Job Title
Assistant Attorney General – Transportation Unit: Transactional Focus
Company
State of Colorado
Job Description
Find a rewarding career making a difference: Join the Office of the Attorney General!
The Department of Law/Office of the Attorney General, Civil Litigation and Employment Law Section has an exciting opportunity to provide legal services to one of the largest state agencies in Colorado. The successful candidate will lead various high impact matters for the Colorado Department of Transportation, one of Colorado’s largest agencies. In this Unit, we act as a general service law firm to CDOT and the Colorado Transportation Commission. We also represent the Colorado Bridge and Tunnel Enterprise and the Colorado High Performance Transportation Enterprise, which are government-owned TABOR-exempt enterprises and divisions within CDOT. Our work includes filing condemnation actions on behalf of CDOT, defending inverse condemnation cases, and bringing and defending administrative actions and high exposure litigation. Further, we manage access control, highway beautification, and billboard permit disputes, and assist CDOT with protests brought under the Procurement Code. We also engage in negotiations, mediations, and arbitrations with construction industry stakeholders. Our team reviews, revises, and approves CDOT contracts; assists in drafting and negotiating contracts, including public-private partnership contracts; oversees other major transactions, and provides legal advice on rulemaking, legislation, and any other legal matters that arise. We are looking for a person who excels at independently tackling new and challenging issues on a regular basis, and who is eager to engage as a part of a team.
WHO WE ARE
The Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law is the “People’s Lawyer.” The Attorney General, Phil Weiser, was elected by the people of Colorado and is the State’s chief lawyer and law enforcement official. Our vision for the Department of Law is: “Together, we serve Colorado and its people, advancing the rule of law, protecting our democracy and promoting justice for all.” Our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, drive our actions and demonstrate our focus on being principled public servants who are innovative and better together.
Visit our website to learn more: .
WHAT YOU WILL DO
This attorney position is part of the Transportation Unit that advises and represents the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and divisions within CDOT. In this role, you’ll be trained on public financing issues and provide a broad spectrum of legal counsel to CDOT, including:
- Serving as the Unit’s public contracting expert;
- Engaging in transactional activities, such as negotiating and drafting complex agreements with CDOT’s governmental partners and private parties;
- Assisting with bond and loan issuances;
- Acting as general counsel to the Colorado High Performance Transportation Enterprise (HPTE and dba the Colorado Transportation Investment Office), a TABOR-exempt enterprise created pursuant to C.R.S. § 43-4-806, and other TABOR-exempt enterprises within CDOT;
- Advising on rulemaking, procurement issues, Colorado open meetings and records laws, TABOR, and innovative surface transportation delivery, including public-private partnerships and other public finance and contracting methods; and
- Researching and drafting legal opinions on a wide variety of public finance, contracting, and transportation-related issues.
Because our Transportation Unit is highly collaborative, work may be interchanged across different positions within the Unit. For example, the Unit serves as CDOT’s litigation counsel. You may be asked to serve on a litigation team from time to time in a limited role, or assist with limited litigation or discovery matters, such as responding to subpoenas and representing CDOT staff in Rule 30(b)(6) depositions.
This recruitment may be used to fill more than one Assistant Attorney General position in the Department of Law.
Salary Note: The Department of Law uses a wage progression compensation model. Although a salary range is listed, salary will be set commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and in compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.
Attorneys with less than 3 years of experience as a practicing attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General I (AAG I). The salary range for an AAG I is $83,292-$92,400/annually.
Attorneys with more than 3 years of experience practicing as an attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General II (AAG II). The AAG II salary range is $96,420-$120,000/annually.
Salary will be paid on a biweekly basis for any new employees starting after July 1, 2023.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
To be considered for these positions, applicants must be comfortable in a fast-paced environment where they have meaningful ownership over every aspect of their work, but also be comfortable in a highly collaborative work environment. The successful candidates should have a demonstrated track record of good judgment, strong communication skills, and excellent issue-spotting and problem-solving abilities.
Applicants must also be admitted to the Colorado bar or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court .
Further, we are seeking applicants that have most of the following attributes:
- Interest in, and specific experience with government law issues such as representing a public board, assisting with open meeting issues, open records requests and advising on TABOR issues .
- Basic litigation skills.
- Experience with public and commercial finance.
- Ability to assume diverse caseload with moderate supervision and have good judgment as to when to consult teammates and supervisors.
- Have strong legal research, writing, communication, and interpersonal skills.
- Self-starter who is capable of and enjoys working independently.
- Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and public service.
- Comfort with and confidence in assessing risks and benefits.
- Strong analytical skills and keen attention to detail.
- Well developed ability to work collaboratively.
- Excel at learning new areas of law and takes initiative to learn quickly and dive into subject matter.
Conditions of employment:
- Applicants must pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment.
The Office of the Attorney General offers challenging, interesting, and meaningful work. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that a diverse work force adds quality and perspective to the services we provide to the public. Candidates with diverse qualities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
This position is non-classified and is not subject to appeal rights.
WHY WORK FOR US
We Embrace Flexibility
We aim to produce outstanding work product for our clients, be efficient with our time, and support each other as team members – which also means we embrace flexible working arrangements when and where possible.
We Are Committed to Diversity
At the Department of Law, we know that we are better together when our differences are valued and everyone is inspired and empowered to contribute. As such, we strive to provide a safe environment where individuals feel valued and respected for who they are; demonstrate a behavior and mindset where differences are welcomed and individuals are equally treated and empowered to do their best work; and promote growth and innovation through a diverse workforce that contributes to creative problem solving and delivers excellent work.
We Have Strong Core Values
Our core values drive our actions. At the Department of Law, we are: 1) principled, maintaining the highest ethical standards, rigorous legal analysis, and careful evaluation of facts; 2) public servants, who are always ensuring our work is not about us, but instead is about the people of Colorado; 3) innovative, by seeking to identify the best approach, make deliberate decisions, and look to improve; and 4) “better together,” by working to support each other and collaborate.
We are Committed to Developing our Attorneys
We are deeply invested in our talent and regularly provide meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth through training and coaching. Further, our professional development and performance goal setting process is collaborative and ongoing, and aimed at helping our attorneys grow and succeed.
We Offer Excellent Benefits In addition to the comprehensive S package including competitive medical and dental health plans, employer-paid life insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans with , and vacation and sick leave earned each month, there are many other unique benefits that we offer, including:
: As a state government employee, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. A borrower may qualify for forgiveness by making 120 on-time payments while employed full-time in public service, if they have certain kinds of federal loans in a qualifying repayment plan * Free access to a recently renovated on-site fitness center
- Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible work schedules, professional development opportunities, and an employee discount program
- Employer-paid mental health and counseling services through Colorado State Employee Assistance Program
- Employer-paid annual attorney registration dues
- Employer-provided access to professional development training and CLE through PLI, Department of Law University and other entities.
HOW TO APPLY
Applicants must establish an account with governmentjobs.com and complete the online applications including the Contact Information section. Applicants are not required to complete the Work Experience or Education sections of the online application.
Applicants must provide 1) a cover letter detailing their interest in the position and their relevant experience; 2) a resume; 3) a writing sample, and 4) three professional references. Use the “Attachments” feature of the online application to add documents.
ADAAA Requests
The Department of Law is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Julie Christopher at hr@coag.gov.
Expected Salary
Location
Denver, CO
Job Posting Date
Sat, 02 Sep 2023 22:22:55 GMT