Attorney 4

Department MISSION
DCFS is working to keep children safe, helping individuals and families become self-sufficient, and providing safe refuge during disasters.
Department VISION
We care for the well-being and safety of Louisiana's people.
Department VALUES
Treating all people with dignity, compassion and respect, while providing services with integrity.
 
 
This vacancy is located in East Baton Rouge parish.
 
 This position may be filled as a probational appointment or a job appointment that may last up to 48 months. Job appointments may convert to probational appointments. Also, it may be filled as a detail and promoted within 12 months.
 
You must include all relevant education and experience on your official State application.
 
Resumes cannot be submitted in lieu of completing an application.
 
The duties that you describe in the Work Experience section of your application will be reviewed by State Civil Service as part of the process in determining if you meet the minimum qualifications for this job.  
 
Your experience WILL NOT be evaluated based on the job title alone. You must describe your actual duties. If you are a current employee of the State of Louisiana it is important that you indicate in the “Duties” section for each job the specific programs that you worked in to receive credit for that experience.
 
List all prior employment. Work experience left off of your electronic application or only included in an attached resume will not be credited. Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.  
 
Applicants qualifying based on college training or receipt of a baccalaureate degree will be required to submit an official college transcript to verify credentials claimed prior to appointment.  Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application. The transcripts can be added as an attachment to your online application.  The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.
 
 No Civil Service test score or assessment is required to be considered for this vacancy. 
 
 To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.
 
 DCFS is an "Equal Opportunity Employer" and Louisiana is a "State as a Model Employer for People with Disabilities".    
 
 For additional information about this vacancy, please contact Sherry Powell  via e-mail at Sherry.Powell.DCFS@La.GovMINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Possession of a license to practice law in the state of Louisiana, plus four years of experience as a practicing attorney.Function of Work:
To serve as a senior attorney in a legal unit and serve as a specialist of the most complex law areas.

Level of Work:
Program Manager.

Supervision Received:
Broad review from an Attorney--Deputy General Counsel 1 or equivalent/higher ranking attorney, administrative law judge, or other agency administrator/executive. Note: Attorney 4's should not report to an Attorney Supervisor.

Supervision Exercised:
May supervise a lower ranking attorney or administrative law judge.

Location of Work:
May be used by all agencies.

Job Distinctions:
Differs from other Attorney jobs by the level of independence exercised, supervision received, supervision exercised, and the complexity of the specialized programmatic areas or hearings conducted.  The Attorney 4 is intended to be a specialist level. Not all staff level positions will be allocated to the Attorney 4 job.

Differs from Deputy General Counsel 1 by subordinate relationship.ATTORNEY:
Represent a department in highly complex and high profile litigation before trial and appellate courts and administrative tribunals.

Represent the agency in complex procedural and substantive legal and regulatory proceedings involving multiple scientific, technical, regulatory, and legal issues combined.

To independently conduct evidentiary public hearings on issues pertaining to major program areas.

May serve as lead-worker over attorneys of lower rank. May supervise a lower ranking attorney or an administrative law judge.

Prepares and reviews the preparation and negotiation of contracts, requests for proposal, and other legal documents.

Drafts and reviews the drafting of new legislation.

Advise department officials on their highest profile and complex legal problems.

Serves as chief regional/district legal counsel for a state department/agency/office having program offices, in an assigned geographic region, and is responsible for independently providing highly technical legal direction, advice, assistance, consultation, representation and having a direct influence on the operations of the regional/district program offices.

ATTORNEY/ADMINISTRATIVE LAW JUDGES/REFEREES:
Conducts public, adversarial, evidentiary hearings throughout the state involving a constitutionally protected property right and involving various, highly complex legal issues in which cases, there is no opportunity for another evidentiary hearing; examines or cross examines witnesses as necessary to fully develop the facts; rules on the admissibility of evidence; rules on procedural matters; administers the oath to witnesses and maintains decorum.

Independently weighs the testimonial and documentary evidence presented, assesses the credibility of witnesses, and determines the facts.

Researches and interprets the applicable law and jurisprudence; applies the law to the facts found and independently reaches a decision; prepares and issues a formal written opinion containing findings of fact, conclusions of law, the rationale for the decision and the judgment, which judgment is binding on the parties unless judicial review is sought.

Develops an accurate record of the proceedings by insuring: that the proceedings are recorded; that the exhibits offered, proffered or introduced into evidence are adequately marked for identification and are physically placed in the record; that the sound recordings are accurately labeled; and that an index of testimony is prepared indicating at what point on what tape each witness testified and the nature of the examination. Decides whether, as a matter of law, the case should be disposed of without a hearing on the merits and orders limitations on the scope of the hearing; decides whether requested subpoenas are relevant and orders/declines the issuance of subpoenas; decides whether there is good cause shown and grants/denies requests for continuance.

Determines nature and scope of hearing by reading the file and researching the applicable law; estimates length of hearing; schedules cases for hearing.

Conducts a continuous study of applicable law and judicial decisions.

Salary : $5,119 - $10,038