatives, public outreach, planning, and hiring.

The Air District is recruiting for the position of Senior Assistant Counsel in the Legal Office. This is a full-time, exempt, management position. There are up to two (2) vacancies.

The Air District is also recruiting for the Assistant Counsel I/II position concurrently with this recruitment for the Senior Assistant Counsel position. Applicants may apply for one or both positions at the same time.

Description of the Position:
 
Under direction, the position assists in administering and coordinating all phases of legal work for the Legal Division; performs the most specialized, complex and sensitive legal work; performs related work as assigned.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This class has responsibility for assisting the General Counsel with departmental administrative matters and for handling the serious, controversial and complex legal matters. In addition, the Senior Assistant Counsel provides advice and counsel to the Board of Directors, the Hearing Board, the Advisory Council, and District management. This class is distinguished from the General Counsel in that the latter has overall management and administrative responsibility for all Air District legal matters.

Examples of Duties for this Position

(Illustrative Only)

Assists in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for the Counsel's office; assists in the administration of the department's budget.

Plans, organizes, administers, reviews and evaluates the activities of professional and support staff; assists in the selection of staff and provides for their training and professional development.

Provides technical advice to attorneys in the office; handles the more complex and difficult litigation and negotiations.

Confers with and advises District departments and prepares legal opinions concerning their duties, powers, functions and obligations.

Represents the District in court cases encompassing a wide variety of complex environmental legal issues including all phases of pretrial, trial and appellate work in state and/or federal courts.

Monitors legal developments including legislation and court decisions related to environmental law and activities and evaluates their impact upon District operations.

Prepares pleadings, motions, ordinances, resolutions, contracts, leases, permits and other legal documents.

Attends meetings of the Board of Directors, the Hearing Boards, the Advisory Council and other commissions and committees as required.

Acts as the Counsel on a relief basis.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills is:

Equivalent to graduation from a college or university plus and appropriate law degree and four years of experience as an attorney engaged in the practice of environmental law with a public agency in the State of California.

Knowledge of:

Principles and procedures of civil law, especially as related to environmental air quality.
Principles, methods and practices of legal research and investigation.
Judicial procedures and rules of evidence.
Pleadings, practices and effective techniques in the presentation of court cases.
Responsibilities and obligations of public officials and administrative agencies.
Applicable District rules and regulations and state and federal laws.
Basic budgetary principles and practices.

Skill in:

Planning, organizing, directing and reviewing the work of assigned staff.
Providing training and technical assistance to staff.
Assisting in developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards.
Performing complex legal research, analyzing multi-faceted problems, evaluating alternatives and making sound recommendations.
Exercising independent judgement within general policy guidelines and legal parameters.
Analyzing and applying legal principles and precedents and making effective court and hearing presentations.
Representing the District effectively in meetings with others.
Preparing clear, concise and complete legal documentation and reports, correspondence and other written materials.
Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with those contracted in the course of the work.

Must be a member in good standing of the State Bar of California.