RHODE ISLAND OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL
CIVIL DIVISION – GOVERNMENT LITIGATION BUREAU
PAYGRADE 8730 ($76,299 – $86,372)
OR COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE
March 28, 2024 – December 31, 2024
The Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General is seeking a candidate for a Special Assistant Attorney General (SAAG) position within the Civil Division. The attorney in this position will be expected to work in the Government Litigation Bureau.
About the Office of the Attorney General: The Attorney General is the state’s top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of Rhode Island through a broad range of duties. Every day, the Office’s attorneys fight to ensure the public safety of the state’s communities, improve the economic security of its citizens, safeguard the state’s spectacular natural resources, and restore the public’s trust in government. Assistant and Special Assistant Attorneys General represent the people of Rhode Island in civil and criminal matters before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States. The Office is unique among attorneys general offices across the country. Out of fifty states, only two other offices share the same broad criminal mission. The Office’s attorneys prosecute complex and violent crimes but also functionally serve as one of the nation’s largest district attorney’s offices, prosecuting all felonies throughout the state.
Civil Division: Within the Civil Division, the Government Litigation Bureau leads litigation on behalf of the state, counsels the Attorney General and other government officials, and performs a range of regulatory duties. This also includes the Attorney General’s Open Government Unit which is responsible for helping to ensure government in Rhode Island is carried out in an open and transparent manner.
From identifying and pursuing landmark civil actions against businesses and individuals that have harmed Rhode Islanders to defending state laws, state agencies, state general officers, legislators, and employees, the Division and its attorneys are at the forefront of matters being litigated before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States.
Responsibilities
Duties and Opportunities: A SAAG in the Civil Division, working with colleagues and senior attorneys, will be responsible for case development, pre-trial litigation, negotiation, written and oral argument, regulatory and agency advising and trial work. The applicant will be expected to carry a full civil litigation caseload in the capacity as first and as second chair, and be expected to draft, file, and argue motions/legal memoranda, as well as litigate, in state and federal court on behalf of the state of Rhode Island, its agencies, and its officers or employees. Cases range from straightforward negligence claims to complex litigation and Constitutional claims. This position may also support the Attorney General’s Open Government Unit.
Opportunities for Special Assistant Attorneys General in the Civil Division are offered to ensure professional growth and development. These opportunities include attending National Association of Attorney General trainings and conferences throughout the country, serving on state, local, federal, and/or non-profit boards, commissions, working groups, and/or task forces as a designee of the Attorney General, providing substantive expertise to legislative or policy initiatives, and supervising student interns as part of the Office’s legal internship program.
Qualifications
Eligibility: The successful applicant must have a law degree from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction. If not a member of the Rhode Island Bar, the candidate must be eligible for admission to the Rhode Island bar and, if necessary, be willing to take the Rhode Island bar examination.
Qualifications: Candidates with three to five years of litigation experience are preferred while strong recent graduates will be considered. Candidates must have strong written/oral advocacy and negotiating skills and possess the capacity to function in a sometimes-high stress, demanding environment. Applicant must work well independently and as part of a team, including with other attorneys and support staff. Ability to work with other state government employees and communicate with members of the public is a must. Litigation experience in both state and federal court is preferred. The applicant should bring innovative thinking to the ways in which the Office of the Attorney General can consistently and increasingly meet the needs of Rhode Island residents.
Application Process
Application Process: Applicants should submit a (1) a cover letter summarizing why you are interested and describing the skills and abilities you possess that will enable you to succeed in this position, (2) resume, (3) list of three references, and (4) a writing sample to:
Aida Crosson
Director of Administration
Office of the Attorney General
150 South Main Street Providence, RI 02903
Equal Opportunity Employer:
The Attorney General’s Office is stronger, more credible, and more capable when its employees bring diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to their work. The Office encourages all qualified applicants from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and persons with disabilities to apply.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, or covered veteran status.
Other Information: Finalists will be subject to a full background investigation including reference checks. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background investigation, receipt of letters of good standing from each Bar in which the applicant is a member, and membership in good standing with, or admission into, the Rhode Island Bar. In certain limited circumstances, applicants may be hired pending temporary or full admission.
