Senior Assistant Attorney General, Environment Section

Commonwealth of Virginia; Richmond (VA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Commonwealth of Virginia's Office of the Attorney General seeks a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Environment Section to provide high-quality legal services to natural resources agencies, including advice and litigation.

This role involves leading environmental matters in administrative and judicial forums, advising agencies on statutory and regulatory authority, monitoring developments, and performing bill reviews during General Assembly sessions.

Qualifications

• Ability to quickly understand complex legal matters related to natural resources agencies.
• Knowledge of Virginia Administrative Process Act, Virginia FOIA, and Conflicts of Interest Act.
• Ability to represent complex legal/political interests and build consensus.
• Strong legal research skills and brief/presentation preparation experience.
• Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally.
• Ability to manage organized records and lead complex cases.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality legal service, both advice and litigation, to the Commonwealth’s natural resources agencies.
• Serve as lead counsel in environmental matters before administrative and judicial forums; manage litigation from issue identification to briefs and hearings.
• Serve as primary legal adviser to agencies, boards, and authorities; analyze statutory and regulatory authority.
• Monitor state and federal developments in environmental regulation and summarize implications.
• Perform bill reviews during sessions of the General Assembly.

Skills

Legal research

Litigation

Oral/written advocacy

Communication skills

Administrative law

Virginia state government knowledge

Policy analysis

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

NetDocuments

LawBase

Adobe Acrobat DC

Google Earth

Google Maps

Job description

Title: Senior Assistant Attorney General, Environment Section

State Role Title: Senior Assistant Attorney General

Hiring Range: $110,000-$130,000

Pay Band: UG

Agency: Attorney General & Dept of Law

Location: Office of the Attorney General

Agency Website: https://www.oag.state.va.us/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

Chief Objective

• Provide high quality legal service, both advice and litigation, to the Commonwealth’s natural resources agencies.

Work Tasks and Duties

• Ensure the Commonwealth’s natural resources agencies are operating within the confines of the laws of the Commonwealth, while also enforcing environmental laws broadly.
• Serve as lead counsel in environmental matters before administrative and judicial forums. This includes all aspects of litigation, including identifying issues, analyzing positions, conducting discovery, working with retained experts/consultants, witness examination and opening and closing statements at hearings, and preparation of briefs and other written legal pleadings.
• Serve as primary legal adviser to the Commonwealth’s natural resources agencies, boards, and authorities; analyze and advise on statutory and regulatory authority.
• Monitor, identify, and analyze state and federal developments in environmental regulatory areas. This includes staying informed on industry and regulatory developments and trends, through news reports, trade press, attendance at meetings and conferences of state, regional, and national groups and associations, and review of environmental regulatory issuances.
• Perform bill reviews during sessions of the General Assembly.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ability to quickly and effectively gain an understanding of complex legal matters and factual scenarios applicable to the Commonwealth’s natural resources agencies including the agencies’ substantive law and regulations; the Virginia Administrative Process Act, Virginia Freedom of Information Act, and Conflicts of Interest Act;
• Knowledge of state and federal court rules for civil litigation, state and federal rules of evidence, and state administrative law rules and procedures;
• Ability to represent complex legal and political interests while simultaneously building consensus and seeking favorable resolution of conflict;
• Knowledge of legal research procedures;
• Knowledge of the preparation of briefs and presentation of arguments for cases before state and federal courts;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing;
• Ability to quickly assimilate oral and written data, to analyze facts, and draw logical conclusions;
• Ability to express legal interpretations or conclusions of law clearly and logically in oral and written form;
• Ability to maintain organized records;
• Ability to coordinate and function as a lead attorney or counsel in highly complex cases and transactions;
• Ability to organize work, establish priorities, and maintain good interpersonal relations and communications with other attorneys and support staff as well as effective working relationships with government officials, opposing counsel, and the general public;
• Computer literacy to include proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, NetDocuments, LawBase, Adobe Acrobat DC, Google Earth, and Google Maps.

Additional Considerations

This position requires being a member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar.

This position is greatly aided in admission to the bars for the U.S. District Courts for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.

Contact Information

Name: OAG Recruitment

Phone: [phone]

Email: [e-mail]