Special Deputy Attorney General/Attorney IV/Environmental (60010263)

State of North Carolina; North Carolina; On-site; USD 92,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of North Carolina seeks an attorney for the Department of Justice to independently represent clients in civil litigation at various levels. The position entails advising state commissions on legal matters, conducting legal research, and involves complex legal systems. Ideal candidates are licensed attorneys with a robust background in civil law and litigation.

Benefits

Employer-paid health insurance

Paid holidays

Generous vacation and sick leave

Retirement benefits

Qualifications

• Ability to creatively develop case strategy.
• Ability to conduct complex litigation.
• Ability to interpret and apply laws.

Responsibilities

• Independently represent clients in civil litigation.
• Advise and represent commissions on legal issues.
• Conduct legal research and respond to inquiries.

Skills

Legal research

Civil litigation

Client representation

Advisory skills

Public speaking

Education

Licensed to practice law in North Carolina

Four years of progressively responsible legal experience

Job description

Not sure you meet all listed requirements? Let our team take a look. Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

THE STARTING SALARY FOR THIS POSITION IS LIMITED TO $92,917 - $129,746. Salary offers for the selected candidate are based on the candidate's education and experience related to the position, as well as our agency budget and equity.

Responsibilities:

The attorney in this position independently represents the clients in all levels of civil litigation before State and federal courts, and before the North Carolina Office of Administrative Hearings.* The attorney will be expected to work directly with client representatives to gather all information necessary to understand the factual and legal issues in each case, and to review documents and interview individuals involved as necessary to effectively represent the client. The subject matter involved in representation is complex, and requires an understanding of the clients’ programs, State and federal statutory, regulatory, and case law, as well as an understanding of the unique procedural rules of the various administrative tribunals before which the attorney may appear.

The attorney has responsibility to advise and represent one or more assigned commissions independently. As a result the attorney must have familiarity with a broad range of subject areas including: public records, open meetings, Parliamentary procedure, administrative law, and State and federal law in the assigned multi-disciplinary subject areas. In serving as counsel to the commission(s), the attorney must be prepared to immediately and independently advise the commission(s) in the course of their public meetings on legal issues with regard to any of the subjects within their regulatory jurisdiction and with regard to actual or potential conflicts of interest, requirements of the public meetings law, the rules of parliamentary procedure, and general concepts of administrative procedure.

The attorney in this position responds to inquiries from the general public and public officials involving legal interpretation and application of statutes, rules and regulations to specific factual situations and as related to general policies and procedures, by conducting legal research. The attorney must have the ability to research and respond to complex factual and legal issues. Contact with senior government officials and members of the General Assembly is required. The attorney also responds to public records requests. The attorney is responsible for knowledge of DOJ policies related to such inquiries and responses and must notify Section Head, Division Director, DOJ Legislative Liaison, and DOJ Public Information Officer of the inquiry or request, as appropriate. The attorney must provide timely, accurate responses to inquiries and requests.

Department Information:

The North Carolina Department of Justice, led by the Attorney General of North Carolina, represents the state, state agencies, and elected officials, and defends the rights of the people of North Carolina. The Department handles all state criminal appeals cases and assists district attorneys with complex criminal cases at their request. Additionally, the Department of Justice includes the North Carolina State Crime Lab, the North Carolina Justice Academy, and the Sheriffs’ and Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Divisions.

Division Information:

The Environmental Division (“Division”) is located within the Legal Services Division of the North Carolina Department of Justice, Attorney General’s Office. The Division represents multiple clients in multiple areas of law. The Division provides legal representation to the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), its component divisions, and the various commissions to which DEQ provides staff support. The Division also provides advice to the Department of Administration in its environmental duties, especially National Environmental Policy Act and State Environmental Policy Act duties. Representation includes all aspects of civil and administrative litigation, legal advice in non-litigation matters, and legal advice to the citizen commissions at regular meetings and in rulemaking. The Division also prepares and argues criminal appellate cases, responds to inquiries and requests for legal assistance from the General Assembly, Governor, and other public officials, and responds to public inquires.

Note to Current State Employees:

The salary grade for this position is LG09. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as, or lower than, their current position. Please detail ALL work history including non-state service experience. If selected for this position, a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience, funding availability, and internal equity. Based upon these factors, a pay increase MAY or MAY NOT result.

The State of North Carolina offers employer paid health insurance plus twelve paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information at Employee Benefits.

Ability to creatively develop case strategy and tactics.
Ability to conduct complex civil or criminal litigation in trial and appellate courts.
Ability to interpret and apply laws, constitutional provisions, statutes, administrative regulations, and court decisions.Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar and four years of progressively responsible professional legal experience.

NOTE: GS 114-2 and 114-6 make it the duty of the Attorney General of NC to represent the State of North Carolina in all litigation unless another statute specifically states otherwise.
Note the following: If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.

Resumes and cover letters: To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the online application form. This information is used to determine if you meet the requirements of the position, and if you are selected, it is used to determine a salary offer.

Using the terms "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will not be accepted, and your application will be rejected as incomplete. Cover letters are highly encouraged but not required.

Transcripts: Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions. A copy of your transcripts indicating the degree received can be uploaded with your application. If a transcript has been requested, your application will be considered incomplete if you do not provide one. Using a photograph of your diploma is not acceptable.

Credit for foreign degrees will only be given if verification of degree certification is attached to your application. Transcripts for foreign degrees have to be evaluated by an organization like World Education Services to determine US equivalency.

Any licenses or certificates must be included in the appropriate section of the application form.

Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 or discharge orders.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if you are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing. If you are a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions, you must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.

Application status: To check the status of your application, please log in to your account. Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take an average of 6 – 8 weeks. All applicants will be notified by email once a position is filled.

If you are having technical issues submitting your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 855-524-5627. If there are any questions about this posting, other than your application status, please contact the NC DOJ Human Resources office.

The NC Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The NC Department of Justice uses Merit-Based Recruitment to select from among the most qualified applicants to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
NC Department of Justice
Human Resources
[e-mail]