Attorney IV

State of North Carolina•Wake County, NC

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The NC Public Staff is currently accepting applications for the Attorney IV - Wake County. This position will be in the Legal Division of the Public Staff. The primary purpose of the Staff Attorney position is to provide legal advice and representation to the Executive Director, members of the Public Staff, and the using and consuming public in matters involving the rates and service of electric utilities, natural gas utilities, water and sewer utilities, communications service providers, ferry operators, and movers of household goods. Cases range in significance and complexity from rate increases for small water and sewer utilities serving as few as 15 residences to major electric and natural gas utility rate cases and corporate mergers involving millions of customers and hundreds of millions and sometimes billions of dollars. This job opening is for an attorney to work in the Electric Section of the Legal Division on matters involving the provision of electric utility service. However, the attorney may be assigned to matters involving other types of utility service as needed. Within the Public Staff, the primary purpose of the Legal Division is: (1) to provide legal representation of the Public Staff and the using and consuming public in formal proceedings before the Utilities Commission, appellate courts, and federal regulatory agencies, (2) to provide legal and policy advice on issues related to public utility regulation to the Executive Director and other members of the Public Staff and, upon request, members of the General Assembly, other governmental bodies, the general public, and entities that provide public utility service in North Carolina. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with State Benefits, including health insurance, as well as retirement pursuant to State Policy. Applicants invited to interview will be required to provide a writing sample. The writing sample must be the applicant’s original work and should demonstrate legal analysis, clarity of written communication, and the ability to present complex information in an organized and persuasive manner. Acceptable samples include judicial decisions, administrative law decisions, legal memoranda, briefs, motions, or other comparable legal documents authored solely by the applicant. Samples should be submitted electronically prior to the interview, should have original formatting and content intact, and should be no more than 15 pages.

Requirements

Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar
Four years of progressively responsible professional legal experience
Demonstrate legal analysis, clarity of written communication, and the ability to present complex information in an organized and persuasive manner through a writing sample.

Nice To Haves

Utility Regulation Knowledge or experience that will enable a rapid understanding of case, statutory, regulatory, and common law and policy governing the regulation of public utilities in North Carolina and the role of the Public Staff in the regulatory process.
Research and Analytical Skills: The ability to gather and synthesize relevant information, recognize legal and policy implications, and recommend appropriate solutions and courses of action.
Litigation Skills: Knowledge or experience that will enable rapid development of litigation skills, including the ability to identify legal and factual issues, develop legal positions and strategies, deliver oral arguments, conduct discovery, and present and cross-examine expert witnesses in cases before the Utilities Commission.
Appellate advocacy skills, including the ability to prepare persuasive briefs and present effective oral argument in novel and complex cases.
Communication Skills: The ability to express legal concepts and related facts in a clear, concise, and persuasive manner both orally and in writing, to draft statutes and rules dealing with utility regulation and energy related issues, and to make public presentations.

Responsibilities

Provide legal advice and representation to the Executive Director, members of the Public Staff, and the using and consuming public in matters involving the rates and service of electric utilities, natural gas utilities, water and sewer utilities, communications service providers, ferry operators, and movers of household goods.
Provide legal representation of the Public Staff and the using and consuming public in formal proceedings before the Utilities Commission, appellate courts, and federal regulatory agencies.
Provide legal and policy advice on issues related to public utility regulation to the Executive Director and other members of the Public Staff and, upon request, members of the General Assembly, other governmental bodies, the general public, and entities that provide public utility service in North Carolina.
Work in the Electric Section of the Legal Division on matters involving the provision of electric utility service.
May be assigned to matters involving other types of utility service as needed.

Benefits

State Benefits
Health insurance
Retirement pursuant to State Policy
12 Annual Paid Holidays
Monthly accrual of vacation and sick leave
North Carolina State Health Plan
Supplemental Benefits including Flexible Spending Accounts, Accident Insurance, Cancer & Specified Disease, Critical Illness, Dental, and Vision.
NC State Retirement (TSERS), 401(k), and 457 savings plans.
WeSave Employee Discounts.
Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.