Attorney General Rob Bonta Launches New Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Effort within the California Department of Justice

Takes steps to help ensure DOJ's work environment and hiring and retention policies can continue to be a model for elevating the voices of all Californians in the workforce 

Urges people of all backgrounds to consider a career at the DOJ

SACRAMENTO – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced the launch of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council within the California Department of Justice (DOJ). The new council will take steps to help ensure that DOJ’s work environment and hiring and retention policies can continue to be a model for elevating the voices of all Californians in the workforce. Today’s announcement builds on the DOJ’s commitment to fostering and maintaining an engaged and inclusive culture that celebrates shared values and diversity, which are integral to excellence.

“California is one of the most diverse states in the country,” said Attorney General Bonta. “And it’s critical that we work to ensure our institutions reflect that reality. The launch of this new Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council is about helping fully realize that goal at the California Department of Justice. We recognize that our strength is our people — and the stronger we are, the better we can serve. To all those who want to help make California fairer and more just: come join us. We’re always looking for the best talent to help us defend the people, values, and resources of California.”

The Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council will help DOJ set and implement strategies aimed at cultivating a work environment that respects the differences, talents, and abilities of all employees and fosters a culture where everyone has the opportunity to excel. As part of that, the council will work to strengthen DOJ’s recruitment, hiring, and retention efforts, recognizing that an agency that better reflects California will be better situated to serve the needs of all Californians. As an example, one challenge is that minority communities remain underrepresented among licensed attorneys in the state. As a state entity, DOJ is committed to ensuring its workforce reflects the diversity of California. Improving recruitment and hiring efforts as well as helping build up the quality and diversity of candidate pools is a top priority. Ultimately, DOJ is committed to hiring the best candidates for the job, based on merit, to help serve the people of California.

In order to help meet that challenge, the new council is designed to be a centralized cross-level, cross-functional, and active body responsible for coordinating and implementing DOJ’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Members of the council will begin to meet monthly and the council will be authorized to create subcommittees or task forces as needed. The council will include representatives from each of the DOJ’s divisions and members of DOJ’s employee organizations, such as the Asian and Pacific Islander, Black, and LGBTQ+ Employee Advisory Committees. Some of the council’s initial top-level goals will be to:

• Help DOJ continue to evolve its organizational culture, potentially through the expansion of formal mentoring programs;
• Enhance existing recruiting and hiring processes by, among other things, increasing communication between staff and prospective employees through effective outreach; and
• Build on ongoing efforts to reduce potential bias, encouraging, among other things, diverse interview panels.

In order to continue to grow as an organization that reflects all of California, Attorney General Bonta urges people of all backgrounds to consider a career at the DOJ. For more than 150 years, the Office of the Attorney General has served as the people’s lawyer and a leader in law enforcement and crime prevention. DOJ employees are committed to meeting the highest professional standards — in service of the people of California. If you share our determination to make a better California, a better country, and a better world, we invite you to seek a career in our office as a lawyer, special agent, program manager, forensic scientist, researcher, legal assistant, information technology specialist, investigative auditor, and more. DOJ is always in search of the best talent to help us defend the people, resources, and values of California.

Learn more about joining our team here: https://oag.ca.gov/careers. You can also watch this video to hear directly from members of the DOJ.