Honors Attorney (Limited Duration 24 Months)
Port of Portland See More Job Openings by This Employer
- Full Time
- $95,500 - $152,500/year
- Port of Portland Headquarters - 7200 NE Airport Way, Portland 97218, OR
- The Position
- The Port of Portland is looking for a new Honors Attorney!
About Us: The Port of Portland serves as a major gateway to the world, managing airports, marine terminals, and business parks that connect people and goods globally. Our mission goes beyond transportation; we strive to drive economic growth, enhance quality of life, and foster an inclusive, thriving region in the Pacific Northwest.
Your Role: As an Honors Attorney with the Port of Portland, you’ll have a unique opportunity to work alongside seasoned attorneys while gaining valuable experience in public sector law. This two-year position provides broad exposure to complex legal issues, including regulatory compliance, business transactions, and litigation, preparing you for a successful legal career. You’ll help advance the Port’s strategic goals through exceptional legal service, directly impacting the communities we serve and promoting a foundation of shared success.
In this role, you will work closely with our team of attorneys, advising on a wide array of matters essential to the Port’s operations and public responsibilities. As a part of our team, you’ll tackle meaningful legal work while learning from experienced mentors dedicated to your professional growth. Your contributions will support business decisions, regulatory compliance, and legal strategies that shape our impact on the community and region.
The successful candidate for this position is a newly admitted lawyer with a collaborative mindset, clear communication skills, and a strong commitment to public service. Embracing the Port’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is essential, as is the ability to integrate diverse perspectives into legal strategies that promote equitable outcomes for all. You bring a genuine dedication to service, a readiness to learn, and the drive to support a mission that benefits our entire community.
We offer a flexible hybrid schedule to support both work-life balance and team collaboration. You’ll be in the office Tuesday through Thursday, working alongside colleagues to support our various lines of business, and then enjoy the flexibility of working from home on Mondays and Fridays.
This is a full-time, limited duration position for 24 months, with a projected start date of September 2025.
- Essential Job Duties
- Provide legal support to all divisions of the Port, including aviation, industrial land development, marine, navigation, risk, environmental, bankruptcy, project delivery, procurement, public affairs, and human resources
- Research and analyze complex business issues
- Interpret contract provisions and laws
- Conduct legal research and prepare legal memoranda and other written work products Draft and negotiate easements, leases, licenses, permits and rights of entry
- Provide legal advice and analysis on public agency functions and powers under applicable laws
- Give legal direction regarding public records and records retention laws, legal holds, litigation, public contracting and records disposition matters
- Minimum Qualifications
In addition to completing a Port of Portland application, you must submit a cover letter, copy of your resume, current transcript , and a representative writing sample of no more than five pages.
- Bachelor's and Juris Doctorate degrees are required
- 0-2 years of experience practicing law
- Current active member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar as of the agreed employment start date, or eligible to become an active member within six months of the start date
- candidates admitted in other states and 3L candidates must have registered to sit for the July 2025 Oregon State Bar exam or seek Comity admission to the Oregon State Bar.
- Following the start of employment, the Port will provide reimbursement for the cost of the July 2025 Oregon State Bar exam.
- Experience with legal research and writing
- Interest in public agency, real estate, public contracting, aviation and/or environmental law is preferred
Demonstrated Skills:- Perform complex legal research and analysis
- Exercise judgment in isolating relevant information and issues
- Advocate and influence outcomes, draft and negotiate contracts, and provide excellent customer service
- Format and produce correspondence and documents
- Work productively as part of an inclusive team
- Perform tasks with minimal supervision
- Organize workload and prioritize tasks to meet changing priorities and deadline
Ability to:- Demonstrate the Port's commitment to valuing differences among individuals and passion for being inclusive
- Communicate legal advice and opinions clearly and succinctly, both orally and in writing
- Provide high-quality, timely legal work product and advice
- Learn and retain applicable statutes, regulations and other legal authorities
- Evaluate related factors, assess alternatives, and recommend courses of action
- Learn basic principles of real estate, environmental, and aviation laws and state and federal public contracting laws
- Supplemental and Selection Information
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:
To be considered for this position, please ensure you complete the entire online employment application and submit all required materials: a cover letter, resume, current transcript, and a writing sample of no more than five pages. Applications missing any of these elements will be considered incomplete and will not be reviewed. Please note that we cannot accept late submissions.
SELECTION PROCESS & PROJECTED TIMELINE: (tentative schedule):- Minimum Qualification Evaluation: During the week of January 6, Human Resources and the Hiring Manager will evaluate the education, training, and experience outlined in submitted application packets.
- Subject Matter Expert (SME) Evaluation: A panel of internal Subject Matter Experts will assess your experience and training based on your application materials and responses to the supplemental questionnaire.
- Interview Scheduling: Our goal is to schedule first-round interviews with candidates who successfully pass the SME evaluation during the week of January 13. The first round will typically involve human resources and the hiring manager. Second-round panel interviews are planned for the week of January 20 and will include the hiring manager, the recruiter, and other internal stakeholders.
Our organization adheres to established salary ranges for each position to ensure equitable pay practices. However, final offers are determined based on various factors, including the candidate's experience, qualifications, and considerations of internal pay equity.
About us:
At the Port of Portland, we use everything we have – our three airports, four marine terminals, five business parks, and all the resources, expertise, and experience behind them – to move with purpose, connecting people with powerful opportunities and creating value for our region. We know that every person we hire, business we work with, contract we sign and decision we make is a chance to make someone’s life better. And we’ll use our power and influence to pull down barriers, unlock new opportunities, ensure more people share in our region’s success and include those who have been excluded in the past. With YOUR help – together with our partners, customers, and community – we’ll help drive meaningful change!
Do you have questions about this job?
Contact us: careers@portofportland.com
Safety: The Port promotes safety as a guiding principle and practice in accomplishing work by complying with safety and health policies and procedures and consistently seeking improvements that support operational excellence.
Diversity and Inclusion: At the Port, we don't just accept difference; we value and support it to create a culture of inclusiveness and fun. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
EEO/Affirmative Action Policy Statement: The Port of Portland is dedicated to maintaining and improving a work environment, which extends equal opportunity to all individuals, regardless of their race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability or sexual orientation. Employment decisions shall be made in such a manner as to further the principle of equal employment opportunity and to comply with state, federal and local laws. We affirm through this policy statement our continuing commitment to the principles of nondiscrimination and affirmative action.
Veterans Preference: Under Oregon law, qualified veterans may be eligible for veterans preference when applying for Port of Portland positions. If you are a veteran and would like to be considered for a veterans preference for this job, please provide the qualifying documents as instructed during the application process.
Background Checks and Drug Testing: The Port of Portland will conduct background checks and/or drug tests for positions where such tests are required by regulation and for other safety-sensitive positions.
ADA Accommodation: Accommodations will be considered for applicants or candidates with a qualifying disability that prevents them from participating in this process. Accommodations will be made where the Port can reasonably do so without imposing an undue hardship on the business or compromising the integrity of the recruitment process. An applicant with any disability who believes that they need an accommodation should contact Human Resources: call 503-415-6690 or email careers@portofportland.com.
- $95,500 - $152,500/year
