Staff Attorney 1

Looking for a career as an attorney?

Check out this opportunity and apply today with the State of Connecticut!

The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is looking to hire a Staff Attorney 1 within the Office of Legal Counsel in Hartford.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU
We take part in a competitive benefits plan which includes:

• Generous paid time off (vacation, sick, and personal);
• Excellent health and dental coverage;
• Pension plan (State Employees Retirement System Tier IV) and more!

In addition, the State puts an emphasis on:

• Providing limitless opportunities;
• Hiring for diversity and fresh perspectives;
• Performing meaningful work; and
• Encouraging a healthy work life balance.

POSITION DETAILS
This is a full-time, 40 hour per week position on first shift, Monday-Friday. This position may include performing work at DEEP’s New Britain office located at Ten Franklin Square. The selected candidate must have a driver's license and may be required to travel.

The Office of Legal Counsel is within the Commissioner’s Office. 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.

Before you apply, make note of the following:

• In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
• The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
• Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
• While the current vacancy is in Hartford, CT, we invite you to select all potential locations on your application if interested, including Hartford and New Britain, CT. 
• All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

Important information for after you apply:

• 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 questionnaire'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.
• Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
• 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.
• The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

Questions about this position should be directed to Jake Ferrari via email at jake.ferrari@ct.gov.

In a state agency this class is accountable for receiving on the job training in all aspects of agency legal work.

Receives generalized training in all aspects of agency legal work; acts as hearing officer or represents agency in formal administrative and public proceedings involving legal and technical issues; analyzes complex and technical evidence; 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 routine legal issues and assists in researching 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 statutes, regulations and rulings; participates in the conduct of various educational activities; may provide legal counsel and advice when duly authorized; may testify at or monitor legislative proceedings; reviews court decisions, new and proposed laws and regulations to determine impact on agency operations; assists in the preparation and maintenance of precedent manuals; reviews legal and other related documents for legal sufficiency; performs related duties as required.

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

A degree from an accredited law school.

• Experience independently preparing written communications including memoranda of law, legal briefs, decisions or opinions for judicial or administrative proceedings without typographical and grammatical errors;
• Academic or professional experience with enforcement proceedings in administrative forums with a focus on environmental, energy or land use matters;
• Academic or professional experience with administrative process and the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act, including drafting or promulgating regulations, licensing, administrative hearings, or administrative appeals;
• Academic or professional experience with administrative, environmental, land use, real property, energy or contracting law.

1. Incumbents in this class must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut within one (1) year of the date of appointment. Pursuant to Section 51-88 of the Connecticut General Statutes, an incumbent who has not been admitted to practice law may not "assume, use or advertise the title of lawyer, attorney and counsel at law, counselor at law, attorney, counselor, attorney and counselor, or an equivalent term, in such a manner as to convey the impression that he is a legal practitioner of law". Until such time that an incumbent is admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut, the incumbent shall be referred to as a Legal Assistant.
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.