Assistant attorney general

Open Until Filled

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Are you looking for a change of pace or a new opportunity to expand your professional experience? Are the financial and billable hour pressures of private practice weighing on you? Perhaps you are just getting started in your career and are looking for early development and case responsibility. Do you wonder if you will ever find a position with interesting and meaningful work that still allows you to balance work and family life? If so, you have found the right place.

The Wyoming Attorney General's Office is seeking an employment law and professional licensing attorney for the Tort Litigation Division. The attorney will be responsible for advising and defending executive branch directors, administrators, and human resource managers in employment matters, including disciplinary actions, due process considerations, equal employment opportunity, actions, and compliance with other state and federal employment laws. The position also prosecutes professional licensing cases before state licensing boards. The position requires presenting evidence at formal hearings and trials and handling administrative and civil appeals from those proceedings.

The Attorney General's Office provides attorneys with an opportunity to develop expertise and utilize legal skills in a dynamic and collegial work environment while maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

The State of Wyoming’s total compensation package is excellent and includes:

• Paid annual and sick leave
• Paid holidays
• Retirement with employer contributions
• Deferred Compensation Plan with employer contributions
• Health insurance with an employer contribution toward premiums
• Insurance options for health, dental, life, vision, ambulance, and short- and long-term disability
• Longevity pay

Human Resource Contact: Stacy Berres / 307-777-7130 / [email protected]

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: The listed functions are illustrative only and are not intended to describe every function which may be performed at the job level.

• Provide professional legal advice to executive branch agencies and department directors, administrators, and human resources professionals regarding employment law
• Defend agencies charged with unlawful employment action, including discrimination
• Represent agencies in contested case hearings concerning personnel actions
• Represent agencies on appeal to district courts and the Wyoming Supreme Court, including written briefs and oral arguments
• Provide professional legal representation to investigative board members of various state professional licensing boards regarding complaints and applications filed with the licensing boards
• Prosecute contested case proceedings before the board that involve disciplinary action against a license holder or a denial of a professional license
• Conduct legal research and draft or present legal conclusions
• Review draft legislation to advise the governor and clients
• Review agency correspondence
• Compose formal and informal legal opinions
• Compose legal opinions, memoranda, and position papers
• Draft and respond to pleadings, and requests for discovery and records
• Use legal skills, knowledge, and experience to plan actions, devise strategies, resolve problems, and formulate legal questions, explanations, positions, and responses
• Confer with other state attorneys to formulate plans, policies, or strategies
• Other duties as assigned

PREFERENCES/**AGENCY REQUIREMENTS:

Prior legal experience is preferred but not required. Recent graduates or law clerks are eligible and welcome to apply. To the extent that you are already familiar with employment laws, administrative law, and substantive case law on civil rights and governmental claims act, or some of the unique challenges that arise when representing a government agency, we want you to apply. To the extent that you are not familiar with these areas of law, but you have an interest, we encourage you to apply. We will work with you to ensure that you have the knowledge, mentoring, and training that you need to succeed.

**All applicants must provide the following as attachments as part of the application process:

• Cover letter explaining your interest in the position
• Professional resume - include references
• Recent writing sample
• Law school transcript

Please review your application for completeness and accuracy.

KNOWLEDGE:

Knowledge, skill, and ability in the following areas are considered beneficial but not required for applicants. Successful applicants will be expected to develop aptitude in all of these areas.

• Knowledge of Wyoming and federal rules of evidence, civil procedure, appellate procedure, and local court rules/procedures
• Knowledge of Wyoming professional licensing board rules and regulations
• Knowledge of substantive case law on civil rights and employment law and the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act
• Knowledge of state and federal employment statutes, rules, and regulations
• Knowledge of Wyoming Personnel Rules, policies, and Executive Orders
• Knowledge of the Administrative Procedures Act, state and federal constitutional law, and public records and meetings law
• Knowledge of technical requirements of the law of evidence and procedure
• Knowledge of political and legislative processes
• Skill in legal research, legal writing, client counseling, and administrative and civil trial practice
• Skill in verbal communication, persuasion, diplomacy, and negotiation
• Skill in interpersonal communications, personnel management, and leadership
• Skill in appellate advocacy
• Ability to evaluate complex issues and analyze governing substantive laws
• Ability to communicate with both laypersons and lawyers/judges in a clear and concise manner
• Ability to manage large amounts of information and analyze for legal impact
• Ability to organize ideas and legal principles in clear and concise oral and written presentations
• Ability to assess legal strengths and weaknesses of client's position and negotiate or litigate relative merits

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education:
Juris Doctorate

NOTES:

• FLSA: Exempt
• Salary is commensurate with relevant legal experience.
• Successful applicants are required to pass a criminal background investigation.
• This position is at-will and is appointed by and serves at the pleasure of the Attorney General (W.S. 9-1-608).

015-Attorney General - Tort Litigation Division - Personnel Section

Click here to view the State of Wyoming Classification and Pay Structure.

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The State of Wyoming is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively supports the ADA and reasonably accommodates qualified applicants with disabilities.

Class Specifications are subject to change, please refer to the Wyoming Administration & Information (A&I) HRD Website to ensure you have the most recent version.