Attorney - Chief Counsel for Administration

Careers at DPH: Work that makes a difference!

Embracing Service, Inspiring Innovation, Promoting Teamwork, Pursuing Excellence, and Advancing Equity

Are you looking for a change from billable hours and collection goals? Would you like to be part of a team dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of people and the communities where they live, learn, work, and play?  Consider the Department of Public Health (DPH) Office of General Counsel. We focus on important legal work, supporting one another and bettering the lives of the people we serve. DPH is a place where people come first and where teamwork is a way of life, not just a slogan.

What makes DPH special? Our WORK and our PEOPLE.

OUR WORK affects literally everyone in the state, from recording every birth and death to fighting COVID, from regulating hospitals and nursing homes to emergency planning, from immunizations to drug control.

OUR PEOPLE are talented, motivated, and hard-working, while maintaining a balanced perspective on work and home.

Work at DPH comes with outstanding employee benefits, including 15 days of paid leave per year (or more, depending on years of state service), a defined benefit pension plan, and the option of an alternative work schedule with every other Friday off after one full year of employment. 

COME JOIN US at our beautiful new campus (we are moving this spring) at 400 Otarre Parkway in Cayce, featuring a food court and cafeteria, a gym with lockers and showers, and two miles of walking trails, all onsite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1WlatvVrVg

To learn more about jobs and careers at DPH, please visit our DPH Careers page and website: Jobs & Careers | South Carolina Department of Public Health.

AGENCY SPECIFIC APPLICATION PROCEDURES: If you meet the requirements of the position and would like to be considered, you must submit a state application online. Please complete the state application, to include all current and previous work history and education. A résumé and legal writing sample must be attached to the application but will not substitute for a complete application and will not be reviewed to determine if an applicant has met the qualifications for the position. The quality of the application, résumé, and legal writing sample (completeness and accuracy as well as grammar and spelling) will be considered prior to the offer of an interview. A criminal records check will be conducted prior to an offer of employment. Applications will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on the stated closing date.

OGC Administration attorneys are DPH's primary legal advisors on the essential administrative services that keep the agency going and make it possible for DPH to accomplish its mission - business management, finance, human resources, information technology and security, compliance, and communications.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF AN ATTORNEY V:

The DPH Office of General Counsel seeks an experienced attorney to direct its Administration Team.

The South Carolina Department of Public Health is seeking an experienced attorney to serve as Chief Counsel for the Administration Team in the Office of General Counsel ("OGC"). OGC provides legal representation and advice on a wide range of issues. OGC prides itself on providing high quality legal services to the Department's Director, Executive Leadership Team, and staff and offers a challenging but collegial work environment with daily exposure to new and evolving legal issues.

As chief legal counsel to DPH's administration functions, you will supervise the team that advises and represents the agency in:

• HR matters including disciplinary actions, grievances, discrimination claims, FMLA and ADA issues, personnel practices
• Agency contracts, grants, and procurements
• Freedom of Information requests
• Privacy, confidentiality, and ethics
• Liability insurance claims
• Development of agency policies and procedures
• Information technology and security law issues

You will also:

• Work with the Insurance Reserve Fund to process liability insurance claims and secure outside counsel
• Plan and conduct training for DPH staff
• Assist in development of procedures and systems to improve agency contract efficiency and compliance

State Minimum Requirements: 

• A Juris Doctor degree from an ABA-accredited law school
• A license in good standing to practice law in South Carolina
• At least ten (10) years of experience as a practicing attorney
• Trial experiences required by Rule 403 of the South Carolina Appellate Court Rules.
• Possess and maintain a valid driver’s license

Institutions of Higher Learning must be recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

• Be trustworthy, self-motivated, and reliable;
• Possess a strong work ethic and the ability to work independently with minimal supervision;
• Possess strong organizational and interpersonal skills;
• Possess the ability to work well with other lawyers and program staff in a team environment;
• Possess the ability to manage and supervise other lawyers and legal staff;
• Possess a commitment to professionalism, ethics and public service;
• Possess excellent legal research and communication skills, including the ability to explain complex legal issues in simple, direct, and easily understandable terms to non-lawyers, lawyers, hearing officers and judges;
• Demonstrate strong legal writing skills (A legal writing sample must be submitted with your application); and
• Possess strong public-speaking skills.
• Competence in basic office software including Microsoft Office/Word, Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Acrobat.

The following qualifications are preferred, but not required:

• At least fifteen (15) years of experience as a practicing attorney
• Experience representing and advising a state government employer on legal issues related to human resources and employment law 
• Experience with government contracts, state procurement, and federal grants
• Knowledge and understanding of:
  • Public health, civil rights, and business law
  • Software contracts
  • Unemployment insurance law
  • The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) privacy and security rules
  • State employee ethics laws and rules
  • The SC Freedom of Information Act and Administrative Procedures Act
  • Bankruptcy law and procedure
  • Insurance
  • Privacy and confidentiality laws and principles 
• Experience managing other attorneys and paralegals
• Strong writing and research skills
• Experience in litigation and civil procedure
• A level head, good judgment, and common sense

WRITING SAMPLE: You must provide a legal writing sample with your application. Please do not submit any confidential information and redact if necessary.

RESUME: You must provide a résumé with your application.

TRANSCRIPTS: Applicants indicating college credit or degree(s) on the application may upload an unofficial copy of the transcript as an attachment to the application. Please note that the agency may require an official, certified copy of the transcript prior to hiring.

DRIVING RECORD: If this position requires the applicant to possess a valid driver's license to operate a state vehicle or personal vehicle, any applicant being considered in the final stages of selection for the position will be required to provide a certified copy of a 10-year driving record.

EEO: DPH is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employing agency. We are committed to a diverse workforce. DPH does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), or disability.

Please apply via the online system only.  Do not submit applications via mail or email.