Staff Attorney

Oregon Department of Human Services; Salem (OR); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Work/life balance

Paid leave

Competitive benefits package

Professional development

Mentoring from experienced attorneys

Opportunity to contribute to policy

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Job summary

The Office of the Legislative Counsel in Salem, Oregon is recruiting one full-time Staff Attorney to start in December 2026. This hybrid position requires strong research and writing skills and the ability to present clear, persuasive analysis to lawyers and non-lawyers alike.

A Staff Attorney assists legislators and committees by performing legal research, drafting opinions and proposed legislation. This work is confidential and nonpartisan.

Qualifications

• Advanced legal research skills using statutes, case law and constitutional law.
• Ability to write clear, concise opinions for attorneys and non-attorneys.
• Strong analytical skills for diverse legal topics and requests.

Responsibilities

• Perform legal research and write legal opinions.
• Perform individual project assignments including editing statutes.
• Draft bills and amendments for legislative consideration.
• Review administrative rules for consistency and constitutionality.
• Assist legislators, committees and staff with timely, nonpartisan guidance.

Skills

Advanced legal research

Legal writing

Policy analysis

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Job description

Job Description

The Office of the Legislative Counsel (LC) is expanding its team of attorneys and is recruiting one full-time Staff Attorney to join the office starting in December 2026. This is a hybrid (remote and in-office) position located in the Capitol building in Salem, Oregon. To view the position description in its entirety, click here. We encourage you to explore the position description provided to determine if your education and work history are comparable to those listed and welcome you to apply.

Description

The Office of the Legislative Counsel has an opening for one full-time Staff Attorney starting in December 2026. Successful candidates for the position must possess strong legal research and writing skills with the ability to analyze issues in light of applicable law and prepare written work or verbal advice that is clear, concise and persuasive to both attorney and non‑attorney readers.

This position is under the supervision of the Legislative Counsel. Staff Attorneys receive assignments and direction from the Legislative Counsel and from deputies (used throughout this posting to mean deputies, senior deputies or chief deputies). A Staff Attorney assists legislators, legislative committees and legislative staff by performing legal research, writing legal opinions and drafting proposed legislation. This work is done on a confidential and non‑partisan basis. A Staff Attorney must be responsive to the needs of legislators, their staff and constituents, the staff of legislative committees, government agencies and, to a more limited extent, the public. A Staff Attorney must comply with all applicable laws and the ethical standards for attorneys, the legislative rules of both chambers and the practice and personnel rules of the Legislative Branch.

Duties & Responsibilities

PERFORM LEGAL RESEARCH AND WRITE LEGAL OPINIONS. Legislators, legislative committees and legislative staff submit requests for legal research and opinions to the Office of the Legislative Counsel. Many assignments require extensive research of the statutes, case law and constitutional law of Oregon and other jurisdictions, including federal law. A Staff Attorney must be thoroughly familiar with the tools of legal research. A Staff Attorney is a generalist who will have the opportunity to work in and learn a wide variety of legal subject areas, and to extensively research and analyze complex, novel and interesting legal issues.

PERFORM INDIVIDUAL PROJECT ASSIGNMENTS. A Staff Attorney may perform individual project assignments that vary widely in nature, complexity and duration. These projects may include assisting in editing the Oregon Revised Statutes or in writing annotations for the Oregon Revised Statutes.

DRAFT BILLS. The Office of the Legislative Counsel drafts all of the bills and amendments considered by the Legislative Assembly for passage into law. Each drafting request is assigned to the deputy who specializes in the legal subject area. The deputy may then assign related tasks to the Staff Attorney, such as analyzing the legal issues, seeking additional information, ascertaining the current law on the subject, including applicable constitutional provisions and federal law, and preparing a draft conforming to the office form and style requirements that accomplishes the drafting request. The Staff Attorney is expected to note any legal problems that the draft may raise. The deputy may review the draft with the Staff Attorney and direct revision of the draft. All drafting must be done within the deadlines set by the requester or by legislative rules. Although staff attorneys must possess a general knowledge of state statutes, they need not have specialized knowledge of the subject areas of bill drafts that are assigned to them.

DRAFT AMENDMENTS. During a legislative session and at the direction of deputies, a Staff Attorney prepares proposed amendments. This work is similar to drafting bills. The Staff Attorney may have the opportunity to attend committee meetings and meetings of legislators and stakeholders. Occasionally, staff attorneys testify before committees.

REVIEW ADMINISTRATIVE RULES. The Office of the Legislative Counsel reviews all Oregon Administrative Rules for consistency with the intent and scope of the enabling legislation and for the constitutionality of the rule. The Staff Attorney may be assigned administrative rules for review. If the Staff Attorney finds that a rule is inconsistent with the intent and scope of the enabling legislation or the state or federal constitution, the Staff Attorney prepares an adverse rule report, and the report is submitted to the appropriate committee of the Legislative Assembly for consideration. A Staff Attorney may be given additional responsibility as their knowledge and skills progress. Regular and punctual attendance is required for all positions within the Office of the Legislative Counsel.

Desired Skills / Education

• Advanced legal research skills and ability to use wide variety of reference materials, both electronic and print.
• Ability to work effectively at a professional, nonpartisan level with diverse groups of people, including legislators, legislative staff, constituents, state agency personnel, lobbyists and the public.
• Ability to work independently with a minimum of direct supervision and under time pressures.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas and concepts both verbally and in writing in a clear, concise and persuasive manner.

Additional Information

The Office of the Legislative Counsel provides legal and publication services to the Legislative Assembly. Working under the direction of the Legislative Counsel, the office drafts measures for legislators, legislative committees and state agencies, provides research and legal services to the Legislative Assembly and its committees and reviews administrative rules of state agencies. The Legislative Counsel also directs staff in editing, indexing, annotating and publishing Oregon Revised Statutes and publishing Oregon Laws and other publications.

Working Conditions

The Oregon Legislature operates on a two‑year cycle. In odd‑numbered years, the Legislature is in session approximately from January to the end of June. In even‑numbered years, the Legislature is in session in February and early March. The working conditions in the Office of the Legislative Counsel vary depending on what is occurring in the Legislature.

The legislative session is a fast‑paced, busy and exciting time during which a Staff Attorney may be required to work extra hours, sometimes on weekends. During the interim, when the Legislature is not in session, a Staff Attorney generally works regular office hours. A Staff Attorney must respond directly to all members of the Legislative Assembly as well as individuals that members refer to the Staff Attorney, including lobbyists, state agency personnel and constituents.

Benefits

• Work/life balance, paid leave and a competitive benefits package.
• Full medical, vision and dental insurance with paid sick leave, vacation, personal leave and 11 paid holidays per year.
• Collaborative work environment with a team of collegial and hardworking individuals.
• Opportunities for professional development to expand your breadth and depth of knowledge.
• Opportunities for mentoring from attorneys with decades of experience at the Office of Legislative Counsel.
• Opportunity to participate and observe as ideas are crafted into policies and laws and history unfolds for the State of Oregon.
• Opportunity to learn and delve deeply into a wide variety of legal subject areas.
• Considering a move to Oregon? Check out what living, working and playing in Oregon is like.

Special Information

The Capitol building is located at 900 Court Street NE, Salem, OR 97301. Regardless of any remote work agreement granted by your Appointing Authority in accordance with Legislative Branch Personnel Rule 26, you may be required to report to the Capitol Building under short notice. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable notice. While working from home, personal, stable, and high‑speed internet access will be required to perform the functions of this position. Oregon state government provides qualifying veterans and disabled veterans with preference in employment in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235. If you are requesting veterans' preference, you may receive an additional questionnaire in your Workday account. In order to ensure your privacy, we are asking that you complete the Veterans’ Questionnaire and attach your qualifying military documents at that time. This questionnaire will be sent to your Workday account after you submit your application. We ask that you complete the questionnaire before the application deadline; extensions may be granted if necessary and reasonable. For questions about documentation, please visit: Veterans Resources. Or call the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. The salary in this job posting reflects the base salary without contributions to the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS). Employees eligible for PERS will have their salary increased by 6.95% and 6% will be automatically subject to a mandatory employee contribution to PERS. The work experience and/or education section of your application must clearly demonstrate how you meet all the minimum and desired skills listed above. An offer including salary will not be extended until an equal pay analysis is completed pursuant to ORS 652.220 and 659A.357. An equal pay analysis will be conducted utilizing the education and work experience section of the legislative application.

Work Authorization

Work Authorization: The Oregon State Legislature does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security's Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from the first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. The Oregon State Legislature is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Equal Opportunity

The Oregon State Legislature is an Equal Opportunity Employer, committed to Workforce Diversity. Oregon state government is a large organization by nearly any standard. With over 40,000 employees working all over the state, in small communities and large, we are proving that government can be innovative. We work as a team, challenging ourselves to be better, faster and more efficient with taxpayer dollars. After all, when every day we are responsible for caring for the needs of a diverse population and thriving business community, we simply must have the best and brightest workforce. If you take responsibility for your actions, are passionate about helping others succeed, and have a reputation for excellence and honesty, why not make Oregon state government your next career move? Joining our team means you open the door to many possibilities. From entry level to executive, outdoor work to policy setting, we have a role for nearly every calling, expertise and background. If you’re looking at us from across the country (or beyond!), know that Oregon is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Made up of seven diverse regions, Oregon has the ocean, mountains, valleys, high desert, cities, small towns, and almost everything in between. Oregon flies with her own wings.