Legislative Associate General Counsel - Litigation

A legislative associate general counsel for the Utah Legislature is a lawyer who provides nonpartisan legal services to the Utah Legislature under the direction of the Legislature's general counsel.

The Legislature's general counsel, deputy general counsel, and a team of more than 20 other lawyers, currently employed as managing, senior, and associate general counsels, provide nonpartisan legal services to all 104 members of the Legislature.

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The Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel is looking for an experienced litigator who can function effectively in a high pressure, fast-paced, political environment and represent the Legislature and legislators in court proceedings and disputes.

Cases primarily involve dispositive motion practice and appellate proceedings with relatively little discovery or trial work.

This position performs all legal work under the direction of the general counsel and reports to the deputy general counsel.

This is a new position in the office.

Responsibilities :

• Represent in court and advocate on behalf of the Legislature, the majority and minority leadership of the House and Senate, the Legislature's committees, subcommittees, and task forces, individual legislators, each of the Legislature's staff offices and, under certain circumstances, individual legislative staff members.
• Supervise and coordinate with outside counsel to ensure the effective representation of legislative interests.
• When appropriate, handle litigation matters directly, including drafting pleadings, engaging in discovery, and representing legislative clients in court.
• Advise legislative clients on litigation strategy and options, exhibiting sensitivity to the clients’ political considerations.
• Negotiate settlements and other out-of-court resolutions.
• Develop and implement litigation-related policies and procedures to minimize risk and enhance efficiency, including policies and procedures related to litigation holds, electronic discovery, and case tracking.
• Prepare and present reports to senior staff and legislative leadership regarding litigation status, risks, and outcomes.
• Work closely with internal teams, including human resources and IT, to ensure a cohesive approach to matters that affect litigation.
• Stay abreast of relevant legal and policy developments that potentially impact litigation.
• Perform other duties as assigned by the general counsel or deputy general counsel.

Minimum Requirements :

• Be a current member of the Utah State Bar in good standing.
• Minimum six years of civil litigation experience, preferably involving state and federal constitutional issues.
• Demonstrate familiarity with the legislative process.
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal communication and relationships.
• Demonstrate proficiency in :
• Writing;
• Legal analysis;
• Oral communication; and
• State and federal court rules and procedures.

PHYSICAL ADDRESS : Office of Legislative Research & General Counsel

W210 House of Representatives Building Salt Lake City, UT 84114

SALARY RANGE : The salary range for this position is $72.60-105.66 per hour plus comprehensive medical, dental, leave, and retirement benefits.

The selected candidate’s starting salary will be commensurate with the candidate’s education and professional experience.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS :

Send a cover letter and resume to Jennifer Fife at [email protected] by Tuesday, November 5th by 6PM MDT. Please include the job title (Associate General Counsel - Litigation) and job number (43160) in your email subject line to ensure a prompt response.

Failure to submit both a cover letter and resume as attachments to your email may result in disqualification.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION :

Employees in this position serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer in an at will status and may be terminated at any time without cause.

This is not a career service position. The State of Utah is an equal opportunity employer. Hiring is done without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, or disability.

Reasonable accommodations provided to known disabilities of individuals in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

For accommodation information or if you need special accommodation to complete the application process, please contact Jennifer Fife [email protected].

Veteran's Preference (Utah Code Ann. 71A-2-102) : An applicant claiming veteran's preference must do so in the body of the cover letter by providing sufficient information to identify the type of veteran's preference requested.

Additionally, a copy of the applicant's DD-214 must be attached to the resume. If a disabled preference is claimed, a copy of the applicant's letter from the VA stating the disability percentage granted must also be attached.

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