STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Staff Attorney 2

Hybrid

Recruitment #220803-0088AR-001

Introduction

Office of Early Childhood launches CTCARES for Family Child Care — Carver Foundation of Norwalk

Are you an attorney who chose a career in law so you could make a difference? 
Are you passionate about serving young children of Connecticut? 
  If so, we encourage you to apply for this exciting opportunity!

WHO WE ARE:
The State of Connecticut, Office of Early Childhood (OEC), is the lead agency for early childhood services for the state’s youngest children; including early care and education, home visiting, developmental support, and program/provider development. We are currently recruiting for an exciting Staff Attorney 2 position to join our team supporting compliance with federal requirements under the Child Care Development Block grant (CCDBG) and expansion of the Agency’s background check program.

Our agency’s mission is to support all young children by ensuring that early childhood policy, funding and services strengthen the critical role families, providers, educators, and communities play in a child’s life. We believe in ensuring all children are safe, healthy, learning and thriving, and having a strong team is critical to us successfully achieving these goals. New parenthood and early childhood are extremely important moments in a person’s life and nurturing or harmful experience during this time can have significant and long-lasting impacts.  

Our mission and vision serve as the guideposts for the development of policies and programs and ensure that we work to actively and purposefully dismantle racism and advance equity for all individuals throughout the early childhood system and the professional selected to fill this role must align with, believe in and promote this mission and vision.  

THE ROLE:
As a Staff Attorney 2, you will support the agency’s legally required responsibilities related to completion of criminal and protective services background checks of child care providers, staff and household members to ensure the health and safety of children receiving child care services in Connecticut. Additionally, it may include contract review and contract drafting. The selected candidate selected must have exceptional organizational skills, excellent written and verbal communication and must be a team player!

WORK SCHEDULE:
This position is 8:00 am- 4:30 pm, Monday – Friday, providing for alternate work schedules and the opportunity to telework.

BENEFITS:
We offer a competitive benefits package that includes healthcare coverage, a retirement plan as well as paid time off, including 12 paid holidays per calendar year! We also encourage a healthy work/life balance to all employees. 

Selection Plan

To Apply:

  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application. Failure to do so may result in not being considered for vacancies in that specific location or shift.
  • All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.
FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:

Important Information After You Apply:

  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
Connect With Us:

Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be available through your JobAps portal account. Should you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Frank DeCusati at frank.decusati@ct.gov or 860-713-5176.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

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

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

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.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

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 statutes; considerable ability to comprehend, analyze and organize technical data and coordinate elements of legal cases.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

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.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience conducting legal research
  • Experience interpreting and applying laws and regulations
  • Experience writing legal briefs, decisions, or memoranda of law
  • Experience providing legal representation in administrative or judicial proceedings
  • Experience meeting deadlines with competing priorities 
  • Experience collaborating as a team with internal and external stakeholders

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

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

Conclusion

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.