Job Description and Duties
Deputies in the Correctional Law Section are responsible for federal- and state-court litigation in both individual civil-rights cases, appellate matters, and complex class-action suits. The cases address issues ranging from state torts to constitutional claims that concern various rights, including religious practice, health care, equal protection, due process, rights of expression, and use of force. Deputies may be responsible for their own cases from the initial appearance in trial court through appeal, including jury trials and oral argument.
Represented clients include agencies and individuals charged with operating California's correctional and parole systems, including the Governor. Some travel is necessary because the section represents clients statewide. Deputies must go into prisons for depositions, site inspections, and meetings with client-agency staff and inmates. Deputies also must conserve state resources by containing litigation costs, primarily through filing early dispositive motions and engaging in early dispute resolution when appropriate. This is a fast-paced, litigation-intensive civil-defense section.