The Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has the general charge, supervision, and direction of the State’s legal business, acting as legal advisors and representatives of the major agencies, various boards, commissions, officials, and institutions of State Government. The OAG also protects the public by civil enforcement of antitrust, civil rights, consumer protection, and securities laws and regulations and by the prosecution of organized crime, Medicaid fraud, environmental crimes, insurance fraud, state tax evasion, and other statutorily assigned matters. As Maryland’s 47th Attorney General, Anthony G. Brown leads the Office with a critical focus on equity, justice, and fairness.
As Principal Counsel, you will litigate on behalf of the State Board of Elections (SBE) before administrative tribunals and in state and federal courts, frequently on greatly expedited schedules driven by election-year deadlines. Additionally, you will advise the SBE on state and federal law, constitutional law, elections law, procurement, employment, public records access, state ethics law, and open meetings requirements, and serve as a go-to resource for local election board counsel and fellow Assistant Attorneys General on election law matters. You will also respond directly to public inquiries on election-related legal matters, maintain a strong working relationship with the Executive Division, Civil Litigation Division leadership, fellow Principal Counsels, and SBE officers and staff, and deliver training to members of the SBE and local boards of elections.
Originally established in 1969, the SBE works with Maryland’s local county election boards to ensure everyone in the election process follows state and federal election law. SBE’s mission is to give every eligible Marylander the ability to vote in a free, secure, and transparent election, and its five-member, bipartisan board, appointed by the Governor with Senate consent, sets policy alongside the State Administrator of Elections.
As Principal Counsel, you’ll provide the legal judgment and be the legal backbone behind that mission. We’re looking for an experienced attorney who brings strong litigation skills, sound judgment, excellent communication, and the ability to thrive in a fast-moving public-sector environment.
If you’re ready for a role where your legal expertise can have statewide impact, we’d like you to apply.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have at least ten years of legal experience including active litigation experience, ideally including administrative hearings and appellate litigation, as well as experience in election, constitutional, or government law, and a working knowledge of constitutional law and the regulatory areas that touch a state agency (procurement, employment, public records, and ethics). The ideal candidate is a clear, credible communicator who can advise a Board, train local officials, field public inquiries, and coordinate across the Office, with the sound judgment to stay steady under pressure when election-cycle timelines compress and the stakes are public. Admission to the Maryland Bar (or eligibility for admission by waiver) is required.
Application Process
Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and a list of three professional references, including at least one current or former supervisor with their online application. Please note that this job posting will come offline at 6:00 p.m. EST on the closing date.