DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL IV

State of California•Sacramento, CA

43d•Hybrid

About The Position

The California Department of Justice is responsible for protecting and serving the People and interests of California. Among other things, we represent the People of California in civil and criminal matters before trial courts, intermediate appellate courts, and Supreme Courts of California and the United States, and serve as legal counsel to state officers, and most state agencies. Highlighting the importance of these functions are developments at the federal and state level in health care, which can or have adversely impacted California. The Competition Unit of the Healthcare Rights and Access Section conducts all antitrust and other competition-related legal work that impacts the healthcare and pharmaceutical markets and consumers in California. The Competition Unit investigates and enforces California's antitrust and unfair competition laws as well as federal antitrust laws as they might impact the affordability, accessibility, availability, and quality of healthcare services and pharmaceutical products. Typical matters include investigation and litigation over collusive pay-for-delay agreements between pharmaceutical companies, review of proposed mergers of hospitals, healthcare providers, or drug companies in consolidated markets, antitrust cases against hospital systems using anticompetitive contracts and conduct to inflate pricing, and investigations of unusual market moves or pricing. These matters may also include reviewing and proposing legislation, commenting on regulations and guidelines, and other advocacy work. The Deputy Attorneys General (DAGs) work often in teams that handle this proactive healthcare work in the Attorney General's Office, including difficult and complex legal work related to investigations, trials, writs, and appeals on all antitrust and competition-related matters relating to healthcare, which require the highest level of independent judgment. They may also coordinate and facilitate communications with other state Attorney General's Offices and other federal and state government agencies working on similar issues. DAGs work under the direction of the Supervising Deputy Attorney General, the Senior Assistant Attorney General, the Chief Assistant Attorney General of the Public Rights Division, the Chief Deputy to the Attorney General, and the Attorney General. You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

Nice To Haves

Highly competitive candidates should have significant experience working on matters involving the investigation and/or prosecution of antitrust or consumer protection matters, either for a government agency, for private plaintiffs, or for defendants, with matters involving healthcare being desired.
A background in, or understanding of, economics, healthcare, and industrial organization, is a plus.
They also should have experience and proven skill as a trial and/or appellate advocate, including demonstrated knowledge of trial and/or appellate procedure and strategy in civil and/or administrative law cases; the ability to identify quickly and to describe succinctly, orally and in writing, the salient legal issues in potentially complex government investigations, litigation, and/or administrative proceedings, especially those involving healthcare, antitrust, mergers, and/or consumer protection; and the ability to work closely in a team, or the ability to manage a team, with the ability to work effectively with Section employees in all areas.
Ideal candidates should have initiative and an excellent work ethic; strong interest in and demonstrated aptitude for handling complex, high-profile litigation, often on an abbreviated schedule and of a sensitive nature; innovative thinking; strong research, computer literacy, investigatory, analytical, and writing skills; excellent public speaking and communication skills; and judgment and discretion in handling sensitive matters.
Strong candidates will exhibit the ability to handle multiple projects and meet deadlines; prioritize tasks and projects; maintain professionalism under pressure; work independently and as a team member; and self-educate when confronted by complex and multidimensional problems.

Responsibilities

DAGs work under the direction of the Supervising Deputy Attorney General, the Senior Assistant Attorney General, the Chief Assistant Attorney General of the Public Rights Division, the Chief Deputy to the Attorney General, and the Attorney General.
DAGs work often in teams that handle this proactive healthcare work in the Attorney General's Office, including difficult and complex legal work related to investigations, trials, writs, and appeals on all antitrust and competition-related matters relating to healthcare, which require the highest level of independent judgment.
They may also coordinate and facilitate communications with other state Attorney General's Offices and other federal and state government agencies working on similar issues.