Staff Counsel

The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) administers and manages the $92.3 billion retirement fund for the County of Los Angeles. We provide retirement, disability, and death benefits to eligible County Employees and their Beneficiaries, and collect, deposit, invest, and manage retirement funds collected from the County, Outside Districts, and County Employees. LACERA is one of the largest county retirement associations in the United States with almost 200,000 members. Our Membership is comprised of individuals from a diverse range of careers, age groups, and ethnicity - all contributing to the greater welfare of Los Angeles County. LACERA also manages the $5 billion OPEB Master Trust whose purpose is to pre-fund OPEB Program medical, dental, and vision benefits for the retirees of participating employers.

The current vacancy is in the Benefits Section of the Legal Division. This position will be part of a team of attorneys, legal analysts, and secretarial support that provide legal advice and representation on all aspects of administration of the pension plan and retiree health care plan other than disability to LACERA and its Boards of Retirement and Investments, the Executive Office, the Member Operations Group, and other divisions as needed in the performance of LACERA’s fiduciary duty of loyalty and prudence in providing benefits to members and their beneficiaries. Issues will include interpretation of the California Constitution, County Employees Retirement Law of 1937 (CERL), the Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2013 (PEPRA), the Internal Revenue Code, and other benefit eligibility and delivery laws, regulations and internal policies, and procedures. The position will involve legal research, analysis, writing, collaboration, and presentation to the Board of Retirement and its committees. The position will advise the Board of Retirement on administrative appeals by members.

BENEFITS STAFF COUNSEL ROLE:

The Benefits Staff Counsel position reports to LACERA's Senior Benefits Staff Counsel. The role of Benefits Staff Counsel is responsible for the following duties:

• Providing legal support to the Board of Retirement, the Executive Office, the Member Operations Group, and other LACERA Divisions as needed on a wide range of benefits matters, including benefits eligibility (other than disability), the interpretation and application of CERL, PEPRA, the Internal Revenue Code, and other relevant state and federal laws and regulations and LACERA policies and procedures.
  
• Working closely with Senior Benefits Staff Counsel, other attorneys (including outside counsel), and staff, provide legal advice on complex benefits issues, benefits-related tax questions, fiduciary matters, and ethics and compliance matters.
  
• Preparing legal memos and presenting them to the Board of Retirement for action or counseling on benefits issues and topics in open and closed session, including advising on the development and refinement of LACERA’s policies, procedures, and practices.
  
• Advising staff and the Board of Retirement in connection with administrative appeals filed by members on benefits issues.
  
• Processing domestic relations orders submitted by members in connection with the split of pension rights and related issues, including guardianship, and conservatorship, and reviewing Powers of Attorney.
  
• Supervising the activities of legal staff and outside counsel on benefits issues.
  
• Providing legal support to the Boards, Committees, and staff at meetings in the absence of Senior Benefits Staff Counsel and Chief Counsel.
  

Salary Range: $143,964.96 - $217,902.48

https://www.lacera.gov/who-we-are/careers