SENIOR ATTORNEY - 61000209

State of Florida•Tallahassee, FL

32d•$85,000 - $100,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) is committed to ensuring that Florida's consumers receive essential services like electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater in a safe, reasonable, and reliable manner. The FPSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in areas such as rate base/economic regulation, competitive market oversight, and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service. The Office of General Counsel provides legal counsel to the Commission on all matters within its jurisdiction, supervises procedural and legal aspects of cases, and assists in responding to legislative inquiries. This office defends Commission orders on appeal, challenges Commission rules, and represents the Commission in state and federal courts. It also provides support in filings and presentations to other agencies, advises on rule promulgation, attends rulemaking hearings, reviews procurement contracts, and counsels on personnel, contractual, public records, and other administrative legal matters. In cases involving evidentiary hearings, the office conducts discovery, presents staff positions and testimony, and cross-examines witnesses. It also prepares recommendations to the Commission and drafts written Commission orders in conjunction with technical staff.

Requirements

Admission to The Florida Bar
Two years of professional experience in the practice of law, legal research, teaching law or in administrative or judicial meetings.
Minimum of 5 to 8 years of combined experience in administrative rulemaking and appellate work.
A career focus on administrative law.
Significant experience with Chapter 120, Florida Statutes, particularly agency rulemaking.
Appellate law experience in the public or private sector or judicial clerkship experience with significant exposure to administrative appeals.
Excellent research, writing, and analytical skills.
Appellate brief writing experience or exposure to appellate briefs.
Oral argument experience or exposure to oral argument.

Responsibilities

Provide legal counsel to the Commission on all matters under its jurisdiction.
Supervise the procedural and legal aspects of all cases before the Commission.
Assist in responding to inquiries from the Legislature.
Defend Commission orders on appeal.
Defend Commission rules challenged before the Division of Administrative Hearings.
Represent the Commission before state and federal courts.
Offer support in making filings with, or presentations to, other federal, state, or local agencies.
Advise in the promulgation of rules and attend or conduct rulemaking hearings.
Review procurement contracts.
Counsel the Commission on personnel, contractual, public records, and other administrative legal matters.
Conduct discovery in cases involving evidentiary hearings.
Present staff positions and testimony in cases involving evidentiary hearings.
Cross-examine other parties’ witnesses in cases involving evidentiary hearings.
Prepare recommendations to the Commission in conjunction with appropriate technical staff.
Prepare written Commission orders in conjunction with appropriate technical staff.
Work in the Appeals, Rules and Ethics Section of the Office of the General Counsel.
Focus approximately 60% on administrative rulemaking.
Focus approximately 40% on appellate work.

Benefits

State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options
Retirement plan options, including employer contributions
Paid Leave of Absence benefits, including Personal and Sick Leave
Nine paid holidays and one paid Personal Holiday each year
State Employee Tuition Waiver Program – Six credit hours per semester with the state college/university system
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Deferred Compensation Plan
Tax Beneficial Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible Work Schedules
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)