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Attorney III

California Coastal Commission

California Coastal Commission

Legal
San Francisco, CA, USA
Posted on Jan 17, 2026

Job Description and Duties

This position is limited term 12 months, may be extended up to 24 months or become permanent.

The California Coastal Commission’s Legal Division is seeking an Attorney III to assist the Commission in pursuing its mission to protect and enhance California’s coast and ocean. This position will have a particular focus on assisting the Commission in helping the state of California address its critical shortage of housing. The state legislature has recently passed many bills into law that create incentives for or facilitate housing production. The Commission is responsible for reviewing and approving any Local Coastal Program (LCP) amendments necessary for coastal cities and counties to harmonize Coastal Act mandates with new state housing laws. The Commission is also responsible for reviewing and approving coastal development permits(CDPs) for housing projects in coastal zone areas without certified LCPs and providing guidance to coastal cities and counties on housing projects located in the Commission’s appeals jurisdiction. The Attorney III will provide legal advice and assistance to the Commission, Commission management and to the Commission’s district offices on housing-related matters as well as other complex questions concerning: the Coastal Act; Commission regulations; planning and zoning, environmental, administrative, and real property law; and work with the Attorney General’s Office on litigation-related matters.

The position will be filled in San Francisco, although part-time remote work would be allowed. There may be occasional travel to other parts of the State.

Attorney IIIs advise the staff and the Commission on a wide variety of legal issues, including the more complex issues arising under the California Coastal Act, state housing laws, the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act, the California Environmental Quality Act, the Subdivision Map Act, real property law, the U.S. Constitution, and numerous other state and federal laws. Attorney IIIs are expected to be experts in these areas of the law and to be able to work with broad discretion and independence with minimum supervision. Specific responsibilities include:

  • reviewing drafts of Local Coastal Programs and their amendments;
  • reviewing Commission staff reports on coastal development permit applications, local coastal program submittals and amendments, and other types of proposals that the Commission reviews, and advising Commission staff of potential legal concerns with such reports;
  • advising Commission staff and Commissioners regarding housing laws and environmental and real property law;
  • drafting and reviewing legal documents;
  • performing legal research;
  • preparing administrative records;
  • working with the Attorney General’s Office on litigation strategy;
  • reviewing and editing legal briefs;
  • drafting portions of staff reports and legal briefs;
  • drafting legal memoranda

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

See more open positions at California Coastal Commission
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