Senior Assistant Attorney General - Criminal Appeals

Job Posting Title

Agency

Supervisory Organization

Job Posting End Date (Continuous if Blank)

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the posting end date above.

Estimated Appointment End Date (Continuous if Blank)

Full/Part-Time

Job Type

Compensation

Job Description

Date Open:  Immediately                                  

Date Closed:  Friday, August 15, 2025

Title:  Senior Assistant Attorney General

Salary Range: Commensurate with experience and qualifications

Location:  Oklahoma City, OK or Tulsa, OK

The Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General is currently seeking a full-time Senior Assistant Attorney General in our Criminal Appeals Unit.

Position Summary:

The Criminal Appeals Unit (“Unit”) represents the state in the criminal appeals process to ensure that the lawful decisions rendered by judges and juries are upheld in the appellate courts. This position is within the Unit and operates as an individual contributor with review and editing authority over a small group of Unit attorneys and/or interns. This position reports to the Chief and Deputy Chief of Criminal Appeals.

Essential Functions Specific to Senior Assistant Attorney General:

·         Serve as a team leader for a group of attorneys and/or interns (“team”) within the Unit. This chiefly entails conducting first-level review for all team members. Provide guidance, support, feedback, and constructive criticism as needed, before, during, and after the review process. Maintain an “open door policy” for the team and be available to answer any legal or other questions related to completing their work product.

·         Time permitting, complete multiple rounds of review as needed to ensure each brief meets the Unit’s standards before it is submitted to the Chief or Deputy Chief, such that the Chief or Deputy Chief does not need to engage in more than one round of review.

·         When a team member is struggling, such as by failing to meet the Unit’s established briefing timeline standards or by overlooking critical issues in their briefing, identify and implement remedial measures with the assistance and oversight of the Chief, Deputy Chief, and/or General Appeals Director.

·         Flag for the Chief or Deputy Chief any briefs submitted for review by a team member that fall below expectations. When requested by the Chief or Deputy Chief, provide feedback on a team member’s performance.

·         As required, hold check-in meetings, whether in-person or virtually, with individual team members.

·         Other duties as assigned.

Essential Functions Applicable to All Attorneys Within Criminal Appeals Unit:

·         Agree to participate and cooperate in the Unit’s multiple-level review process, which includes review of all court filings (with the exception of non-substantive filings such as extension requests) and submissions to other entities (e.g., the Pardon and Parole Board) by a Senior Assistant Attorney General or Director, Chief or Deputy Chief, and (for all capital or otherwise complex or especially important matters) the Solicitor General.

·         Make edits as directed during the review process. Respectfully discuss any changes regarding which there is disagreement or confusion with the first-level reviewer and/or Chief/Deputy Chief as appropriate.

·         Meet all internal deadlines for peer review—specifically, briefs, other pleadings, or any other document being reviewed should be submitted to the reviewing attorney (Senior Assistant Attorney General or Director) at least ten days prior to the document’s external deadline (e.g., the filing deadline set by the court).

·         Complete all assigned cases and duties such that cases and duties do not have to be reassigned.

·         Manage sometimes competing deadlines and formulate plans and goals to meet both short- and long-term deadlines.

·         Correctly analyze, interpret, and apply case law.

·         Read appellate records thoroughly and carefully and prepare notes of the record.

·         Write briefs coherently and persuasively and at the standard required by the Unit’s leadership. Specifically, at the time drafts are submitted initially to the first-level reviewer, the draft shall have been thoroughly researched, clearly and effectively written, and carefully proofread to the point that the draft is virtually free of typographical errors.

·         Meet or exceed the Unit’s average productivity level—for non-capital matters, three briefs or one special assignment (such as an oral argument) per month; for capital matters, one brief or one special assignment (such as an oral argument or clemency packet) per month.

·         Assignments are within the sole discretion of the Chief and Deputy Chief, and the employee must be willing to accept and work on a variety of types of case assignments (whether regular briefs or special assignments, etc.) with a positive attitude.

·         Other duties as assigned. 

Other Duties Applicable to All Criminal Appeals Attorneys:

·         Represent the State in criminal appellate cases before the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals and the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board.

·         Represent prison wardens in federal habeas actions before the Oklahoma federal district courts and the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

·         Represent the State and prison wardens before the United States Supreme Court on certiorari review from both state and federal proceedings.

·         Represent the State in any other matters as assigned by the Chief or Deputy Chief, including, but not limited to, evidentiary hearing or other proceedings in state district court, civil actions related to criminal issues (e.g., method of execution challenges), etc.

·         Moot other attorneys as needed for oral arguments and Pardon and Parole Board presentations.

·         Complete other special projects as assigned (e.g., Attorney General opinions, amicus brief reviews, etc.).

·         Maintain integrity and confidentiality of information of the Attorney General’s Office.

·         Other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications:

Must be, or be eligible to become, a licensed attorneys in the State of Oklahoma with at least five (5) years of relevant experience. Strong writing, research, and oral advocacy, and proofreading/editing skills, as well as superior attention to detail, are required.

All external applicants must agree in writing to complete, and satisfactorily pass, a background investigation.

Equal Opportunity Employment

The State of Oklahoma is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of genetic information, race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin, or disability.

Current active State of Oklahoma employees must apply for open positions internally through the Workday Jobs Hub.