Legal Editor (PCN 03-0290 and 03-0063)

This position is being recruited in both Anchorage and Juneau; final location is based on the location of the selected candidate.

What You Will Be Doing

The Department of Law, Civil Division, is recruiting for the position of Legal Editor in the Legislation, Regulations, and Legislative Research Section. 

The Legislation, Regulations, and Legislative Research ("LRLR") Section is responsible for providing legal advice to the governor, the lieutenant governor, and the Office of Management and Budget on all matters relating to legislation and regulations. The LRLR Section drafts and prepares for introduction all legislation proposed by the governor and reviews and approves for filing all regulations proposed by state agencies. 

The legal editors in the LRLR Section are responsible for editing, finalizing, and assisting in the drafting of legislation and regulations. The legal editors ensure that all proposed legislation and regulations are grammatical, stylistically appropriate, harmonize with current provisions of the Alaska Administrative Code and Alaska Statutes, and are prepared in accordance with strict drafting requirements prescribed by law. The legal editors assist in the preparation of manuals and training materials and fulfil all other editorial needs of the section, including copy editing and finalizing legal advice memoranda, correspondence, bill review letters, and other legislative and regulation-related documents. 

Specific duties of legal editors in the LRLR Section include: 

• Editing, proofreading, and assisting in the drafting of proposed administrative regulations to ensure grammatical accuracy, stylistic appropriateness, and compliance with drafting standards prescribed by the Drafting Manual for Administrative Regulations (published by the Department of Law); 
• Editing, proofreading, and assisting in the drafting of proposed legislation to ensure grammatical accuracy, stylistic appropriateness, and compliance with drafting standards prescribed by the Legislative Drafting Manual (published by the Legislative Affairs Agency); 
• Editing, proofreading, and assisting in the drafting of manuals and training materials published by the section; 
• Editing draft public notices for proposed regulations to ensure compliance with the Drafting Manual for Administrative Regulations and the Administrative Procedure Act; 
• Editing and assisting in the drafting of bill review letters for legislation passed by the legislature;
• Checking legal citations and conducting basic legal research of Alaska law for the purpose of editing legislation and regulations, including the Alaska Administrative Code, Alaska Statutes, Session Laws of Alaska, and other legislative resources; 
• Providing constructive feedback to department attorneys and statewide regulation contacts for the purpose of editing and finalizing legislation and regulations;
• Engaging with statewide agency staff regarding questions about the legislative and regulations process; and
• Performing editorial duties for the section as assigned. 

The incumbent must possess strong technical writing skills and demonstrate excellent command of English grammar and punctuation. The incumbent must also demonstrate excellent management and organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to work independently and in a team environment. Experience working with legislation or regulations projects is strongly desired. 

Job duties necessitate some evening, weekend, and holiday work, especially during the legislative session. 

Mission and Culture

The Civil Division of the Department of Law provides legal counsel to the executive branch in all civil actions. The division defends and prosecutes civil litigation to which the state is a party; handles legal matters for and provides legal advice to the governor, executive branch agencies, and - upon request - the legislative and judicial branches; reviews regulations prepared by executive agencies, drafts legislation for introduction by the governor; and reviews all legislation before it is acted upon by the governor.

Benefits of Joining Our Team

Position Benefits Include:

• A standard 37.5-hour work week
• 12 paid holidays annually
• Personal leave starting at 6 hours per pay period (approximately 21 days per year), with increases based on years of service
• Optional hybrid telework schedule available after successful completion of the probationary period
• Flexible scheduling within general office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., allowing you to establish a regular work schedule around core business hours

The Working Environment You Can Expect

Our offices in each city are all multi-floor office buildings located in the heart of downtown, giving you access to a wide variety of lunch and coffee spots. You can also expect a private office with this position.    

Who We Are Looking For

To be successful in this position a candidate will need the following core competencies:

• Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.
• Reading Comprehension: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.
• Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.
• Interpersonal Skills: Treats others with courtesy, sensitivity, and respect.   Considers and responds appropriately to the needs and feelings of different people in different situations.
• Manages and Organizes Information: Identifies a need; gathers, organizes, and maintains information; determines its importance and accuracy, and communicates it by a variety of methods.

Competency Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions

This job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

Competency Description          
The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class.  They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency.  They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines.   A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation.
 
Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.

• Law: Knowledge of State and federal laws, including legal and court procedures, regulations, guidelines, precedents, admissibility of evidence, case preparation, and/or settlements for applicable areas of law practiced or supported. 
• Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process. 
• Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions. 
• Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues. 
• Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a brief, clear, and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience. 

**NOTE: PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING CAREFULLY**

THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY

This recruitment is open to Alaska Residents only. Applicants must meet Alaska Residency Requirements to be considered for employment at this time.

If selected for an interview, the applicant must provide the following:

1. Three professional (former supervisors or managers) references with current contact information.
2. Two most recent performance evaluations. 
3. A professional or technical writing sample of 5-10 pages on any topic. It may be technical or professional in nature but should not be a personal statement or include personal information. The sample should demonstrate your grammar, clarity, and ability to effectively communicate a topic or argument.

Special Notices

• It is essential that the employee be physically present in order to perform the primary duties of the position during regular/special legislative session. This may require overtime and/or holiday/weekend work. 
• Incumbent may be required to complete and pass a background check per 13 AAC 68.215 for CJIS compliance.

Application Notice

You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or via a hardcopy application. If you accessed this recruitment bulletin through a job search portal, such as AlaskaJobs or any other database, you MUST use a Workplace Alaska online or hardcopy application to apply successfully. Instructions on how to apply with Workplace Alaska may be found on the Workplace Alaska “How to Apply" page. Your application must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Alaska Standard Time on the closing date.

Education

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of the interview. 

Special Instructions for Foreign Education

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the minimum qualifications listed above. If utilizing this education, you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in the interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. post-secondary institution reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the post-secondary institution. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

Work Experience 

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer’s name, job title, employment dates, and whether full or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and if minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not, the applicant may not advance to the recruitment interview and selection phase. 

Note: Attaching a resume is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting, "see resume" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination that your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

Bargaining Unit

If you are a current state employee, please mark the union you are a member of at the time of application. If you are not a current state employee, do not complete this question.
 

Multiple Locations

This position is being recruited in Anchorage and Juneau; the final location is dependent upon the location of the most qualified candidate. There are ONLY two positions to be filled.

Multiple Vacancies

This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies. 

EEO Statement

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or 465-4095 in Juneau or (907) 465-3412 (TTY) or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P. O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal-opportunity employer.

Workplace Alaska Application Questions & Assistance

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.

For applicant password assistance, please visit the reset password page.

For specific information about this position, please contact the hiring manager at the following:

Kelly West

Administrative Operations Manager

Phone: 907-269-5100

Kelly.west@alaska.gov