Attorney - General Counsel 1

State of Louisiana•Baton Rouge, LA

About The Position

This is an executive-level General Counsel position within the Office of General Counsel (OGC), Division of Administration (DOA), that serves as the primary legal support counsel for the Office of State Procurement (OSP) within the DOA. This highly complex position is responsible for the coordination and provision of all legal services on behalf of OSP and is responsible for the overall management and direction of the activities of the OGC legal staff assigned to OSP. Incumbent is further responsible for the training and development of all attorneys and support staff under their supervision. The Division of Administration is the state government’s management arm and the hub of its financial operations. Division offices perform a wide variety of activities including overseeing the state’s capital construction program, working to provide state and federal grants for community development, development of the state budget, providing technology services, giving agencies guidance in the state purchasing and contracting process as they seek goods and services, and administering a program that provides federal funds to help Louisiana residents recover from a series of devastating hurricanes.

Requirements

Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice law
Six years of experience as a practicing attorney

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of transactional and contractual matters
Detailed knowledge of the statutes governing state contracts, procurements, and leases, and all applicable administrative regulations—La. R.S. Titles 38 and 39, and the Louisiana Administrative Code (Title 34, Part V-Government Contracts, Procurement and Property Control.)
Familiarity with procurement matters generating legal issues including, but not limited to, solicitations, evaluations and scoring, and protests.
Familiarity with handling of public record requests, including but limited to, scrutinizing documents to be submitted by OSP in response to a request; coordinating responses to public records requests with the Executive Counsel and any attorneys in OGC responsible for handling public records requests; assisting with identifying potential redactions within the documents for privileged and confidential information; and communicating such recommendations to the Executive Counsel and OGC.
Knowledge of Louisiana Law, including the Louisiana Administrative Code, Louisiana Procurement Code, and departmental regulations, as well as state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
Knowledge of the Louisiana Public Records Law.
Familiarity with exemptions and privileges including deliberative process, attorney-client privilege, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and comparable state privacy laws, and other exemptions and privileges under the Constitution.

Responsibilities

Serves as chief legal counsel for OSP on behalf of OGC and DOA and provides legal advice to OSP under the direction and supervision of the Executive Counsel.
May represent OSP or the Commissioner of Administration in any court proceedings or mediations under the direction and supervision of the Executive Counsel.
Maintains an advanced knowledge of Louisiana Law, including the Louisiana Administrative Code, Louisiana Procurement Code, and departmental regulations, as well as state and federal laws, rules and regulations.
Provides proactive review of the rules identified in the Louisiana Administrative Code that impact OSP.
Coordinates review with appropriate agency personnel to ensure that rules effectively represent the necessary business practices of the office.
Identifies areas of non-compliance and drafts and/or assists in the drafting of necessary additions, revisions, or deletions.
Is knowledgeable of the Louisiana Public Records Law and assists with responses to requests pursuant to this law within the custody or control of OSP.
Is cognizant of all laws and attorney general opinions related to public records, specifically concerning exemptions and privileges including deliberative process, attorney-client privilege, Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and comparable state privacy laws, and other exemptions and privileges under the Constitution.
Is familiar with the handling of public record requests, including but limited to, scrutinizing documents to be submitted by OSP in response to a request; coordinating responses to public records requests with the Executive Counsel and any attorneys in OGC responsible for handling public records requests; assisting with identifying potential redactions within the documents for privileged and confidential information; and communicating such recommendations to the Executive Counsel and OGC.
Advises the CPO in the review and approval and/or procurement of supplies, services, and major repairs, and professional, personal, and consulting services contracts.
Possesses knowledge of transactional and contractual matters as well as a detailed knowledge of the statutes governing state contracts, procurements, and leases, and all applicable administrative regulations—La. R.S. Titles 38 and 39, and the Louisiana Administrative Code (Title 34, Part V-Government Contracts, Procurement and Property Control.)
Represents OSP regarding highly complex procurement activities resulting in the award of State contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars and the protests, appeals, and litigation involved with unsatisfied applicants.
Supervises and supports attorneys whose primary function is to oversee DOA agency-specific legal issues in OSP.
Conducts yearly performance reviews; carries out all LEO payroll functions, including reviewing and approving leave requests to ensure adequate office coverage and to manage employee leave balances; instructs subordinates regarding the performance of job duties, career progression, and personnel concerns; recruits, disciplines, and praises employees; ensures employee compliance with CPTP standards; etc.
Drafts and/or assists in the drafting of legislative proposals identified by the Executive Counsel or OGC addressing all functions of OSP for consideration by the Commissioner of Administration.
Reviews existing legislation for compliance with the operational procedures of those agencies and identifies necessary procedural or legislative changes.
Identifies circumstances where legislation could promote more effective administration of the duties of OSP.
Under the direction and supervision of the Executive Counsel, coordinates the tracking and monitoring of proposed legislation affecting the mission of OGC or OSP, and collaborates with OGC subject matter experts.
Coordinates with staff to prepare legislative impact statements and fiscal notes, including finalizing drafts prior to submission to the Executive Counsel and OGC.
May represent OSP before legislative committees providing testimony on legislative initiatives that impact the operations of OSP.
Prepares or coordinates the preparation of, edits, and/or reviews reports required by and submitted to the legislature.
Provides review of all such finalized reports, identifying pertinent information to the Executive Counsel and CPO prior to submission.
Prepares and/or reviews documents including contracts, memoranda of understanding, letters of agreement, professional service contracts, inter-agency transfer agreements, requests for proposals, invitation to bid, and other procurement documents under the direction and supervision of the Executive Counsel.
Identifies the need for new or additional written procedures and recommends such to the Executive Counsel and CPO.
Assists in the review and performance monitoring of OSP contractors to ensure compliance with contractual provisions.
Assists in identifying enforceable contractual provisions for inclusion in the monitoring plans.
Provides initial in-house legal review of various procurement documents to ensure compliance.
Reviews policies and procedures of the office to identify areas and opportunities for operational efficiencies.
Proactively reviews published documents and manuals on behalf of OSP.
Provides feedback, and initiates discussions for improvement and accuracy of agency resources and guidelines.
Reviews client instructions with consideration to both operational need and contractual provisions, identifying areas to strengthen compliance from contracted partners.
Assists OSP by communicating with the various other state agencies concerning issues regarding state procurement.
Renders legal advice and opinions to the Executive Counsel regarding all rules and regulations of OSP, including all manuals, reports, and other programmatic documents.
Reviews and/or prepares documents on behalf of OGC, ensuring they meet quality standards and effectively support the interests of the DOA.
May be called upon to perform various duties for the Office of General Counsel on an as needed basis at the direction of the Executive Counsel.