Principal Criminal Attorney

Sacramento, CA - USA

Yearly Salary: $ 207714 - 240433

Posted on: 08-11-2025

Vacancies: 1 Vacancy

Job Summary

The Position

There is an additional 3.35% Management Differential which is added to the posted salary for this class.

Under general direction the Principal Criminal Attorney plans directs and/or supervises the activities and personnel of an organizational unit; or personally provides legal representation for the most complex and sensitive cases requiring the highest level of expertise up to and including trial. Incumbents also perform legal duties as assigned.

Examples of Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of and Ability to

Demonstrated expertise in legal research writing analysis case preparation trial conduct and related areas
Organization management and supervision of staff and activities
Effective legal representation in highly complex sensitive publicized cases and/or legal projects
Establish and maintain the confidence and cooperation of the clients staff members public officials and the general public

Employment Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

A member in good standing of the California State Bar.

AND

Four years of experience practicing law in California one of which must be as an Attorney-Criminal Level IV or higher in Sacramento County service. Acceptable areas of law practice include but are not limited to criminal law juvenile delinquency consumer fraud environmental protection asset forfeiture conservatorship or family support.

Note:If the word experience is referenced in the minimum qualifications it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

Note:If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements please clickhereor speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification istwelve (12)months.

Application and Testing Information

APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application online by 5:00 PM on the final filing date of December 5 2025. Clickhereto apply.

County of Sacramento
Department of Personnel Services
Employment Services Division
700 H Street Room 4667
Sacramento CA 95814
Phone ; 7-1-1 California Relay Service
Email
Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicants computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
Your application should highlight all relevant education training and experience and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
Application information must be current concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
A resume may be included with your application however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked Supplemental Questions. Please be descriptive in your response.

Note:Responses of See Resume or See Application or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicants computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidates experience education and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
Please provide place of employment pertinent dates and concise descriptive and detailed information for each question.
If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
If you have no experience write no experience for the appropriate question.
For many individuals it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire the candidates application and/or attachments will not be reviewed therefore a candidates responses to the questions should be accurate thorough detailed and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance level recency progression and quality of candidates education training and experience. The candidates application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore the candidates responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click herefor Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

For information regarding County jobs:

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives backgrounds abilities and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency courage innovation and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process please contact our Disability Compliance Office at or CA Relay 711.For more information visit: Reasonable Accommodation Requests - Job Applicant Instructions

Required Experience:

Staff IC

The PositionThere is an additional 3.35% Management Differential which is added to the posted salary for this class.Under general direction the Principal Criminal Attorney plans directs and/or supervises the activities and personnel of an organizational unit; or personally provides legal representat...