IN-HOUSE COUNSEL

Arizona Department of Administration • Phoenix, AZ

2d • $90,000 - $110,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Department of Real Estate regulates the sale of subdivisions, unsubdivided lands, timeshares, condominiums, membership campgrounds, and cemeteries. The Department of Real Estate also approves and monitors pre-licensing instruction, testing and continuing education courses and oversees the activities of licensees, investigates complaints against licensees and land developers, and participates in administrative hearings pertaining to their conduct.

The In-House Counsel will serve as a legal advisor to Department leadership, collaborate with investigative, enforcement, and compliance staff, consult on legal strategy, coordinate with the Department's assigned Arizona Attorney General, provide legal advice to improve the Department's processes, procedures, decision making resources.

The In-House Counsel will help enable DRE to fulfill its purpose of real estate licensing, regulation of licensees, and protection of the public. Provide legal guidance across all agency departments, draft legal documents, manage a varied case load, and actively participate in the regulatory, legislative, and judicial processes.

As In-House Counsel, you will help DRE by proposing legal regulatory solutions that are business oriented while protecting the public.

Requirements

• Applicants must be a member of the State Bar of Arizona
• Specialized knowledge of Arizona real estate statutes (A.R.S. Title 32, Chapter 20) and administrative rules (A.A.C. Title 4, Chapter 28)
• Thorough understanding of Arizona administrative law, contested cases, and administrative appeal procedures
• Knowledge of ethical standards for government employees and conflict of interest regulations
• Strong understanding of private property rights and contract law
• Skill in resolving legal and operational challenges with a pragmatic eye toward business, constitutional, and regulatory prudence considerations
• Skill in communicating complex legal opinions, recommendations, and concepts in concise language designed to provoke understanding by leadership, staff, licensees, and the public
• Proven conflict resolution and negotiation skills, including the ability to stay calm under pressure and firmly maintain agency principles
• Skill in assessing legal risks to the agency, the State, the private property rights of the public, and licensees
• Proficiency in legal research and writing
• Ability to work with staff to draft complex legal documents, including licensing decisions, Consent Orders, formal orders, Notices of Hearing, Notices of Petition, and settlement agreements
• Ability to serve as the agency representative in hearings and settlement conferences, and to assist Attorney General prosecution teams in administrative hearings or other courts
• Ability to impact, influence, and change the conversation in alignment with leadership, aiding the department in being "in the room" even when not physically present
• Ability to think strategically on legal risk, ADRE's reputation, ADRE's regulatory purpose, operational concerns, including internal policies and procedures
• Ability to work effectively and collaboratively with agency leadership and staff, while building strong rapport with Assistant Attorneys General, licensees, and the public
• Ability to provide clear and concise explanations of legal concepts to DRE staff, licensees, and the public
• Ability to stay calm during negotiations, maintain DRE principles, and provide prospective to leadership
• Adapt to a changing legal and regulatory environment
• Employees who drive on state business are subject to driver license record checks, required to maintain acceptable driving records and complete any required driver training (see Arizona Administrative Code R2-10-207.11)
• Requires possession of and ability to retain a current, valid state-issued driver license appropriate to the assignment

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key legal advisor to department leadership, engaging in discussions and leveraging big-picture, "what-if" thinking to align legal advice with the agency’s core objectives and public protection purpose
• Apply detailed, specific analytical thinking to author complex legal documents, including but not limited to licensing decisions, orders, and settlement agreements, using concise language designed to provoke immediate understanding among staff, licensees, and the public. Will consult with the AGO on legal advice matters as appropriate
• Partner closely with investigative, compliance, and enforcement staff by building strong internal rapport, reviewing evidence, and advising on case strategy with a deep commitment to protecting the public and providing fair disciplinary actions
• Serve as the client representative for the Department at administrative hearings and lead informal settlement conferences, maintaining objective presence during negotiations while upholding department principles
• Coordinate on hearings, appeals, and Superior Court cases with the Attorney General's team, building strong professional rapport with assistant AGs while protecting and representing the mission of the Department; assist in developing agency rules, substantive policies, and legislative proposals by problem-solving with a business-minded lens and adapting quickly to a changing legal and regulatory environment
• Oversee a high-volume daily caseload and specialized operational projects, making strategic, task-specific inquiries of leadership to prioritize cases and ensure the timely delivery of outcomes essential to agency success
• Assess legal, operational, and reputation risks to propose practical, business-oriented legal solutions, utilizing the ability to impact, influence, and positively shape operational conversations in alignment with leadership; provide leadership when assigned activities or tasks
• Other duties as assigned as related to the position

Benefits

• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Vacation plus 10 paid holidays per year
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Sick leave
• Paid Parental Leave program
• Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS)
• Enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed