Assistant General Counsel

Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4705.01 of Revised Code; 12 mos. exp. as licensed attorney; 6 mos. exp. in employee training & development. 

Job Skills: Attorney/Legal; Ethics; Attention to Detail; Written Communication; Customer Focus; Problem Solving.

Intentional omission of relevant information, falsification, or misrepresentation of information on the application will disqualify the applicant. In addition, such intentional acts are grounds for immediate termination of an employee.

Final candidates selected for this position will be required to undergo a drug test. An applicant with a positive test result will not be offered employment. Final candidates selected for this position will also be required to undergo a criminal background check and state income tax check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration. 

This position serves at the pleasure and discretion of the State Public Defender. This position serves in a fiduciary relationship to the State Public Defender and will have an unclassified status per Ohio Revised Code 124.11 (A) (9).

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender (OPD) is the state agency responsible for providing legal representation and other services to people accused or convicted of a crime who cannot afford to hire an attorney.

Our Mission: Advocating. Fighting. Helping.
Our Vision:    A Fair Justice System.
Our Values:   Compassion. Dignity. Equity. Integrity. Service. Community.

We are committed to building a work environment where all team members have a voice and can embrace our differences to innovate service to the public in our pursuit of fairness and justice for all people.

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Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The Office of the Oho Public Defender is seeking an experienced Assistant General Counsel (Attorney 4) to support the agency’s day-to-day operations by identifying legal issues and providing sound advice to agency staff. This position reports to the General Counsel for the agency and requires both independent work and collaboration.

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated success problem-solving and brainstorming to find solutions that best serve the agency's personnel and clients. Strong knowledge of ethics law and administrative law is necessary, and experience as an attorney in state government providing legal counsel and advice to public officials is preferred. Candidates should demonstrate strong attention to detail, customer focus, ethics and values, and clear written communication, along with the ability to quickly conduct legal research, effectively assess risks and benefits, and multi-task while adapting to changing priorities.

Your job duties will include but are not limited to:

• Provide general legal advice to the Office of the Ohio Public Defender.

• Conduct legal research of case and statutory law, state and/or federal law on a variety of complex legal issues, including preparing written opinions or memoranda.

• Draft advisory opinions on ethics, legal issues, and agency compliance with regulations.

• Proactively identify and respond to questions involving the Professional Rules of Conduct for Lawyers, Ohio Ethics Laws, the Ohio Administrative Code, Public Records Law, and other applicable laws.

• Review agency programs, policies, and practices for legal implications.

• Respond to public records requests and assist with agency public information activities, including support for media and communications goals.

• Assist in labor relations matters, including investigations, disciplinary actions, and the grievance process.

• Support the Attorney General’s Office in administrative hearings as needed.

• Other duties as assigned to include serving as backup to the agency’s General Counsel as needed.

   

  We encourage you to submit a cover letter with your application to highlight your interest in the position and relevant experience. 

The Assistant General Counsel (Attorney 4) position is assigned to the State of Ohio’s E-1 Pay Range 14, presented below in table format. Starting pay will be at Step 1 unless required by contract/legislation; candidates with exceptional qualifications may be considered for higher starting pay. Our steps give a standard path for earnings growth\: you move to the next step after 6 months and annually thereafter. We typically have fiscal year Cost of Living Adjustments as well.

The Office of the Ohio Public Defender complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, please contact us at 614-466-5394 or HCM@opd.ohio.gov.