DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL (Guthrie Agricultural Center, Guthrie, WV)

WV Department of Agriculture; Charleston (WV); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture seeks a Deputy General Counsel to provide legal services to the Department and the Conservation Agency.

The role involves drafting and negotiating contracts, conducting real estate closings, and performing diverse legal research and advisory work for multiple boards and offices.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited or regionally accredited law school.
• Admission to the West Virginia State Bar within 24 months of employment.
• Minimum three years of experience as a licensed attorney, preferred.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of agreements, memoranda, and contracts.
• Ensure contracts comply with legal requirements and policies.
• Manage agreement databases, templates, and tracking systems.
• Prepare deeds, easements, deeds of trust, subordination agreements, boundary agreements, and other legal instruments.
• Conduct real estate closings for land transfers.
• Conduct or assist with administrative hearings.
• Perform legal research on a wide variety of legal issues including real property, contract, employment, constitutional, administrative, environmental law, and litigation.
• Present legal recommendations to boards and coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office in litigation matters.
• Provide training and education on agriculture and conservation matters.

Skills

Real property law

Contract law

Constitutional law

Administrative law

Environmental law

Litigation

Legal research

Legal writing

Oral communication

Title examinations

Microsoft Office

Education

Juris Doctor (ABA-accredited or regionally accredited)

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

West Virginia Department of Agriculture

Position Description

Job Title: Deputy GeneralCounsel
Division: Executive
Headquarters: WVDA Guthrie Headquarters
Reports To: General Counsel
Supervisory
Responsibility: None
FLSA Status: Exempt

Nature of Work

The deputy general counsel provides legal services to the West Virginia Department of Agriculture and the West Virginia Conservation Agency, as directed by the general counsel.

Examples of Work

• Draft, review, and negotiate a variety of agreements, memoranda of understanding, and contracts.
• Ensure contracts comply with legal requirements and policies.
• Manage agreement databases, templates, and tracking systems.
• Prepare deeds, easements, deeds of trust, subordination agreements, boundary agreements, and other legal instruments.
• Conduct real estate closings for land transfers.
• Conduct or assist with administrative hearings.
• Respond to inquiries concerning laws the department is charged with enforcing.
• Perform legal research on a wide variety of legal issues, including those arising under real property law, contract law, employment law, constitutional law, federal and state administrative law, and environmental law.
• Present legal recommendations to the numerous boards under the purview of the department.
• Coordinate with the West Virginia Attorney General’s Office in litigation matters involving employment disputes, real property disputes, and condemnation actions.
• Perform due diligence on real estate transactions.
• Assist with legislative rulemaking and code changes as needed.
• Provide training and educational seminars for department staff, department partners, and the public on agriculture and conservation matters.
• Provide legal advice and guidance on all matters as required.
• Negotiate and draft mineral leases.
• Other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions

Office environment; sitting, standing, walking, driving, lifting up to 25 pounds. Occasional travel.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of or demonstrated interest in the practice areas of real property law, contract law, constitutional law, administrative law, environmental law, and litigation.
• Ability to perform title examinations and other legal research.
• Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office products.
• Excellent legal writing and analytical skills.
• Strong transactional skills.
• Excellent oral communication skills.
• Ability to handle confidential information with the highest degree of professional responsibility.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Graduation from a regionally accredited or an American Bar Association-accredited law school.

Experience

At least three years of experience as a licensed attorney, preferred.

Substitutions

None.

Licenses/ Certifications

Admission to the West Virginia State Bar within 24 months of employment.

Additional Requirements

• Valid driver’s license is required.
• Satisfactory completion of pre-employment drug testing.
• Satisfactory completion of pre-employment law enforcement background investigation, including DMV records.
• Must maintain a positive image of the Commissioner, West Virginia Department of Agriculture, and the West Virginia Conservation Agency.

This description is subject to review and revision at the discretion of the Commissioner of Agriculture and designees.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture is an equal opportunity employer.