Staff Attorney 2

State-of-Connecticut---Department-of-Emergency-Services-; Middletown (CT); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

Hybrid schedule

Professional growth

Job summary

The State of Connecticut, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) seeks a Staff Attorney 2 to join the Legal Affairs Unit. You will provide agency-wide legal guidance with a specialized focus on emergency management and homeland security, and support on contracts, policy, and regulatory matters.

Some travel may be required as part of duties. The role is full-time with a potential hybrid schedule; you will work with leadership, staff, and external partners to advance public

Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience in the practice of law.
• Admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.
• Experience in emergency management or homeland security law is preferred.
• Experience with FOIA requests and appeals is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal guidance to agency leadership and staff.
• Interpret and apply relevant laws, regulations and case law.
• Assist with policy, contracts and regulatory matters supporting public safety.
• Act as counsel in hearings and formal administrative proceedings.
• Draft opinions, rulings, and legal documents.
• Review and prepare legislative proposals and regulatory materials.

Skills

Legal research

Statutory interpretation

Oral and written communication

Policy analysis

Regulatory compliance

Education

Juris Doctor (JD)

Job description

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) has an exciting opportunity for a Staff Attorney 2 in the Legal Affairs Unit.

What We Can Offer You

• Professional growth and development opportunities
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees
• The State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service

Position Highlights

• This position provides agency-wide legal support, with a specialized focus on the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Connecticut Intelligence Center.�
• In this role, you will:
  • Provide legal guidance to leadership and staff
  • Interpret and apply relevant laws and regulations, and�
  • Assist with policy, contract, and regulatory matters that support the agency’s public safety mission.

This is a full-time position, Monday-Friday. A Hybrid schedule may be available based on agency availability.�

About Us

The Legal Affairs Unit manages all agency legal matters, including responding to records requests, managing administrative hearings, and overseeing regulations, legislative proposals, ethics matters, contracts, and litigation.

DESPP is committed to protecting and improving the quality of life for all by providing a broad range of public safety services, training, regulatory guidance, and scientific services utilizing enforcement, prevention, education and state of the art science and technology. DESPP is structured on three key Strategic Pillars created by Commissioner Ronnell Higgins.

1. Operational Efficiency, Efficacy and Excellence� Making decisions through the thoughtful and informed use of data� Challenging the 'that's the way it's always been done' construct—i.e., thinking outside the box as to how we can improve� Constantly seeking better results
2. Shared Fiscal Responsibility� Recognizing our collective responsibility to steward the agency's resources� Realigning planned budgetary actions to ensure that they are in taxpayers' interests� Preparing together for potential budget stresses and fiscal challenges
3. Ethics and Accountability� Critically and constantly measuring our practices against our policies� Performing quarterly performance evaluations agency-wide to measure success and flag areas needing improvement� Regularly engaging external partners for feedback and assessments� Opening our doors to Connecticut students and workers for apprenticeships, internships, and career pathways

Purpose of Job Class (Nature of Work)

In a state agency this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in the legal work of the agency.

Examples of Duties

• Performs advanced and complex legal work of an agency;
• Researches, interprets, analyzes and applies complex and conflicting laws and regulations, case law and legal principles;
• Acts as hearing officer or represents agency in formal administrative and public proceedings on a full range of cases involving complex legal and technical issues;
• Negotiates and drafts settlement agreements;
• Drafts advisory opinions, rulings, decisions, recommendations, findings, legislation, statutes, regulations, publications and other related legal documents;
• Assists in the preparation and presentation of trials and appeals;
• Consults with the Office of the Attorney General on legal issues;
• Researches complex legal issues;
• Conducts investigations and enforcement proceedings;
• Prepares comprehensive reports for use in administrative and court proceedings;
• Prepares pleadings and other court papers;
• Interprets and applies complex or conflicting laws and regulations, case law and legal principles;
• Participates in the conduct of various educational activities;
• Provides legal guidance when duly authorized;
• Provides input into policy formation;
• Reviews court decisions, new and proposed laws and regulations to determine impact on agency operations;
• Prepares and maintains precedent manuals;
• Reviews legal and other related documents for legal sufficiency;
• May testify at or monitor legislative proceedings;
• May represent agency in court when authorized;
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skill and Ability

• Considerable knowledge of legal principles, practices and procedures in Connecticut;
• Legal research techniques;
• The Uniform Administrative Procedures Act;
• The ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation;
• Relevant agency policies and procedures;
• Knowledge of the rules of evidence;
• Criminal and constitutional law and legislative process;
• Considerable interpersonal skills;
• Oral and written communication skills;
• Considerable ability to apply judicial decisions to the interpretation of statutes;
• Comprehend, analyze and organize technical data and coordinate elements of legal cases.

Minimum Qualifications - General Experience

• Two (2) years of experience in the practice of law.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in emergency management or homeland security law.
• Experience with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), state statutes or municipal ordinances.
• Experiencing processing and responding to FOIA (Freedom of Information Act request) requests and appeals.
• Experience with administering and overseeing the Connecticut Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims and ensuring deadlines are met.
• Experience conducting or assisting with internal investigations.
• Experience in drafting and reviewing contracts, MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding), policies, and legal guidance.
• Experience in providing legal support to agency leadership, sworn command staff, and multiple divisions.
• Experience in ensuring legal compliance in matters that directly impact public‑safety operations.

Special Requirements

• Incumbents in this class must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.
• Incumbents in this class may be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.

Acknowledgement

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes. As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.