State of Maryland

A Staff Attorney, Office of Administrative Hearings, is the full performance level of work providing professional legal services to the Administrative Law Judges (ALJs) at the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH).  Employees in this classification do not supervise other Staff Attorneys.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from a manager or designated program administrator.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

Conducts complex legal research and analysis, decision writing, and provides library support services to assist ALJs and ensure the quality of judicial standards and statutory requirements;

Performs legal research to discover precedent in various areas of substantive and procedural law;

Assists with the preparation of draft decisions for ALJs in their adjudicative functions, under direction from the supervisor and/or ALJs;

Maintains current and relevant legal assistance in all statutory, regulatory, and policy matters in substantive areas involving OAH;

Prepares legal documents such as memoranda of law, mediation settlements, bench manuals, reports, legal templates, draft motions, and arguments to identify legal issues;

Assists with determining the applicable law or relevant facts in cases before the OAH, under direction from the supervisor;

Assists with reviewing the redaction of OAH decisions by paralegal staff;

Provides legal advice, guidance, and analysis to upper management and executives, Staff Attorneys, ALJs, staff, outside counsel, agency representatives, and members of the public, under direction from the supervisor;

Assists the supervisor in identifying areas in which additional training is needed for ALJs;

Conducts Special Education Mediation sessions between local school systems and families to coordinate and assist both parties in prioritizing issues and demands, suggesting alternatives, and organizing and drafting settlement agreements;

Performs other related duties.

Knowledge of legal procedures and substantive legal rules;

Knowledge of complex OAH subject matter;

Knowledge of current issues and proceedings in statutory, regulatory, and policy changes in areas in which OAH conducts hearings;

Skill in performing legal research and analyzing law sources;

Skill in presenting and documenting information;

Ability to be Bar-certified and duly admitted and maintain enrollment in Good Standing to practice before the Court of Appeals in the State of Maryland;

Ability to learn and apply OAH procedures and regulations;

Ability to learn and apply the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR);

Ability to identify important issues regarding specific cases;

Ability to obtain a working knowledge of current issues and proceedings in the OAH;

Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing;

Ability to provide one-on-one assistance regarding legal issues.

Education:   A Juris Doctor degree or equivalent degree from an accredited school of law.

Experience: Two years of experience in legal administrative staff or professional work related to legal research and writing.  

Notes:

1. Candidates for positions in this classification must be members in good standing of the Maryland Bar, at the time of appointment.

2. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in General Attorney classifications or General Attorney specialty codes in the Legal and Kindred field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education and experience.

1. Employees in this classification must be Attorneys at law.

2. Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle.  Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions. Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.