Senior Counsel (Attorney IV) - Southern California

About the DFPI

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) protects consumers and oversees financial service providers and products. The DFPI supervises the operations of state-licensed financial institutions, including banks, credit unions and money transmitters. Additionally, the DFPI licenses and regulates a variety of financial service providers, including securities brokers and dealers, investment advisers, payday lenders and other consumer finance lenders. The DFPI offers benefit packages, competitive salary, a robust training program and opportunities for advancement.

Position Details

Job Code #:

JC-520255

Position #(s):

410-103-5780-001

Working Title:

Senior Counsel

Classification:

ATTORNEY IV

$11,993.00 - $16,096.00

New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

CalHR has authorized the DFPI to pay candidates hired in at the Attorney IV (Range A) a hire above minimum (H.A.M.) rate of $13,313.00.

# of Positions:

1

Work Location:

Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego

Telework:

In Office

Job Type:

Permanent, Full Time

Job Description And Duties

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) is recruiting for one Permanent, Full-time Attorney IV position within its Legal Division. This position may be based in the Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, or San Diego office. This recruitment may be used to fill subsequent vacancies of these positions within the next 180 days.

Under the general direction of the Assistant Chief Counsel of the Legal Division, the Attorney IV independently performs a high volume of legal assignments of the most complex and sensitive nature. With respect to the duties described below, the Attorney IV’s work product is expected to require minimal revision from supervisory staff.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Final Filing Date: 6/25/2026

Examination Information

Applicants will need to take and pass the online Attorney IV exam/assessment to be eligible to apply for Attorney IV positions. Please visit: https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=1581

Minimum Qualifications

All Attorney Levels

All classifications require active membership in The California State Bar. (Applicants who are not members of The California State Bar but who are eligible to take the California State Bar examination or are in their final year of law school will be admitted to the examination but will not be considered eligible for appointment until they are admitted to The State Bar.)

Applicants who are six months from meeting the required legal experience will be admitted to the examination, but must meet the total required years of experience prior to appointment.

Attorney IV

Six years of legal experience in the practice of law*, one year of which must have been at a level equivalent to an Attorney III or higher.

* “Legal experience in the practice of law" is defined as: (1) only that legal experience acquired after admission to any State Bar, or (2) experience as a judicial clerk for a federal court, California's state courts, or any other state's courts, or (3) legal experience acquired while practicing under a provisional license to practice law issued by the State Bar of California's Provisional Licensure Program, to constitute experience in the practice of law. For an individual's judicial clerkship to qualify as “legal experience in the practice of law," the experience must have been gained after receipt of a Juris Doctor or equivalent degree.

Consider a rewarding and challenging career with the DFPI!

DFPI Website: www.dfpi.ca.gov