STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Staff Attorney 1

Hybrid

Recruitment #231117-0087AR-001

Introduction


Are you an attorney looking to make a difference in the public sector? Read below and apply today!

The State of ConnecticutOffice of Early Childhood (OEC), is accepting applications for a Staff Attorney 1 to join our team to support compliance with federal requirements under the Child Care Development Block Grant (CCDBG), and to provide support to the OEC's enforcement activities.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

  • Competitive salary
  • NEW: A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform an article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., along with comprehensive benefit offerings
  • Extensive pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
  • Paid time off including 13 paid holidays per calendar year
  • A culture that encourages work/life balance
  • Professional growth and development opportunities
  • Work for a Forbes top company: State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 -  State of CT receives National Recognition for offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits and Flexible Schedule
  • 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:
  • WORK SCHEDULE: First shift, Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM
  • WORK HOURS: Full-time, 40 hours/week
  • LOCATION: 450 Columbus Boulevard in Hartford with hybrid telework schedules available (combination of in office and remote work)
THE ROLE:
As a Staff Attorney 1, you will support the agency’s legally required responsibilities related to ensuring the health and safety of children receiving child care services in Connecticut. Additionally, this role will support the enforcement unit, assist with drafting of regulations and policies and may include serving as a Care 4 Kids administrative hearing officer. The selected candidate selected must have exceptional organizational skills, excellent written and verbal communication and must be a team player.



ABOUT US:
The OEC’s mission is to support all young children by ensuring that early childhood policy, funding and services strengthen the critical role families, providers, educators, and communities play in a child’s life. We believe in ensuring all children are safe, healthy, learning and thriving, and having a strong legal team is critical to us successfully achieving these goals. New parenthood and early childhood are extremely important moments in a person’s life and nurturing or harmful experiences during this time can have significant and long-lasting impacts. Our mission and vision serve as the guideposts for the development of policies and programs and ensure that we work to dismantle racism and advance equity actively and purposefully for all individuals throughout the early childhood system and the professional selected to fill this role must align with, believe in and promote this mission and vision.

                                                                                     Watch the video below to see what it's like to be a State of Connecticut employee!


                                                    

Selection Plan

TO APPLY

  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this 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.
  • Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
  • 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.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING

IMPORTANT INFORMATION 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.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
CONNECT WITH US
  • Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Brittney Woodley at brittney.woodley@ct.gov.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

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

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

  • Receives generalized training in all aspects of agency legal work; 
  • Acts as hearing officer; 
  • Drafts decisions including findings, regulations, and other related legal documents; 
  • Negotiates and drafts settlement agreements; assists with enforcement proceedings;
  • Assists in the preparation and presentation in administrative hearings;
  • Consults with the Office of the Attorney General on legal issues; 
  • Researches routine legal issues and assists in researching complex legal issues;
  • Interprets statutes and regulations;
  • Reviews court decisions, new and proposed laws and regulations to determine impact on agency operations;
  • Reviews legal and other related documents for legal sufficiency;
  • May monitor legislative proceedings;
  • May provide legal counsel and advice when duly authorized;
  • Performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

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

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

A degree from an accredited law school.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience conducting legal research.
  • Experience interpreting and applying laws and regulations.
  • Experience writing legal briefs, decisions, or memoranda of law.
  • Experience providing legal representation in administrative or judicial proceedings.
  • Experience meeting deadlines with competing priorities.
  • Experience collaborating as a team with internal and external stakeholders.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

  • 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.
  • 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.