State of Maryland

The Public Service Commission (PSC) Deputy General Counsel is the supervisory level of providing legal representation for the people of the State in utility-related matters. The employee in this classification supervises the Assistant General Counsel and paralegals, and provides legal advice to the Public Service Commission members and executive staff.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from the PSC General Counsel. Employees in this classification may be required to travel throughout the State to present cases at hearings.

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.

The PSC Deputy General Counsel is differentiated from PSC Assistant General Counsel I–V in that the PSC Deputy General Counsel has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Assistant General Counsels. The PSC Deputy General Counsel is differentiated from the PSC General Counsel in that the PSC Deputy General Counsel provides supervisory responsibility to lower-level Assistant General Counsel and the PSC General Counsel is the highest-level General Counsel within PSC.

Supervises Assistant General Counsel, other attorneys, interns, and support staff;

Reviews the work of other attorneys;

Counsels and advises complainants regarding legal issues, rights, and procedures;

Prepares opinions, briefs, and other legal documents;

Negotiates and drafts settlement agreements;

Drafts Commission orders;

Coordinates with advisors and other commission staff on issues before the Commission;

Assists with Maryland Public Information Act requests;

Assists with formal complaints;

May draft bills and regulations;

May analyze legislative bills and prepare legislative testimony;

May act as senior attorney when paired with an attorney who is less experienced regarding the issues of an assigned case;

May provide training on legal issues to Public Service Commission staff and to the general public;

Performs other related duties.

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

Experience: Experience as a practicing Attorney, including at least five years of specific experience in public utility law or related field.

Notes:

1. Candidates must be a member 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 judge advocate general classification or judge advocate general specialty codes in the general attorney field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.

A Class Description provides information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work and General Requirements for a classification in the Management Service or a classification in the Skilled or Professional Service in which all positions have been designated Special Appointments.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements. The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

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 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, Annotated Code of Maryland, special appointment, temporary, contractual, managerial and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Class descriptions broadly define 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.