SENIOR ATTORNEY

State of Florida • Dundee, FL

7d • $75,128 - $92,400 • Hybrid

About The Position

This open competitive advertisement is for a SES (Selected Exempt Service) position located in Tallahassee, FL. Candidates may be considered for assignment to FDC offices in other cities. Under the direction of Secretary Richard Comerford, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) is the 3rd largest state prison system in the country with a budget of 2.9 billion, approximately 90,000 inmates incarcerated and another 149,000 offenders on active community supervision. The FDC has 142 facilities and more than 20,000 staff members statewide, making it the State’s largest agency. Office location will be determined by the candidate selected for the position. This position will report to the Chief Legal Counsel of the Human Resources and Community Corrections Section of the Office of the General Counsel, but applicants may be considered for vacancies in any section of the office. The position will be given responsibilities in one or more of these areas at any given time, depending upon the needs of the office. The General Counsel’s office also represents the agency in garnishment proceedings, advises department staff and provides legal representation regarding subpoenas, litigates public records requests, and responds to requests generated by the Capital Collateral Regional Counsel. The Office of the General Counsel has units that specialize in the following areas of law: litigation; contracts and procurement; environmental; employment/personnel/labor relations; inmate sentence structure; inmate grievances; civil rights; torts; health care; ethics; probation; administrative law; and public records.

Requirements

• Must be a member of the Florida Bar in good standing.
• Support of KSAs should be demonstrated on the application through education, through work experience, in a writing sample, in the interview, and/or during reference checks.
• Knowledge of legal terminology.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of jurisprudence.
• Knowledge of Florida laws and legal procedure.
• Knowledge of civil law and rules of procedure.
• Knowledge of court proceedings.
• Knowledge of Chapter 941-949 Florida Statutes.
• Skill in writing and research.
• Ability to communicate effectively.
• Ability to research, summarize and provide advice on disparate legal issues as needs dictate.
• Ability to clearly explain the facts of a case and the legal issues involved.
• Strong work ethic; willingness to learn, positive attitude, and ability to work in a collaborative work environment.
• Ability to provide legal counsel.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of health care law, constitutional law, civil litigation, administrative law, Florida’s legislative process, criminal sentencing, and/or open government law.

Responsibilities

• Representing the Department of Corrections before federal and state courts and administrative bodies.
• Reviewing agency policies.
• Preparing legal pleadings in civil and administrative actions.
• Reviewing written materials for legal sufficiency.
• Serving as legal advisor to department administrators.
• Reviewing, analyzing, and drafting proposed legislation.
• Rendering legal opinions concerning the application of state and federal statues and administrative rules.
• Handling telephone and written requests from agency staff for legal assistance.
• Conducting legal research and issuing legal opinions, as needed.
• Representing the department and its officials in litigation matters before administrative tribunals and before state and federal courts, as requested.
• Reviewing evidence, researching law, drafting pleadings and memoranda, conducting, and responding to discovery, preparing and interviewing witnesses, providing legal representation at the hearing or trial, writing briefs, and representing the agency at appellate oral arguments.
• Performing other tasks as assigned.

Benefits

• Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays.
• Comprehensive health insurance and life insurance with accidental death and dismemberment benefits.
• Supplemental Dental, Vision, Life, Disability and Hospitalization insurance.
• Tuition-Free college courses.
• Retirement Plans with the Florida Retirement System: Pension Plan (Traditional Retirement Pension Plan), Investment Plan (401(K)-Type Retirement Plan), Deferred Retirement Option Program (Drop), Deferred Compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior