Labor & Employment Associate Attorney – Public Agency Practice

Location: San Francisco or San Rafael, CA
Work Arrangement: Hybrid
Experience: 3–5 Years
Compensation: $205,000–$245,000 annually

About the Opportunity

A highly regarded California law firm is seeking a mid-level Labor & Employment Associate Attorney to join its established Labor & Employment practice. This position is focused primarily on representing public agencies and special districts across employment, labor, governance, litigation, and workplace matters.

This is a substantive, client-facing opportunity for an attorney who enjoys the combination of active litigation and hearings, day-to-day employment counseling, workplace investigations, and traditional labor matters.

The attorney will work closely with experienced partners while taking meaningful responsibility for matters and developing direct relationships with public-sector clients.

Key Responsibilities

• Represent public agencies and special districts in employment litigation, arbitrations, administrative proceedings, and employee discipline matters.
• Manage matters through hearings, including witness preparation, legal research, briefing, discovery, and case strategy.
• Draft arbitration briefs, motions, position statements, and other substantive legal documents.
• Advise clients regarding employee discipline, employment policies, leaves of absence, disability accommodation, wage and hour compliance, and other workplace issues.
• Conduct and support workplace investigations involving allegations of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and related misconduct.
• Participate in labor negotiations and advise clients regarding represented and unrepresented employees, including public safety personnel.
• Counsel public agency clients on government-law matters, including the California Public Records Act, Brown Act, and ethics compliance.
• Advise clients regarding applicable California and federal employment laws, including FEHA, FLSA, and FMLA.
• Assist with matters involving the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR) and Firefighters Procedural Bill of Rights (FBOR).
• Develop employment and compliance training materials and deliver presentations to client boards, HR professionals, management teams, and executive leadership.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to clients navigating legally and organizationally complex workplace matters.

Requirements

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of Labor & Employment experience.
• Active membership in good standing with the California State Bar.
• Experience representing or advising public agencies, public entities, special districts, or other government clients is strongly preferred.
• Experience handling employment litigation, arbitrations, administrative hearings, or employee discipline matters.
• Strong legal research, writing, analytical, and advocacy skills.
• Ability to work effectively in both litigation and advisory/counseling capacities.
• Confidence interacting directly with clients and handling substantive responsibility.
• Strong judgment, communication skills, and ability to navigate sensitive employment matters.

Experience with one or more of the following is particularly valuable:

Public agency employment law • Government law • FEHA • FLSA • FMLA • POBR • FBOR • California Public Records Act • Brown Act • Workplace investigations • Labor negotiations • Employee discipline

Benefits

Compensation & Work Environment

This is a hybrid position based in either San Francisco or San Rafael, California.

The anticipated annual base salary range is $205,000–$245,000, with placement within the range determined by factors including relevant experience, professional skills, and qualifications.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This position offers the opportunity to handle sophisticated matters for public-sector clients while developing a practice that extends well beyond traditional employment litigation. The attorney will gain exposure to litigation, labor relations, investigations, employment counseling, government law, and strategic advisory work while working closely with experienced attorneys on complex and high-impact matters.