Staff Attorney 2
About The Position
The State of Connecticut, Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) has an exciting opportunity for a Staff Attorney 2 in the Legal Affairs Unit. This position provides agency-wide legal support, with a specialized focus on the Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Connecticut Intelligence Center. In this role, you will provide legal guidance to leadership and staff, interpret and apply relevant laws and regulations, and assist with policy, contract, and regulatory matters that support the agency’s public safety mission. The Legal Affairs Unit manages all agency legal matters, including responding to records requests, managing administrative hearings, and overseeing regulations, legislative proposals, ethics matters, contracts, and litigation. DESPP is committed to protecting and improving the quality of life for all by providing a broad range of public safety services, training, regulatory guidance, and scientific services utilizing enforcement, prevention, education and state of the art science and technology.
Requirements
- Two (2) years of experience in the practice of law
- Incumbents in this class must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut
Nice To Haves
- Experience in emergency management or homeland security law
- Experience with FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), state statutes or municipal ordinances
- Experiencing processing and responding to FOIA (Freedom of Information Act request) requests and appeals
- Experience with administering and overseeing the Connecticut Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) claims and ensuring deadlines are met
- Experience conducting or assisting with internal investigations
- Experience in drafting and reviewing contracts, MOUs (Memoranda of Understanding), policies, and legal guidance
- Experience in providing legal support to agency leadership, sworn command staff, and multiple divisions
- Experience in ensuring legal compliance in matters that directly impact public-safety operations
Responsibilities
- Performs advanced and complex legal work of an agency
- Researches, interprets, analyzes and applies complex and conflicting laws and regulations, case law and legal principles
- Acts as hearing officer or represents agency in formal administrative and public proceedings on a full range of cases involving complex legal and technical issues
- Negotiates and drafts settlement agreements
- Drafts advisory opinions, rulings, decisions, recommendations, findings, legislation, statutes, regulations, publications and other related legal documents
- Assists in the preparation and presentation of trials and appeals
- Consults with the Office of the Attorney General on legal issues
- Researches complex legal issues
- Conducts investigations and enforcement proceedings
- Prepares comprehensive reports for use in administrative and court proceedings
- Prepares pleadings and other court papers
- Interprets and applies complex or conflicting laws and regulations, case law and legal principles
- Participates in the conduct of various educational activities
- Provides legal guidance when duly authorized
- Provides input into policy formation
- Reviews court decisions, new and proposed laws and regulations to determine impact on agency operations
- Prepares and maintains precedent manuals
- Reviews legal and other related documents for legal sufficiency
- May testify at or monitor legislative proceedings
- May represent agency in court when authorized
- Performs related duties as required
Benefits
- Professional growth and development opportunities
- A healthy work/life balance to all employees
- Eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Mid Level
