Assistant Attorney General – Public Officials
The Public Officials Unit is seeking an experienced attorney to join its collaborative legal team. The Unit offers the opportunity to practice in diverse, high-profile legal matters in a fast-paced environment where you can grow your litigation, appellate, and general counsel skills. In this role, you will represent statewide elected and appointed officials, as well as several state agencies/boards/commissions, in complex civil cases that frequently involve public policy matters of statewide or national importance. This position provides meaningful opportunities to take cases to trial, brief and argue appeals, and be a problem-solver. Given the complex nature of the work, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated civil litigation experience. If you are looking to join a team where you will be challenged to find the best legal strategies and solutions and perform work that impacts the State of Colorado, this position is for you!
Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
WHO WE ARE
The Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law is the “People’s Lawyer.” The Attorney General, Phil Weiser, was elected by the people of Colorado and is the State’s chief legal representative and serves as legal counsel to all state executive and judicial agencies, departments, boards, and commissions. Our vision for the Department of Law is: “Together, we serve Colorado and its people, advancing the rule of law, protecting our democracy and promoting justice for all.” Our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, drive our actions and demonstrate our focus on being principled public servants who are innovative and better together. Learn more about the Colorado Attorney General’s Office here.
Responsibilities
WHAT YOU WILL DO
The Public Officials Unit counsels and represents Colorado’s statewide elected officials (Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Treasurer), as well as the Judicial Department and several of its sub-offices, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, and the State Auditor. This unit regularly handles challenging public policy litigation, including constitutional challenges to Colorado law, such as gun control legislation.
Primary duties include: defending state and federal constitutional challenges seeking to invalidate and enjoin state laws and/or state officials’ actions; handling highly expedited election law disputes; prosecuting administrative actions to enforce campaign and political finance laws; defending civil litigation and appeals before state and federal courts; prosecuting civil actions and appeals in state and federal courts; representing judicial and probation officers when subpoenaed; representing judicial officers in C.R.C.P. 106 and C.A.R. 21 actions; escheat and unclaimed property review and advice; assisting state officials and agencies with responses to various types of open records requests; providing general counsel to state boards and commissions, including advice on the Open Meetings Law; responding to various types of open records requests and subpoenas for records issued to the Department of Law and/or the Attorney General; drafting formal and informal Attorney General Opinions; and handling contract and Procurement Code disputes for state agencies.
Qualifications
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Applicants must be:
- Admitted to the Colorado bar or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.
Candidates who have developed the following strengths over several years of practice are likely to be successful in this role:
- Strong client relations and team building skills
- Experience or interest in trying cases and briefing appeals on an expedited basis
- Experience or interest in working on high profile cases
- Experience developing and implementing litigation and appellate strategy in complex cases
- Experience in clerkships or fellowships where you gained excellent research, analytical, writing, communication, and problem-solving skills
The Office of the Attorney General offers challenging, interesting, and meaningful work. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that a diverse work force adds quality and perspective to the services we provide to the public. Candidates with diverse qualities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
This recruitment may be used to fill more than one Assistant Attorney General position within the State Services section.
Application Process
Link to full job posting and to formally apply:
