OAG - General Counsel | Assistant Attorney General III | 25-0274

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The General Counsel Division of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is seeking an experienced lawyer to provide legal advice and assistance to the OAG and client state agencies. Prior experience as general counsel or in-house counsel is welcomed but is not required.
The selected applicant will work alongside OAG leadership on issues of critical importance to the state. The General Counsel’s work is transactional and diverse with primary focus on the following areas: contracting and procurement, administrative law, novel legal research, legislative analysis, and policy support/implementation.

The OAG is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas. As the State’s law firm, the OAG provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits (https://ers.texas.gov/Benefits-at-a-Glance) along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans. Assistant Attorneys General (AAGs) experience the challenge and honor of public service, flexible work schedules, a healthy work-life balance, hands-on legal experience, and camaraderie with other talented OAG staff. The position is headquartered in Austin, the scenic and lively capital of Texas, but the selected applicant may also work from OAG offices in Dallas or Houston.

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS

• Provides legal advice to the Office of the Attorney General, client state agencies, boards, and officials
• Prepares and reviews contracts, leases, purchase orders, amendments, memoranda, grants, invoices, and procurement documents for the Office of the Attorney General and client state agencies
• Assists the General Counsel Division in ensuring the agency’s compliance with federal and state laws, regulations, court decisions, and legal opinions
• Participates or assists in the negotiation of agreements on behalf of the Office of the Attorney General and client state agencies
• Assists in the procurement phase of contracting for goods and services for the State of Texas
• Provides support and guidance and engages with issues that arise during management of a contract
• Provides oversight and review of agency budgets, expenses, reimbursements, invoices, and related contracting issues related to complex litigation
• Performs legal research on a wide variety of topics and reports findings and conclusions
• Assists in developing agency policies and establishing agency procedures
• Reviews laws, rules, and regulations affecting agency operations and administration
• Assists agency’s participation in the state and federal rulemaking process and provides related research, counsel, and document preparation
• Provides advice and counsel to the Office of the Attorney General on the preparation of legal opinions, briefs, pleadings, motions, petitions, and other legal documents
• Assists in analyzing legislation and drafting proposals and amendments for legislative consideration
• Maintains effective working relationships with co-workers, attorneys, client agencies, vendors, and opposing counsel
• Assists in training less tenured staff
• Performs related work as assigned
• Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions
• Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule
• Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Assistant Attorney General III:

• Education: Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree (J.D.)
• Licensed as an attorney by the State Bar of Texas
• Member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas and eligible to practice law in Texas by start date.
• Experience: Two years of full-time experience as a licensed attorney in the following (or closely related) fields: state or federal agency, local government, litigation, or in-house counsel
• Skill in exercising sound judgement and effective decision making
• Skill in effective oral and written communication [Writing sample required at time of interview, if selected]
• Skill in conducting effective research
• Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines
• Skill in working cooperatively with other attorneys, supervisors, investigators, and support staff
• Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback
• Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG workspace within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week (unless on approved leave)
• Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel
• Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA
• Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs.
• Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 5%

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Previous experience in general counsel or in-house counsel is welcomed but not required.
• Ability to manage and review litigation budgets, expenses, reimbursements, and related contracting issues for critical and complex legal matters involving the State.
• Excellent legal writing skills
• Knowledge of laws and legal principles and practices relevant to state government procurement, state contracting, and transactional law.

TO APPLY
To apply for a job with the OAG, electronic applications can be submitted through CAPPS Recruit. A State of Texas application must be completed to be considered, and paper applications are not accepted. Your application for this position may subject you to a criminal background check pursuant to the Texas Government Code. Military Crosswalk information can be accessed at

https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf

THE OAG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER