State of Maryland

OPC 0005

PROFESSIONAL SERVICE     BARGAINING UNIT: X

An Assistant People’s Counsel IV is the advanced level of work providing legal services for the Office of People’s Counsel.   Employees in this classification perform all of the duties of full performance level Assistant People’s Counsel III, and is responsible for major cases in a particular industry (i.e., the natural gas, electric, telecommunication or water industries).  Employees in this classification, in addition to responsibility for major cases, are required to review proposed federal and state legislation, rules or regulations within their respective industries and recommend agency positions on these pending statutes, rules and regulations.  Employees in this classification would also be required, for matters within their particular industry, to draft legislation, testify before federal and state legislative committees, and meet with federal and state regulators and federal and state elected officials to advocate for policies within the particular industry adopted by the People’s Counsel.

Employees in this classification receive general supervision from the People’s Counsel or the Deputy People’s Counsel.  Employees in this classification may be required to travel throughout the State to attend evening and weekend hearings and may be required to work overtime to meet deadlines.

Positions in this classification are evaluated by using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Assistant People’s Counsel IV is differentiated from the Assistant People’s Counsel III in that the Assistant People’s Counsel IV functions as a specialist for a particular industry while the Assistant People’s Counsel III performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.  The Assistant People’s Counsel IV is differentiated from the Deputy People’s Counsel in that the Deputy People’s Counsel has supervisory responsibility for lower-level Assistant People’s Counsels.

Attorneys in this classification are responsible for and held accountable for making sure that the People’s Counsel is aware of all significant federal and State legislative proposals and agendas of the companies within the Attorney’s particular industry.  In performing these functions, Attorneys monitor the trade press; participate in committee work for the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates; and network with industry members, regulators and other consumer advocates.

Education:   A Juris Doctor degree or an equivalent degree from an accredited school of law.

Experience: Four years of experience in a government agency practicing law related to the regulation of public utilities or five years as a practicing Attorney.

Notes:

1. Employees in this classification must be a member of the Bar of any state or federal jurisdiction at the time of appointment and must become a member of the Maryland Bar within 18 months of appointment.

2. The above requirements are set by the Office of People’s Counsel in accordance with the Public Utilities Article, Public Services and Utilities, Title 2 Public Service Commission and People's Counsel, Section 203 of the Annotated Code of   Maryland.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in general attorney classification or general attorney specialty codes in the legal and kindred group field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience and education.

Class Descriptions are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies.  Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

Class Descriptions provide information about the Nature of Work, Examples of Work, General Requirements and Acknowledgements.  The Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities; Minimum Education and Experience Requirements; Special Requirements; and recruitment and testing procedures are set by the using agency.

This is a Professional Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Professional Service positions.  Some positions in Professional Service classifications may be designated as Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is not assigned to a bargaining unit, as indicated by the designation of S (Supervisor), M (Manager), T (Agency Head), U (Board or Commission Member), W (Student), X (Used by Agency or Excluded by Executive Order), or Z (Confidential).  As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial and confidential employees are excluded collective bargaining.  Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Sep 1 2000 12:00AM

February 26, 2021

Director, Division of Classification and Salary