Main Responsibilities of an Attorney at State of California
Dee's main responsibility as a California state attorney involved advising "decision makers," including board members and executive directors, on legal options and risks, requiring close collaboration with staff and public presentations. This advisory role, common in state agencies but distinct from the advocacy work of attorneys in the Attorney General's office, highlights the diversity of legal careers within state government, presenting a choice between "fighter" and "advisor" roles.
Legal Advice, Public Service, Government, Legal Advocacy, Advisory Role
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Dee Dee Dickey
Attorney
State of California
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley - JD
Anthropology, Sociology
Government & Public Sector, Law
Legal
None Applicable
Video Highlights
1. Advising decision-makers: A significant part of Dee's role involved providing legal counsel to both staff and board members, helping them understand legal options and risks. This highlights the advisory aspect of some government attorney positions.
2. Balancing advisory and advocacy roles: Dee's experience showcases the contrast between advisory roles (common in agencies) and advocacy roles (more prevalent in the Attorney General's office). This is crucial for students to understand the diverse career paths within government law.
3. Detail-orientation and diplomacy: Dee emphasizes the importance of detail-orientation and diplomacy, regardless of whether an attorney takes on an advisory or advocacy role. These are transferable skills applicable to various legal fields.
Transcript
What are your main responsibilities within your role as an attorney for state government?
My role was to advise the decision-makers of my agency. In my particular situation, there were appointed board members. I previously worked in another agency that had appointed commissioners who served part-time.
The staff would come up with recommendations for them. As an attorney, my role was to advise both the staff and the board members on their legal options and risks. To do that, I needed to work closely with the staff, answering their questions as they built their recommendations.
I went to management team meetings and advised the executive director of my agency. Then I sat with the board during their monthly meetings, answering their questions in public session. I was on the hot seat. It was an interesting cycle of jobs.
I do want to say that for attorneys in state government, that is one type of role, but there are others. Some attorneys who work for state government are advocates; they go to court frequently, advocating on behalf of the people of the state or their agency. That was not my role.
The major employers within California State Government are either the Attorney General's office or individual agencies. Attorneys within the Attorney General's office go to court frequently, but attorneys who work for agencies generally do not. They have an advisory role rather than an advocacy role.
This is an important distinction depending on what you are considering as a law student. It depends on your personality and preferences, whether you want to be a fighter or an advisor. Both require a lot of detail orientation and diplomacy, but they are different roles.