Employment Opportunities

Assistant Attorney General

Labor & State Affairs Section - Full-Time; Anchorage or Juneau
(position 19-LSA-04; closes December 6, 2019)

Job description

The attorney selected for this position will do a diverse range of legal work handled by the Labor & State Affairs Section. The responsibilities will consist of providing a mix of direct aid-to-agency advice (both written and oral), working on legislative issues and regulations projects on behalf of executive branch agencies, and some litigation. The attorney will work on a variety of matters for various clients at the same time, so interest in and comfort in handling a mixed workload is important.

The attorney’s primary duties will include providing advice to the Department of Administration on a range of issues, including labor relations and collective bargaining issues. The attorney’s duties will also include providing regular advice to state boards and commissions such as the Alaska Public Offices Commission, which will require the attorney to prepare advisory memoranda and legal opinions and work on regulations and legislation projects involving campaign finance and First Amendment issues. The attorney hired for this position will work on a range of administrative and superior court cases and other legal matters as needed, including contracts, public records, and other issues confronting state agencies, and will assist other attorneys in the section on cases as needed.

Qualifications

Applicants must have graduated from an accredited law school and have a minimum of three full years of post-graduation experience practicing law as a licensed attorney. One of the three years of experience may be satisfied by employment as a clerk for a trial or appellate judge. The position requires an experienced attorney who has excellent analytical and legal writing skills, is comfortable appearing in administrative hearings and in court, and who is a self-starter with the willingness to explore new areas of the law. Applicants should excel at and feel comfortable providing day-to-day advice and developing strong working relationships with their clients, and must have a strong knowledge of general legal principles and practices, good judgment, and the ability to work well on high-profile matters.

Experience in labor relations and collective bargaining issues and prior government work is highly preferred and beneficial, but not required. Applicants should be comfortable working independently under minimum supervision and enjoy being a part of a team. The attorney hired for this position will be expected to:

• Analyze and make recommendations on legal and factual questions;
• Independently assess and manage cases and claims;
• Draft legislation and regulations and testify before legislative committees; and
• Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with public agencies, high-level state officials, and the public.

Contact

Individuals who would like additional information about the position may contact Janell Hafner, Supervising Attorney for Labor and State Affairs at (907) 465-3600; email janell.hafner@alaska.gov.

Application Instructions

Salary will depend upon the legal background and experience of the selected candidate. The State provides a comprehensive state benefits package to regular, full-time, partially-exempt (PX) positions. State attorneys are in the partially-exempt service and serve at will, at the pleasure of the Attorney General.

Candidates who are interested in applying for this position must submit a resume that includes a complete history of education and professional work experience and identifies at least three professional employment references. Candidates also must submit a comprehensive professional writing sample. A cover letter should specify the position for which the applicant is applying by using the job number indicated on the recruitment announcement. Applications can be either emailed to civil.recruit@alaska.gov (with the subject line titled “application for current attorney recruitment”) or mailed or hand-delivered to:

Office of the Attorney General
1031 W 4th Avenue, Suite 200
Anchorage, AK 99501

All interested and qualified applicants will be considered, but not every applicant will be interviewed.

The Department of Law is an equal opportunity employer and complies with Title I of the American with Disabilities Act. Applicants who need accommodation to apply may call Melanie Ferguson at the department’s Anchorage office (907) 269-5102 or Relay Alaska at 1-800-770-8973.