Senior Counsel (Attorney III) - Southern California

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About the DFPI

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (DFPI) is California’s financial regulator, working to protect consumers by examining and licensing financial activities and taking action against unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices. We oversee state-chartered banks, credit unions, student loan servicers, and more. The DFPI has office locations in Los Angeles, Sacramento, San Diego, and San Francisco. The DFPI offers benefit packages, competitive salary, a robust training program and opportunities for advancement.

Position Details

Job Code #:

JC-523425

Position #(s):

410-103-5795-212

Working Title:

Senior Counsel

Classification:

ATTORNEY III

$10,852.00 - $15,325.00 A

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

# of Positions:

1

Work Location:

Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, or San Francisco

Telework:

In Office

Job Type:

Permanent, Full Time

Job Description and Duties

The Department of Financial Protection and Innovation is recruiting for one Permanent, full-time Attorney III position in the Legal Division's Franchise Unit. The position is to be located in the Sacramento, San Diego, Los Angeles, or San Francisco 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/Franchise Unit, the Attorney III works with broad discretion and independence with minimal supervision and is expected to be an expert in the administration of the federal and state franchise laws. The Attorney III will conduct financial and risk based reviews on Franchise Disclosure Documents, investigate non-compliance under the Franchise Investment Law and negotiate Consent Orders.

Effective July 1, 2025, The California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) implemented the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025). PLP 2025 directs that each full-time employee shall receive a reduction in pay in exchange for PLP 2025 leave credits, monthly. The salary range(s) included in the job advertisement do not reflect the reduction in pay. All Bargaining Unit 2 classifications will receive a 4.62 percent reduction in pay in exchange for 8 hours of PLP 2025 per month.

CalHR has authorized the DFPI to pay candidates hired in at the Attorney III (Range A) a hire above minimum (H.A.M.) rate of $12,046.00.

Final Filing Date: 7/22/2026

Examination Information

Applicants will need to take and pass the online Attorney III exam/assessment to be eligible to apply for the Attorney III positions. Please visit: https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Exams/ExamBulletin.aspx?ExamControlId=1580

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 III

Five years of legal experience in the practice of law*.

* “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