Staff Attorney

State of Maine; Hallowell (ME); Hybrid; USD 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid Work Schedule

Professional Development

Inclusive Culture

Job summary

Maine Public Utilities Commission is recruiting a Staff Attorney to join the Legal Division, tackling administrative law issues in Maine's energy sector. Hybrid work is available, with opportunities to shape important regulatory decisions.

The role emphasizes advising leadership, presiding over dockets, appellate work, rulemaking, and collaboration with analysts to assess filings and craft staff analyses guiding ratepayer outcomes.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor degree from a recognized law school.
• Admission to the practice of law in Maine or applicable jurisdiction.
• Experience in public utilities or administrative law strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Advise Commission and staff; draft and issue recommended decisions.
• Preside over formal conferences and hearings per Rules of Practice.
• Handle appellate advocacy before courts as needed.
• Draft rules/notices of rulemaking and orders.
• Collaborate with utility analysts to evaluate filings and prepare staff analyses.

Skills

Legal writing

Public utility law

Ratemaking knowledge

Education

Juris Doctor degree

Admitted to practice of law

Job description

If you are a current State of Maine employee, please submit your application through the internal application process using the Find Jobs report in PRISM. Seasonal employees who do not have PRISM access should apply through the State’s career page and indicate on the application that they have previously worked for the State.

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Staff Attorney

Opening date:October 3, 2026

Closing date: October 23, 2026
Location: Hallowell, Maine (Hybrid Work Schedule Available)
Salary: $90,000 +

About Us

The Maine Public Utilities Commission plays a pivotal role in shaping Maine's energy landscape. We are committed to serving the public interest by balancing access to safe and reliable utility services with rates that are just and reasonable for customers and public utilities, while minimizing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions. We are seeking an experienced Staff Attorney to join our Legal Division and help us tackle in an administrative law context some of the most important issues facing public utilities in Maine.

If you are intellectually curious about public utilities, have strong legal writing skills, and have a professional drive for solving complex problems in a dynamic and collaborative work environment, this is a great opportunity to meaningfully serve the public interest in an impactful public service career. The Legal Division is looking for attorneys who thrive on combining their legal skills with critical thinking and evaluative analysis to help shape the future of Maine's energy systems.

The Role

As a Staff Attorney at the Commission, you will serve as a legal advisor to Commission leadership and staff on a wide range of public utility matters. As presiding officer, Staff Attorneys manage the Commission’s dockets, which include ratemaking proceedings, formal and informal investigations, rulemaking proceedings, and competitive procurements for renewable energy. Staff Attorneys may also represent the Commission in an appellate capacity before the Maine Supreme Judicial Court, or as counsel in other state and federal judicial forums.

At the Commission, Staff Attorneys play a key role in a professional teamwork environment. They preside over the Commission’s proceedings, including evidentiary hearings, and ensure due process is provided in all matters. Staff attorneys work closely with the Commission’s utility analysts to conduct case and technical conferences, evaluate utility filings, review and analyze technically complex evidence and legal argument, and help shape important decisions that affect Maine’s energy future.

Key Responsibilities: (including but not limited to)

• Advise Commission and Staff. Research, interpret, and apply applicable laws, rules, policy, and Commission precedent. Provide in-house oral and written legal advice, and draft and issue recommended decisions, recommending findings of fact and conclusions of law for public deliberation by the Commission.
• Preside Over Administrative Proceedings. Interact with attorneys, witnesses, and parties as the presiding officer in formal conference and hearing settings in accordance with the Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure, including with respect to discovery and evidentiary disputes. Facilitate settlement negotiations when appropriate.
• Appellate Advocacy. Opportunity to appear as counsel for the Commission on appeals of final orders, which go directly to the Maine Supreme Judicial Court.
• Rulemaking. Draft rules, notices of rulemaking, and orders adopting rules, all in accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act.
• Collaborative Evaluation of Utility Filings. Work directly with utility analysts in a team environment to review filings from public utilities, such as requests for rate changes, grid planning proposals, interconnection requests, and requests for approvals of reorganizations, financing, and other regulated activities. Assist utility analysts in writing staff analyses of complex financial, operational, and/or technical evaluations addressing whether utilities are operating effectively and efficiently.

This position offers attorneys a unique opportunity to get hands‑on with a range of administrative law challenges and to directly contribute to the decision-making process that affects ratepayers and Maine’s energy sector.

Why This Role is Exciting

Your role as a Staff Attorney will put you in the middle of critical energy discussions, where your legal work will have real‑world consequences for the ratepayers of the State of Maine. Your efforts will help ensure Maine’s energy systems are reliable, sustainable, and affordable for consumers. If you enjoy applying your legal skills to solve complex problems, this is a great fit.

Additionally, we offer:

• Hybrid Work Flexibility: As docket schedules allow, work remotely 3 days a week and spend 2 days a week in our office in Hallowell. (Must reside in Maine).
• Professional Development: Access to in-house and professional training and growth opportunities to support your career advancement.
• Inclusive Culture: Work in a collaborative and inclusive environment, where diverse perspectives are necessary and valued.

Who We Are Looking For

We’re looking for candidates who have experience in the public utility sector, preferably including experience with ratemaking methods and procedures, have an administrative law background, can organize thoughts and argument into clearly written legal analyses, and are intellectually curious, proactive, and able to timely manage assigned dockets and workload. The ideal candidate will be highly motivated and able to work independently and as part of a team.

Minimum Qualifications:

Candidates must have obtained a Juris Doctor degree from a recognized school of law and be admitted to the practice of law