Associate Attorney

Real Estate, Disclosure Disputes, Landlord-Tenant & Unlawful Detainer

Location	Solana Beach, CA (in-office)
Experience	Approximately 3–4 years of post-bar California practice
Employment	Full-time, exempt
Reports to	Firm leadership

About the Firm

Worden Williams LLP is an established San Diego County law firm founded in 1975, with a diversified practice serving private clients, closely-held businesses, and public agencies throughout Southern California. Our attorneys handle real estate and land use, business and corporate matters, estate planning and trust administration, and related litigation. We are known for substantive work, long-tenured client relationships, and a collegial office culture in our Solana Beach office.

The Opportunity

We are expanding our real estate and property practice and are seeking an Associate Attorney with approximately three (3) to four (4) years of California practice experience to take an active role in that growth. Our real estate practice has steady incoming work, established referral sources, and a long-standing client base. The attorney in this role will be the primary day-to-day handler of new real estate, landlord-tenant, unlawful detainer, and disclosure-dispute matters that come into the firm, in addition to overflow work from our senior real estate attorney as he transitions to a part-time schedule over the coming years.

Practice Mix

The role is structured around two complementary workstreams:

New intake: You will be the primary attorney on new real estate transactional matters, failure-to-disclose matters, landlord-tenant counseling engagements, and unlawful detainer matters opened by the firm during your tenure.
Overflow from the senior real estate attorney: As our senior real estate attorney moves to a part-time schedule and selectively declines new matters, additional active work will be transitioned to you on a matter-by-matter basis, at the senior attorney’s discretion.

This structure is designed to let you build and run your own matters from the start, rather than shadow another attorney on shared files.

Key Responsibilities

Draft, review, and negotiate purchase and sale agreements, leases, easements, licenses, and related real estate transactional documents.
Counsel residential and commercial landlords on lease compliance, rent regulation, habitability, and risk management under California and local ordinances (including AB 1482 and applicable just-cause regimes).
Prepare and serve statutory notices (3-day, 30/60/90-day, and notices to perform covenant or quit) and handle unlawful detainer matters through pleadings, motion practice, discovery, trial, and post-judgment enforcement.
Advise buyers, sellers, and brokers on residential and commercial disclosure obligations, and prosecute or defend failure-to-disclose and nondisclosure claims involving the Real Estate Transfer Disclosure Statement, undisclosed material defects, and related fraud, concealment, and negligent-misrepresentation theories under the California Civil Code and applicable common law.
Represent clients at case management conferences, ex parte hearings, settlement conferences, and unlawful detainer trials in San Diego County Superior Court and surrounding jurisdictions.
Conduct title and due-diligence review, draft title objection letters, and coordinate with escrow, lenders, and brokers on closings.
Research and advise on issues arising under the California Civil Code, Code of Civil Procedure, local rent ordinances, CC&Rs, and recorded title matters.
Manage matters efficiently, including time entry, client communication, and supervision of administrative support.
Participate in firm and community activities, with the long-term goal of developing your own client and referral relationships.

Mentorship & Support

You will receive direct mentorship from firm leadership and have full access to the firm’s institutional support: marketing and technology infrastructure, and the collective experience of our partners across real estate, business, estate planning, and litigation. Mentorship in this role is structured around firm-wide support.

Required Qualifications

Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school.
Active membership in the State Bar of California in good standing.
Approximately three (3) to four (4) years of post-bar California practice experience, with meaningful exposure to real estate transactions and/or landlord-tenant or civil litigation.
Demonstrated familiarity with the California unlawful detainer process and applicable statutory notice requirements.
Strong legal research, drafting, and analytical skills, with attention to detail in transactional documents and pleadings.
Excellent written and verbal communication, and the professional judgment to interact directly with clients, opposing counsel, and the court with limited supervision.
Ability to manage a varied caseload, meet filing and statutory deadlines, and work productively both independently and in a collaborative, in-office environment.
Interest in committing to the firm for the long term and building a meaningful real estate and property practice.

Preferred Qualifications

Trial or evidentiary hearing experience, including unlawful detainer trials or law-and-motion practice.
Experience advising property managers, real estate brokers, HOAs, or institutional landlords.
Experience litigating real estate nondisclosure, failure-to-disclose, or fraud claims arising from residential or commercial transactions.
Familiarity with San Diego County local rules and e-filing procedures.
Working knowledge of commercial leasing, ground leases, or land use entitlements.
Existing referral relationships in real estate, property management, or related industries.

What We Offer

Competitive base salary commensurate with experience, plus discretionary bonus eligibility.
Comprehensive medical insurance coverage.
401(k) plan with firm contribution pursuant to firm policy.
Paid time off, paid holidays, and reimbursement of State Bar dues and reasonable CLE expenses.
A clearly visible long-term path within the firm’s growing real estate and property practice, with consideration for expanded responsibility based on performance.
A collegial, in-office work environment in coastal Solana Beach.

How to Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following materials in a single PDF:

Cover letter describing your interest in the position and relevant experience.
Current resume.
Law school transcript (unofficial is acceptable at the application stage).
A short legal writing sample (5–10 pages) that is substantially your own work.
List of three professional references.

Submit application materials to hiring@wordenwilliams.com with the subject line “Associate Attorney — Real Estate.”

Worden Williams LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis; the position will remain open until filled.

Worden Williams LLP | 462 Stevens Avenue, Suite 100, Solana Beach, CA 92075 | wordenwilliams.com