Staff Attorney 2 #261021-0088AR-001

State of Connecticut; Hartford (CT); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

State benefits overview

Professional growth

Work-life balance

PSLF eligibility

Job summary

State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) invites applications for a Staff Attorney 2 in the Office of Legal Counsel within the Commissioner’s Office. The role focuses on environmental permitting, enforcement, and regulatory work across multiple EQ programs.

You will provide legal guidance to agency personnel, draft statutes and regulations, coordinate with federal and state authorities, and support enforcement actions and policy discussions.

Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience in the practice of law.
• Admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.

Responsibilities

• Performs advanced and complex legal work for the agency.
• Researches, interprets, analyzes and applies complex laws and regulations.
• Represents the agency in formal proceedings and negotiates settlements.
• Drafts legal documents including opinions, rulings, and regulations.
• Prepares and presents trials and appeals; consults with the Office of the Attorney General.

Skills

Legal research techniques

Statutory interpretation

Oral and written communication

Policy analysis

Education

Juris Doctor (JD) or equivalent

Tools

Westlaw/LexisNexis

Job description

Introduction

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), has an exciting opportunity for a Staff Attorney 2 in the Office of Legal Counsel within the Commissioner’s Office.

What We Can Offer You

• Visit our NEW State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• 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. Click here for more information.

Position Highlights

This position will support the Department’s Environmental Quality (EQ) Branch, which consists of the Bureaus of Air Management, Materials Management and Compliance Assurance, and Water Protection and Land Reuse.

Attorneys supporting the EQ Branch work on issues concerning environmental permitting and enforcement and regulation adoption. In addition, members of DEEP’s legal team provide advice and support to the Commissioner and agency personnel in regard to legislation, regulations, permits, enforcement, petitions for declaratory ruling, ethics, employment, and open records matters. In‑house legal personnel work closely with the Office of the Attorney General on state and federal litigation, claims before the Office of the Claims Commissioner, regulations, and contracts.

Key responsibilities of the EQ staff attorney include the following:

• Providing legal guidance to and representation of the Commissioner and/or agency personnel to help achieve programmatic goals of clean water, clean air, waste minimization, remediation of pollution, adaptation to climate change, and more;
• Reviewing, drafting, and implementing statutes and regulations that have direct impacts on human health and the environment. Examples include discharges to water, emissions to air, management of coastal resources, and management of solid and hazardous waste;
• Navigating the overlapping federal and state jurisdictions and working to ensure that state programs approved by the federal government remain eligible for federal funding. This includes, but is not limited to, the state’s water, air, PCB, underground storage tank, and hazardous waste programs;
• Providing support for a variety of permitting programs and enforcement matters to ensure consistency and compliance with legal requirements and programmatic objectives;
• Communicating with or engaging in policy and legal strategy discussions with other federal, state or municipal governmental entities; and
• Supporting the bureaus’ enforcement efforts to include drafting, negotiating, and reviewing consent orders, some in recent years with substantial civil penalties.

About Us

DEEP is charged with conserving, improving and protecting Connecticut’s natural resources and environment as well as making affordable, clean and reliable energy available for the people and businesses of the state. The agency is also committed to playing a positive role in building Connecticut’s green economy and fostering a sustainable and prosperous economic future.

Questions? We’re Here to Help

Due to high volume, we are unable to confirm receipt or provide status updates directly. For recruitment updates, please check your Personal Status Board and review our Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions about the recruitment process, reach out to Mackenzie Robinson at Mackenzie.Robinson @ct.gov . Join the State of Connecticut and take your next career step with confidence!

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;
  • and 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 interpreting and applying state or federal law to resolve legal issues, develop legal strategy, and support participation in contested proceedings;
• Experience interpreting and synthesizing federal and state laws, legislation and regulations;
• Experience independently conducting legal research and preparing written legal analysis including memoranda of law, legal briefs, decisions or opinions for legal proceedings;
• Experience collaborating with technical staff or experts to synthesize complex technical information into persuasive legal analysis;
• Experience drafting legal documents, including legislation, regulations, contracts and other legal instruments;
• Experience managing one or more tasks and prioritizing assignments with competing deadlines; and
• Experience providing oral presentations or arguments.

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.

Conclusion

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.