Position Information

JC-504719 - Attorney IV (Pension &Tax Unit)
We anticipate holding in person interviews on an ongoing basis until the position is filled.

CalPERS is currently seeking an Attorney III / IV in the Pension & Tax Unit.

Duties include but are not limited to:

Advising staff on a variety of difficult and complex legal issues relating to CalPERS program divisions, including, but not limited to, Customer Services and Support, Benefit Services, Financial Office, Pension Contracts and Prefunding Programs, Actuarial Office, Office of Audit Services, Public Affairs, Legislative Affairs, and Strategy, Projects & Data Divisions. Advising clients on matters of difficult and complex governmental law, including Constitutional and statutory interpretation, pension and employee benefit law, federal tax law, administrative law, open meeting law, public records requests, and fiduciary principles.

Researching and writing difficult and complex formal and informal legal opinions for specific program areas. Ensuring opinions are timely, accurate and complete, and presents alternative courses of action and analysis of those alternatives where appropriate, with a recommendation. Conferring with system management, staff, and others to gather necessary background, interpretation, and context of issues and facts presented in opinion requests.

Keeping clients informed of the status of all assignments. Keeping the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel and Associate General Counsel informed on the status of all significant issues. Reviewing and approving critical correspondence and other critical documents. Drafting critical documents and representing the system on a variety of difficult and complex legal issues. Providing informal or oral advice to system management and staff on a variety of program-specific legal issues, as needed. Evaluating difficult and complex state and federal legislation to determine the potential impact on CalPERS, including assisting in the preparation of bill analyses, drafting legislation, and recommending amendments.

Working closely with the Executive Office on Special Projects, such as legal analysis for pension-related and tax issues and high-profile matters.

Telework Information: This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule, with up to two days of remote work and three days or more onsite, per week.

Sponsorship
This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship. CalPERS does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

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

This position is eligible for a Hire Above Minimum (HAM) salary. Government Code section 19836 authorizes the Department of Human Resources (CalHR) to allow an exception to provide a rate above the established minimum salary range for selected classifications, as determined by CalHR.

Apply online https://calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPosting.aspx?JobControlId=504719
 
Position: JC-504719 - Attorney IV (Pension &Tax Unit)
Organization: CalPERS
Location: Sacramento,  CA 
United States
Salary: $11,993 - $16,096
Posting Start Date: 2/4/2026
Date Posted: 2/4/2026
Requirements 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*.
 
Attorney IV
Six years of legal experience in the practice of law*, one year of which must have been at a level equivalent to an Attorney III or higher.
 
* “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.
Status: This listing expires on: 4/5/2026
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Organization Information
Name:
CalPERS
Address:


Sacramento,  CA 95811
United States
Email:
Recruitment@calpers.ca.gov
Phone:
916-795-2444
Fax:
Contact:
Selection Services
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By joining NASRA, you gain the tools and resources to enhance the management of public retirement systems, ensuring their long-term success and reliability for generations to come.

What's New at NASRA: Updated Cost of Living Issue Brief

Cost-of-Living Adjustments (COLAs) play a significant role in public pensions. They help retirees keep up with rising prices, but they also add costs to pension plans. Policymakers and plan sponsors are tasked with balancing three things: benefits adequacy, plan sustainability, and affordability for members and plan sponsors.
The recent increase in inflation caused many policymakers and, in some cases pension trustees, to review how benefits are designed and paid for, including the way COLAs are granted and funded. NASRA’s recently updated issue brief on the lates trends in COLAs is available in the NASRA Research Center.