About the Office

The Office of General Counsel is in-house counsel to the State Bar, providing a full range of services, including representation of the Bar in all state and federal courts and before administrative agencies; advocacy of Bar discipline and admission cases in the California Supreme Court; and, providing legal advice to the State Bar Board of Trustees, and all State Bar entities, executives, and programmatic clients.? 

OGC provides legal advice and representation in the following areas: admissions and discipline, antitrust, Bagley-Keene Open Meeting Act, bankruptcy, California Public Records Act, collections, contracts, copyright, governance, labor and employment, legislation, regulations and rules, real estate, regulatory work, and general corporate matters.? 

The Ideal Candidate

The Office of General Counsel (OGC) seeks a Program Supervisor to manage the administrative support team (paralegal, legal secretary, etc.) responsible for a variety of legal matters and issues. The candidate should have familiarity of legal processes and procedures, with court filing procedures, state and federal rules of court, formatting, and local court rules. Knowledge of, or ability to learn and apply internal State Bar processes for various personnel functions, budgeting, and Board of Trustee meeting procedures is also an essential component of the position.  The Program Supervisor will also work closely with the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel to manage office operations and ensure timely and accurate completion of all work within the purview of OGC. The ideal candidate will have four or more years of experience working on legal matters. A paralegal certificate or J.D. is preferred, but not required.

Definition

Under general supervision, the Program Supervisor is responsible for supervising the management of programs, policies and procedures, facilitating the development of operational guidelines for new programs and ensuring activities of programs are completed in accordance to procedures and policies. The Program Supervisor has direct supervision over subordinate clerical, technical, para-professional and professional positions specific to the division or unit to which they are assigned; and performs related work as required.    

Distinguishing Characteristics

The Program Supervisor provides first level supervision over support staff in an assigned division/unit and performs the most complex work. This class is characterized by the responsibility for assuring the activities of the assigned major programs or support functions are completed in accordance with the procedures and policies of the Bar.  

The Program Supervisor is distinguished from the Administrative Supervisor in that the former has knowledge of complex and advanced program functions and supervises staff in the performance of specialized program functions.  The latter, typically will have supervisory duties over administrative and/or clerical staff.   

Examples of Essential Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following: 

• Supervises the management of programs, policies and procedures and facilitates the development of operational guidelines for new programs; ensures activities of programs are completed in accordance to procedures and policies. 

• Directs, trains, assigns, and evaluates subordinate personnel in the performance of a variety of professional, administrative, and clerical support tasks, establishing and monitoring standards of performance. 

• Assesses workloads, and assigns employees to ensure the timely and proper level of support for ongoing activities. 

• Supervises, and evaluates the performance of assigned staff, including prioritizing, delegating and reviewing work assignments, monitoring performance and providing coaching for performance improvement and development; takes and imposes disciplinary action, up to and including termination, to address performance deficiencies.  

• Analyzes and resolves escalated and difficult issues that originate from staff, the public, and other stakeholders. 

• Evaluates program problems and procedures, develops recommendations for improvement and implements proposals and plans; develops written procedures to clarify or describe standard practices; coordinates the publication and dissemination of procedures. 

• Identifies areas for development of substantive and programmatic resources relevant to the division/unit and assists in the creation of resources. 

• Prepares and maintains reports, special studies, correspondence and statistical data. 

• May assist in the development and monitoring of the capital and operational budget, overseeing the fiscal control systems, preparing and evaluating fiscal reports; analyzes need for budget items requested to determine whether items are justifiable, based on program objectives and priorities. 

• Evaluates, in conjunction with the Information Technology Department, the use of electronic systems and researches and makes recommendations for more efficient and cost effective technology. 

• Acts as a liaison and maintains effective working relationships with other State Bar employees, the Board of Governors or other Committees, attorneys, outside agencies and the public. 

• Serves on committees and organization wide task forces and represent the division/unit throughout the State Bar. 

• May perform a number of other similar or related duties which may not be specifically included within this position description, but which are consistent with the general level of the job and the responsibilities described. 

Employment Standards

Knowledge of: 

• Principles of office management, budgeting, administration and supervision. 

• Program and policy management. 

• Program area specific to division or unit assignment. 

• Problem identification, analysis and evaluation. 

• Computer information systems, including personal computer applications, word processing and spreadsheet programs. 

• Principles of effective writing and verbal presentation. 

• Coordination and operation of programs. 

• Working knowledge of the State Bar Offices and their functions and a general knowledge of other agencies and their interface with the State Bar. 

• Personnel selection and supervisory principles, practices, and procedures. 

• Computerized information and database recordkeeping systems. 

• Office procedure, budget preparation and maintenance techniques. 

Ability to: 

• Apply the policies and practices of a department. 

• Plan, schedule, make work assignments, set priorities, train, evaluate, select and discipline subordinates. 

• Operate modern office equipment including computer hardware, software, and internet and web-based applications. 

• Make fine visual distinctions upon proofreading written documents and viewing information on a computer screen. 

• Compile data and prepare narrative and statistical reports.  

• Appropriately respond to requests and inquiries from the public, State Bar members, or other departments. 

• Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. 

• Establish and maintain effective interpersonal relationships at all organizational levels as well as with the public. 

• Maintain the confidentiality of information. 

Minimum Qualifications: 

Education:  

• Bachelor’s degree in a field that develops skills related to essential duties, or equivalent academic achievement. 

Experience: 

• Four (4) years of experience at the journey-level that included responsibility for professional-level activities such as program oversight, development, administration and/or work contributing to the development of operational procedures or plans, of which at least one (1) year should have been in a lead capacity. 

Applicants who meet the Minimum Qualifications will be required to successfully complete the State Bar’s selection process for this classification.  

License, Certificate, Registration Requirements:  

• A paralegal certificate or J.D. is preferred, but not required.

Condition of Employment:

Employment with the State Bar of California requires full vaccination and proof of full vaccination for COVID-19 before starting work. Exemptions to the mandatory vaccination policy may be available for a medical condition, disability, or sincerely held religious belief and must be approved before starting work

About State Bar of California

The State Bar of California’s mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system. The State Bar: Licenses attorneys and regulates the profession and practice of law in California Enforces Rules of Professional Conduct for attorneys Disciplines attorneys who violate rules and laws Administers the California Bar Exam Advances access to justice Promotes diversity and inclusion in the legal system

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