Employment & Labor Associate Attorney (2nd–5th Year)

About the Role

Our client, a nationally recognized law firm, is seeking an Employment & Labor Associate Attorney (2nd–5th year) to join its Employment and Labor practice group in San Diego, Los Angeles, or Santa Monica.

This opportunity is ideal for an attorney with broad employment law experience spanning both employment litigation and counseling. The role offers exposure to sophisticated employment matters, including litigation strategy, workplace investigations, policy counseling, compliance, and employment agreements.

The ideal candidate is a strong writer and communicator who thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative environment and is interested in developing into a trusted advisor to clients on complex employment matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Support employment litigation matters from case development through resolution

• Conduct legal research and draft:

  • Motions

  • Briefs

  • Employment agreements

  • Separation agreements

  • Workplace policies and related documentation

• Manage and support all phases of discovery

• Conduct witness interviews and support workplace investigations

• Advise clients on:

  • Employment policies and practices

  • Employment law compliance

  • Statutory and regulatory obligations

  • Risk mitigation strategies

• Collaborate with senior attorneys on sophisticated employment counseling matters

• Assist in mentoring and supporting junior associates where appropriate

Required Qualifications

• 2–5 years of experience in employment and labor law

• Strong experience with:

  • Employment litigation

  • Discovery

  • Legal research and writing

  • Brief writing

  • Employment counseling

• Experience advising clients on:

  • Employment policies and practices

  • Compliance matters

  • Employment and separation agreements

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong academic credentials from a nationally recognized law school

• High level of initiative, motivation, and professionalism

• Active California Bar admission required

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Strong mix of litigation and counseling experience

• Detail-oriented with excellent drafting and analytical skills

• Comfortable handling multiple sophisticated matters simultaneously

• Collaborative team player with strong client-facing communication skills

• Interested in long-term growth within a sophisticated employment practice

Preferred Background

Best-fit candidates likely come from:

• Am Law 100 or national employment law practices

• Chambers-ranked labor & employment groups

• Firms handling sophisticated employer-side employment matters

Strong target firms may include:

• Littler

• Paul Hastings

• Gibson Dunn

• Latham

• Seyfarth

• Ogletree

• Morgan Lewis

• Proskauer

• Cooley

• Morrison Foerster