Senior Litigation Counsel (AG)

State of careers Rhode Island•Providence, RI

About The Position

The Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General is seeking a candidate with trial and supervisory experience as Senior Litigation Attorney in the Government Litigation Bureau within the Civil Division. About the Office of the Attorney General: The Attorney General is the state’s top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of Rhode Island through a broad range of duties. Every day, the Office’s attorneys fight to ensure the public safety of the state’s communities, improve the economic security of its citizens, safeguard the state’s spectacular natural resources, and restore the public’s trust in government. Assistant and Special Assistant Attorneys General represent the people of Rhode Island in civil and criminal matters before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States. The Office is unique among attorneys general offices across the country. Out of fifty states, only two other offices share the same broad criminal mission. The Office’s attorneys prosecute complex and violent crimes but also functionally serve as one of the nation’s largest district attorney’s offices, prosecuting all felonies throughout the state. Civil Division: Within the Civil Division, the Government Litigation Bureau leads litigation on behalf of the state, counsels the Attorney General and other government officials, and performs a range of regulatory duties. Government Litigation Bureau attorneys defend the State of Rhode Island, its agencies, and its employees on many litigation matters ranging from personal injury matters, employment law complaints, and the interpretation/constitutional challenges to state law. From identifying and pursuing landmark civil actions against businesses and individuals that have harmed Rhode Islanders to defending state laws, state agencies, state general officers, legislators, and employees, the Division and its attorneys are at the forefront of matters being litigated before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States.

Requirements

The successful applicant must have a law degree from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction.
If not a member of the Rhode Island Bar, the candidate must be eligible for admission to the Rhode Island bar and be willing to take the Rhode Island bar examination.
Candidates must have strong written/oral advocacy and negotiating skills and possess the capacity to function in a sometimes-high stress, demanding environment.
Applicants must work well independently and as part of a team, including with other attorneys and support staff.
The ability to work with other state government employees and communicate with members of the public is a must.

Nice To Haves

Candidates with ten or more years of litigation experience including having tried jury trials to verdict are preferred.
Litigation experience in both state and federal court is preferred.
The applicant should bring innovative thinking to the ways in which the Office of the Attorney General can consistently and increasingly meet the needs of Rhode Island residents.

Responsibilities

The Senior Litigation Attorney plays a key role in Government Litigation by supervising staff attorneys on their own cases and litigating more complex cases while involving staff attorneys.
The Senior Litigation Attorney will be responsible for supervising attorneys and litigating at every phase of litigation, including case development, pre-trial litigation, negotiation, written and oral argument, regulatory and agency advising and trial work.
Cases range from negligence claims to complex litigation and Constitutional claims.
The attorney in this position will work closely with the Deputy Chiefs to support staff attorneys in Government Litigation by helping to identify areas for growth, opportunities for education and training, and consequential issues in the cases being litigated.
Opportunities for Special Assistant Attorneys General in the Civil Division are offered to ensure professional growth and development.
These opportunities include attending National Association of Attorney General trainings and conferences throughout the country, serving on state, local, federal, and/or non-profit boards, commissions, working groups, and/or task forces as a designee of the Attorney General, providing substantive expertise to legislative or policy initiatives, and supervising student interns as part of the Office’s legal internship program.

Benefits

For information regarding the benefits available to State of Rhode Island employees, please visit the Office of Employee Benefits' website at http://www.employeebenefits.ri.gov/.
Also, be advised that a new provision in RI General Law 35-6-1 was enacted requiring direct deposit for all employees. Specific to new hires, the law requires that all employees hired after September 30, 2014 participate in direct deposit. Accordingly, any employee hired after this date will be required to participate in the direct deposit system. At the time the employee is hired, the employee shall identify a financial institution that will serve as a personal depository agency for the employee.

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