SENIOR LITIGATION COUNSEL-SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL

Duties and Opportunities: For this position, a Special Assistant Attorney General will be responsible for developing, leading, and supporting litigation and other initiatives in support of the initiatives of the Civil & Community Rights Unit, with a focus on labor justice. The SAAG in this position will be responsible for identifying appropriate novel areas of investigation, identifying local, national, and regional trends, leading investigations of potential cases, pre-trial litigation, negotiation, written and oral argument, trial work, and appeals. Responsibilities also include close work with community advocates and other Attorney General offices on appropriate matters. This work may be in one or more of a broad range of civil areas including: administrative law, constitutional tort, and statutory enforcement. The applicant will be expected to carry a full civil litigation caseload in the capacity as first chair, and be expected to draft, file, and argue motions/legal memoranda, as well as litigate, in state and federal court.

Opportunities for Special Assistant Attorneys General in the Civil Division are offered to ensure professional growth and development. 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 Offices legal internship program.
Eligibility: 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 prepared to sit for the bar exam or obtain admission through score transfer.

Qualifications: At least 10 years of litigation experience is preferred but not mandatory. Candidates must have strong written/oral advocacy and negotiating skills and possess the capacity to function in a sometimes-high stress, demanding environment. Extensive experience in both state and federal court is preferred.
RHODE ISLAND OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
SENIOR LITIGATION COUNSEL - SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL
CIVIL AND COMMUNITY RIGHTS UNIT
PAYGRADE 8739 ($105,571-$122,585)
OR COMMENSURATE WITH EXPERIENCE
November 2, 2023 June 30, 2024

The Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General is seeking a litigator with extensive state and federal court experience for the Civil & Community Rights Unit. The Senior Litigation Counsel will be focused on developing and prosecuting novel litigation in civil and community rights as broadly conceived to include status discrimination in all public accommodations and labor rights. This position provides a unique opportunity to utilize the Offices legal tools to ensure equal access to opportunity for all Rhode Island individuals and communities.

About the Office of the Attorney General: The Attorney General is the states 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 Offices attorneys fight to ensure the public safety of the states communities, improve the economic security of its citizens, safeguard the states spectacular natural resources, and restore the publics 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 Offices attorneys prosecute complex and violent crimes but also functionally serve as one of the nations largest district attorneys offices, prosecuting all felonies throughout the state.

Civil & Community Rights Unit: The mission of the Civil & Community Right Unit is to advocate for civil rights and protect those who are vulnerable by virtue of economic or social status or protected personal characteristics. The Unit undertakes actions to protect Rhode Islands diverse communities from misconduct motivated by bigotry and bias, and works to advance rights to dignity, security and democratic participation. The Unit combines the authority vested in the Attorney General with powers under the Civil Rights Advocate and Lead Advocate statutes, handling certain housing, election, consumer finance, and education related matters. In addition, the Unit collaborates with all other units in the Public Protection Bureau where their work implicates the mission of Civil and Community Rights, including discrimination in health care, deceptive consumer practices that target minorities and environmental harm that disproportionally affects minority communities.

The Unit also engages with community members and advocates to identify needed change and with thought partners to understand drivers of poverty and inequities within existing systems. Litigation and other initiatives are chosen based on understanding where change is needed and the relationship of evident needs to larger drivers of inequity, and are prioritized by evaluating the potential for impact.

If applying for position by submitting cover letter and resume via mail or email, no need to apply through online system.

Application Process: Applicants should submit a (1) a cover letter summarizing why you are interested and describing the skills and abilities you possess that will enable you to succeed in this position, (2) resume, (3) list of three references, and (4) a writing sample to:

.Aida Crosson
Director of Administration
Office of the Attorney General
150 South Main Street Providence, RI 02903
[email protected]

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Attorney Generals Office is stronger, more credible, and more capable when its employees bring diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to their work. The Office encourages all qualified applicants from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and persons with disabilities to apply.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, or covered veteran status.

Other Information: Finalists will be subject to a full background investigation including reference checks. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background investigation, receipt of letters of good standing from each Bar in which the applicant is a member, and membership in good standing with, or admission into, the Rhode Island Bar. In certain limited circumstances, applicants may be hired pending temporary or full admission.