Solicitor General

North Dakota Office of Attorney General; Bismarck (ND); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental + Vision option

Retirement plan

Paid leave

Job summary

North Dakota Office of Attorney General seeks a Solicitor General to advise the Attorney General on appellate strategy and oversee civil and criminal appeals involving the State. The role includes directing petitions and briefs in ND Supreme Court and federal appellate courts, and presenting oral arguments.

The successful candidate will have ND bar admission or imminent eligibility, extensive appellate experience, and strong leadership, ethics, and research skills, with collaboration across

Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in North Dakota, or expected admission within 6 months.
• Significant litigation or appellate experience in state or federal courts.
• Experience representing government entities; expertise in constitutional law preferred.
• Exemplary analytical, advocacy, and communication skills; strong leadership.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and high ethical standards; clean discipline record.

Responsibilities

• Advise on appellate strategy for civil and criminal appeals.
• Prepare or oversee petitions, briefs, and related documents in ND courts and federal courts.
• Provide oral argument in appellate cases.
• Collaborate with office leadership and other agencies on significant constitutional issues.

Skills

Appellate litigation

Constitutional law

Oral advocacy

Leadership & management

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Licensed to practice in ND

Tools

Westlaw

Lexis

Job description

Summary Of Work

The Solicitor General advises the Attorney General and Chief Deputy Attorney General on appellate strategy and, under their direction, is responsible for civil and criminal appeals involving the State and litigation defending the constitutionality of state statutes. As part of this work, the Solicitor General:

• Supervises the Deputy Solicitor General;
• Prepares or oversees the preparation of petitions, briefs, and other documents filed in courts, including the North Dakota Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, and the Supreme Court of the United States;
• Provides oral arguments in appellate cases;
• Advises the office leadership on nationwide litigation and appeals involving significant constitutional issues;
• Defends the constitutionality of state statutes and coordinates with other litigators in the office who defend state statutes;
• Advises the Industrial Commission, which is comprised of the Governor, Attorney General and Agriculture Commissioner, on significant cases and legal developments involving the energy and natural resources sectors;
• Advises the office leadership on federal regulatory developments that may impact the state and coordinates the state's response to them;
• Collaborates with other division directors;
• Collaborates with other state agencies;
• Carries out other duties as needed.

In addition to the monthly salary, this position includes fully paid health insurance for employee and family, the option to participate in employee-paid dental and vision for employee and family, participation in the state NDPERS defined contribution retirement plan as well as the option to participate in the 457 deferred compensation plan, the option to contribute to a medical spending account, and earning annual and sick leave.

This open position is contingent on the current Solicitor General's confirmation as a federal district court judge - which could occur anytime between early December and February, depending on the election and other factors.

Minimum Qualifications

• Licensed to practice law in North Dakota, or the expectation of imminent admission to the North Dakota Bar (within 6 months of hire);
• Significant litigation or appellate experience, including experience in one or more of the following: the North Dakota Supreme Court, the highest court of another state, the United States Courts of Appeals, or the Supreme Court of the United States;
• Experience representing government entities and expertise in constitutional law are preferred;
• Exemplary analytical, advocacy, and communication skills;
• Excellent, proven leadership capabilities;
• Time management and organization skills;
• Impeccable legal ethics;
• High ethical standards; clean discipline record;
• Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality;
• Excellent legal research skills; ability to effectively use Westlaw or Lexis and other research tools;
• Interpersonal skills needed to work well with clients, colleagues, and the public;
• The judgment, reliability, and willingness to devote the time and energy necessary to provide excellent legal services to the State of North Dakota;
• Ability, demonstrated in previous employment experience or otherwise shown, to establish and maintain effective, harmonious working relationships with clients, colleagues, and supervisors;
• Proven ability or potential to do excellent legal work in the areas of writing, negotiation, oral arguments, and client advice;
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and professional discretion in the identification, management, and resolution of legal problems relevant to a governing body; and
• Successful completion of the interview process, reference checks, and standard background and criminal record checks to determine knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform Solicitor General tasks.

About Team ND

"Far and away the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt

More than 7,500 talented, hard-working people across sixty-three agencies have come together as Team North Dakota. At Team ND, we are driven to succeed through gratitude, humility, curiosity and courage. Our purpose is to empower people, improve lives, and inspire success. Join us in being legendary.

Total Rewards:

The State of North Dakota is committed to providing team members with a strong and competitive rewards package that support you, your health and your family.

Considering a new position on Team ND? How does your current position stack up? Use our Total Rewards Calculator to estimate.

Application Procedures

Applicants are screened based on qualifications, successful completion of the interview process and a background and criminal investigation. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The Office of Attorney General does not provide sponsorships.

Application package must be received by 11:59 PM Central Standard Time (CST) on the closing date listed on the opening.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE AT: ND Careers website

Documents To Be Submitted

• Resume
• Cover letter with a summary that clearly explains how the applicant's work experience is related to the summary of work and minimum/preferred qualifications
• 3 Professional References
• Law School Transcripts (copies or unofficial versions are acceptable for the initial application process but when the top candidate is given a conditional employment offer, they are required to present official transcripts)

The North Dakota Office of Attorney General prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application and interview process to include responses to questions in which you must provide a narrative and/or verbal response. You must create your own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. While the North Dakota Office of Attorney General encourages you to create your narratives and interview responses with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, you are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool, to include but not limited to ChatGPT during the interview process. Any information you provide during the application and interview process is subject to verification. The North Dakota Office of Attorney General will discontinue your candidacy if we find you have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application and interview process.

All hiring decisions are subject to approval by the Attorney General. No offer of employment is final or binding until approved by the Attorney General.

Anyone needing assistance or accommodations during any part of the application or interview process please contact Ashley, Office of Attorney General: E-mail: [e-mail]; phone: [phone] or TTY: [phone].

• Learn more about Office of Attorney General at: ND Attorney General
• Learn more about Employment Benefits at: Team ND Benefits
• Visit North Dakota State government: ND State Government website

To learn more about living in North Dakota, visit Find the Good Life ND website

Equal Employment Opportunity

The State of North Dakota and this hiring agency do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), genetics, religion, age or disability in employment or the provisions of services and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.

As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. Sect. 23-12-10.