Staff Attorney 2

The State of Connecticut, Office of Consumer Counsel (OCC) is a small, independent state agency that acts as the advocate for consumer interests in matters which may affect Connecticut consumers relating to electricity, natural gas, water, and telecommunications. The OCC is a statutory party to all proceedings before the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) and is authorized to appear and participate in any regulatory or judicial proceedings, federal or state, in which the interests of Connecticut utility consumers may be involved. In addition to representing consumer interests before PURA, the OCC participates actively in proceedings before federal agencies, including the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ("FERC") and the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC"), advocates on behalf of consumer interests in state and federal courts, and promotes the interests of consumers at the Connecticut legislature and in regional and national forums.

The OCC has a current opportunity for a Staff Attorney 2 in the New Britain Office. The Staff Attorney 2 will have the opportunity to work and participate in cases in administrative and judicial settings, including the opportunity to serve as lead counsel or team leader on matters involving a variety of advanced and complex legal issues related to OCC's statutory responsibilities.

The OCC's work covers a wide range of topics, including:  

Wholesale and retail electric and gas markets and rates;

Water rates, infrastructure, and resource planning;

Energy infrastructure  (e.g., gas pipelines; electric transmission lines);

Energy efficiency and demand response;

Utility service quality and storm response;

Renewable energy, distributed generation, and grid modernization;

Electric vehicles and energy storage;

Policy development on issues relating to electricity, natural gas, and water; and    

Telecommunications service, service quality, and infrastructure, broadband access, and telecommunications policy.  

This is a full-time, 40 hours per week position, Monday – Friday. 

Applicants must include a resume within the “Resume Tab” of their application.   

Questions regarding this position should be directed to the hiring agency's human resources office:  DEEP.HumanResources@ct.gov or (860) 424-3006.

This position is non-examined. Open to the public.

The selected candidate must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.

Must have valid driver's license. May be required to travel.

Applicants invited to interview may be required to submit additional documentation, which supports their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include:  performance reviews, supervisory references, college transcripts, etc., at the discretion of the agency.  

Please Note:  You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.

In a state agency this class is accountable for independently performing a full range of tasks in the legal work of the agency.

Performs advanced and complex legal work of an agency; researches, interprets, analyzes and applies complex and conflicting laws and regulations, case law and legal principles; acts as hearing officer or represents agency in formal administrative and public proceedings on a full range of cases involving complex legal and technical issues; negotiates and drafts settlement agreements; drafts advisory opinions, rulings, decisions, recommendations, findings, legislation, statutes, regulations, publications and other related legal documents; assists in the preparation and presentation of trials and appeals; consults with the Office of the Attorney General on legal issues; researches complex legal issues; conducts investigations and enforcement proceedings; prepares comprehensive reports for use in administrative and court proceedings; prepares pleadings and other court papers; interprets and applies complex or conflicting laws and regulations, case law and legal principles; participates in the conduct of various educational activities; provides legal guidance when duly authorized; provides input into policy formation; may testify at or monitor legislative proceedings; may represent agency in court when authorized; reviews court decisions, new and proposed laws and regulations to determine impact on agency operations; prepares and maintains precedent manuals; reviews legal and other related documents for legal sufficiency; performs related duties as required.

A Staff Attorney 2 at the Office of the Consumer Counsel will:

Work and participate in cases in administrative and judicial settings, including the opportunity to serve as lead counsel or team leader on matters involving a variety of advanced and complex legal issues related to OCC's statutory responsibilities;

Work with members of OCC and represent OCC before other agencies or entities on cutting edge policy initiatives;

Participate as a team member of a  small, highly-skilled staff dedicated to the mission of consumer advocacy;

Work independently and creatively solve problems;

Work with subject-matter experts on contested and uncontested matters;

Research, analyze, and apply complex laws and regulations, case law, and legal principles;

Collaborate with the Office of the Attorney General, the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, and other state agencies on legal issues, policy development, or resource procurements;

Provide legal guidance to the Consumer Counsel;

Negotiate and draft settlements related to multimillion dollar utility issues;

Develop, review, and opine on legislative proposals;

Interact with Connecticut legislators and state officials on a broad array of issues related to the Office of Consumer Counsel and its mission.

Considerable knowledge of legal principles, practices and procedures in Connecticut; considerable knowledge of legal research techniques; considerable knowledge of the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act; considerable knowledge of and the ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation; considerable knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; knowledge of the rules of evidence; knowledge of criminal and constitutional law and legislative process; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable ability to apply judicial decisions to the interpretation of statues; considerable ability to comprehend, analyze and organize technical data and coordinate elements of legal cases.

STAFF ATTORNEY 2: Two (2) years of experience in the practice of law.
STAFF ATTORNEY 3: Three (3) years of experience in the practice of law at the level of Staff Attorney 2 in the same state agency.

•    Demonstrated interest or experience in the core advocacy mission of the Office of Consumer Counsel;

•    Excellent legal writing skills;

•    Knowledge of or experience in one or more of the following: energy, natural gas, water, telecommunications,  utility, finance, economics, environmental, or other related technical field;

•    Demonstrated ability to work in a team setting;

•    Experience in litigation or administrative law;

•    Experience or interest in effective communication skills or public speaking.  

1. Must be admitted to practice law in the State of Connecticut.
2. May be required to travel.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.