SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL/ENVIRONMENT & ENERGY UNIT

State of careers Rhode Island•Providence, RI

5d•$86,612 - $98,107

About The Position

The Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General is seeking a litigator to join its Environment and Energy Unit. The Special Assistant Attorney General—Environment and Energy Unit—will support the work of the Unit through consistent and high-level advocacy in regulatory, administrative, and judicial settings. This position provides a unique opportunity to utilize the Office’s legal tools to fight for clean air, water, and land, as well as climate adaptation, mitigation, and resiliency and to enable a green energy future while centering environmental justice principles. 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. The Public Protection Bureau has been recently created within the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s office and is comprised of four units – Healthcare, Consumer and Economic Justice, Environment and Energy and Civil Rights. Each of these units affirmatively develops legal work and initiatives by using the legal authority of the Office of Attorney General to advance and protect dignity, quality of life, and equity for all Rhode Islanders. Environment and Energy Unit: The Environment and Energy Unit within the Civil Division develops and leads high-impact, cutting-edge advocacy efforts in the environment and energy sectors, counsels the Attorney General and other government officials on environmental and energy-related issues; performs a range of functions, including litigation, public comment and policy development, and provides oversight with respect to state and federal agencies’ regulatory actions and responsibilities. From identifying and pursuing landmark civil actions against businesses and individuals that have harmed or threaten to harm the health of Rhode Islanders and/or the State’s public trust resources, to defending state laws, the Unit’s 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. This Unit also frequently engages with other Attorneys General throughout the country on multistate litigation, including on efforts to guard against the federal administration’s unlawful actions that threaten our environmental protection infrastructure and endanger our climate and energy future.

Requirements

law degree from an accredited law school
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 prepared to sit for the bar exam or obtain admission through score transfer
strong written/oral advocacy and negotiation skills
a willingness to learn
possess the capacity to function in a sometimes-high volume, demanding environment

Nice To Haves

At least 5 years of litigation experience is preferred but not mandatory.
Experience in both state and federal court is preferred.

Responsibilities

supporting and leading litigation enforcing environmental laws and engaging in other opportunities for advocacy before administrative bodies and with state agencies
responsible for investigations of potential cases, pre-trial litigation, negotiation, written and oral argument, trial work, and appeals
close work with community advocates, outside counsel, and other Attorney General offices on multistate litigation, with increasing opportunities to engage in multistate litigation to challenge the unlawful actions of the federal administration
draft, file, and argue motions/legal memoranda, as well as litigate, in state and federal court
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
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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