Staff Attorney 2

Looking for a new challenge? Are you passionate about the law? Do you want to grow and build upon your current experiences? If so, we invite you to read on and learn more about this fantastic opportunity for you!  

The mission of the State of Connecticut, Department of Children and Families (DCF) is to work together with families and communities for children who are healthy, safe, smart and strong. DCF’s Legal Division is responsible for ensuring compliance with state and federal law, conducting administrative hearings, and ensuring regulatory compliance.  

We seek an experienced and qualified professional for the position of Staff Attorney 2 within our Legal Division.  This position will be assigned to the Waterbury office and the candidate selected would be required to work with some travel throughout the state. This is a 40 hour per week, Monday - Friday position.  

The Legal Division Staff Attorneys are directly involved in consultations with social work staff and make legal recommendations that impact the lives of the children and families of Connecticut. The Staff Attorney 2 has responsibility to provide in-house legal support to the Area Offices for which they are assigned (Waterbury).  

You will discover the opportunity to:  

• Engage in rewarding work;
• Showcase your talents in a meaningful role;
• Thrive in an exciting environment;
• Make a difference in the public sector;
• Work together in a collaborative team environment.    

What’s in it for You – Leading Comprehensive Benefit Offerings:

• Industry leading health benefits, including medical and dental coverage; 
• Comprehensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings; 
• Paid time off; 
• Professional growth and development opportunities; 
• Ability to serve the citizens of Connecticut;
• A healthy work life balance to all employees.  

We hope you take this opportunity to make an impact by serving your state!

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.  

Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening and specify their qualifications on their application. Please ensure that your application is complete as you will be unable to make revisions once you officially submit your application into the JobAps system.  

Note:  At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.  Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.   

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.   

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.     

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Julie Barker, at Julie.Barker@ct.gov.

All State employees shall follow the guidelines as listed in Executive Orders  13F (3a) and 13G (3a) .

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

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; may testify at or monitor legislative proceedings; may represent agency in court when authorized; 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; performs related duties as required.

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

STAFF ATTORNEY 2: Two (2) years of experience in the practice of law.
STAFF ATTORNEY 3: Three (3) years of experience in the practice of law at the level of Staff Attorney 2 in the same state agency.

Preference will be given to candidates who possess:  

• Experience in child abuse and neglect proceedings.
• Familiarity with CT child abuse and neglect statutes.  
• Experience with administrative hearings under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act (UAPA).
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage a large volume of work and prioritize effectively to achieve results in a set timeframe.
• Experience with training others on legal topics.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite Programs (Word, Excel and Outlook) and ability to learn new software.

1. Must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.
2. 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.