ASSISTANT DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL (Public Advocacy Division)

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Job location
441 4th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Job type: 
Other
Position Description: 

More information about this position, including application instructions, can be found at: http://www.naag.org/assets/redesign/files/jobs/17-037%20Assistant%20Depu...(Public%20Advocacy).pdf

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES: The Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia (OAG) is seeking candidates for the position of Assistant Deputy Attorney General for the Public Advocacy Division (“the Division”). Together, the Deputy Attorney General and the Assistant Deputy Attorney General of the Division oversee the management and operation of the Division. This is a new Division within OAG intended to focus and elevate the Office’s affirmative public interest civil litigation practice. Because the Division is new, the Assistant Deputy will be responsible for helping the Deputy to shape the Division and the nature of its work. The Division has two practice areas, each of which is led by a manager who conducts the day-to-day management of that area. The two practice areas are:

The Housing and Community Justice Section, led by the Section’s Chief. This Section works with community groups, tenant organizations, and District government agencies to address nuisance properties, litigates cases essential to protecting affordable housing and tenants’ rights, and litigates cases to protect residents from other abuses such as wage theft.

The Public Integrity Unit, led by the Unit’s Chief. This Unit brings enforcement cases against companies and individuals that engage in unlawful commercial activity causing harm to the public or harm to the District Government itself. The Division prosecutes a wide range of cases, including cases seeking damages or injunctive relief for violations of the antitrust, consumer protection, environmental, anti-fraud, nonprofit, and charities laws. Recent enforcement actions have addressed a wide range of public interest issues, including diversion of funding from public charter schools, misuse of District grant funds, online lending to consumers, and airline competition at Reagan National Airport.

The management of the Division also includes creating common policies and exploiting synergies between various buckets of affirmative litigation already practiced, as well as to expand upon the work already done by these attorneys in a manner that serves the public interest. The Deputy and Assistant Deputy work closely with the Attorney General and the Chief Deputy Attorney General in the planning, coordination and management of the OAG, including developing and implementing the vision for the Office’s affirmative civil litigation work. The responsibilities of the Assistant Deputy for Public Advocacy include, but are not limited to:

* Helping to establish the Division, its policies, practices, and procedures, including:
- Consulting with the Deputy and Chief Deputy Attorney General in the formulation of the Division’s legal and policy objectives;
- Incorporating best practices from the affirmative litigation groups of other state attorney general offices;
- Developing practices that encourage testing novel legal strategies or categories of cases that seek to promote the public interest; and
- Developing policies, including internal procedures as well as potential regulation or legislation, to strengthen existing protections for District residents.

* Managing the litigation work of the Division, including:
- Establishing litigation priorities;
- Supervising the litigation practice of the Division, including all aspects of civil and criminal actions, investigations, negotiations, and resolutions;
- Reviewing pleadings, motions, memoranda, and correspondence;
- Reviewing litigation outcomes to determine when appellate review may be needed; and
- Generating monthly case reports and other evaluative tools to the Attorney General, the Chief Deputy Attorney General and the Division Deputy.

* Helping to manage the operations of the Division, including:
- Preparing annual budget requests and performing ongoing programmatic monitoring and reporting;
- Managing personnel, including support staff, in a manner that encourages professional development, employee satisfaction, and quality outcomes; and
- Otherwise managing the operation of the Division, in compliance with OAG policies and procedures, to ensure timely delivery of legal services on a daily and long-range basis.

* Other duties associated with leading the Division, including:
- Advising the Attorney General on legal issues within the Public Advocacy arena;
- Fielding complaints from the public;
- Handling public speaking requests, press, and media inquiries;
- Participating in relevant work groups or OAG special projects, continuing legal education, and other opportunities to expand or inform the Division’s work;
- Coordinating with other OAG Divisions on joint enforcement or other opportunities; and
- Liaising, as needed, with members of the District of Columbia Council, members of the Executive, and other District officials on matters pertaining to the work of the Division.

Requirements: 

QUALIFICATIONS: The candidate must have significant experience supervising legal work, including the day-to-day activities of attorneys and support staff as well as strong organizational skills. The candidate should have at least 5 years of civil litigation experience, preferably in affirmative or otherwise public interest litigation, and excellent oral and writing skills. The candidate should also have a creative orientation toward the law and bring innovative thinking to the ways in which OAG can expand its work to meet the needs of District residents.

ELIGIBILITY: The successful candidate must have a law degree and be an active member in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction. If not a member of the District of Columbia Bar, the candidate must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of his/her initial appointment with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.

To apply: 

HOW TO APPLY: Candidates should e-mail one PDF file which includes: 1) a cover letter (must include the vacancy number) summarizing why you are interested and the skills and abilities you possess that will enable you to succeed in this position; 2) résumé; 3) list of three references; and 4) a writing sample to [email protected] by 11:59pm EST on June 22, 2017, addressed to Arlyntha Love, Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia, 441 4th Street NW, Washington, DC 20001.

Notes: 
Equal Opportunity Employer
Submission deadline: 
Thursday, June 22, 2017