WHAT YOU WILL DO
Attorneys in this role often:
Litigate before federal and state district courts and the Office of Administrative Courts.
Defend findings of child abuse, neglect, and adult mistreatment made by county human services departments.
Prosecute licensing actions against childcare providers and substance absuse disorder treatment or behavioral health providers for violation of state regulations and applicable state statutes.
Defend the departments against civil complaints seeking injunctive relief.
Handle cases involving constitutional challenges, anti-discrimination laws, and other high-impact legal questions with important legal ramifications and state-wide or national impact.
Other cases involve issues related to public benefits and child support services, care and treatment of individuals living with developmental disabilities or mental health disorders, child welfare, and juvenile justice.
Advisory and Policy Work
In addition to litigation, attorneys routinely provide general counsel to CDHS, CDEC and the BHA, including:
Advising on rulemaking and legislative matters
Responding to records requests and subpoenas
Conducting legal research and drafting guidance/advice on diverse and complex legal issues.
Cases and assignments are diverse and may arise from any division across all departments, offering attorneys a broad and intellectually engaging practice. There are opportunities to collaborate with other units and sections within the office, expanding both subject-matter expertise and professional development.
This announcement may be used to fill multiple attorney positions within the State Services section, Human Services unit at the Department of Law.
Salary note: The Department of Law uses a wage progression compensation model. Although a salary range is listed, salary will be set commensurate with the successful candidate's qualifications and in compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act.
Attorneys with less than 3 years of experience as a practicing attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General I (AAG I). Effective July 1, 2025, the salary range for an AAG I is $88,197-$96,554/annually.
Attorneys with more than 3 years of experience practicing as an attorney may be hired as an Assistant Attorney General II (AAG II). Effective July 1, 2025, the AAG II salary range is $102,099 - $136,468/annually.
Salary will be paid on a biweekly basis.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
The Human Services unit is seeking experienced, confident, and adaptable attorneys who are passionate about public service and want to be a part of a collaborative and supportive team. Ideal candidates will have enough litigation experience to jump in and manage their own caseload, assess problems, research novel state and federal issues, evaluate and identify solutions, effectively communicate those solutions and be comfortable representing clients in hearings.
Candidates
must be licensed to practice law in Colorado or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application before the first day of employment.
In addition, the best candidates will possess the following skills and attributes:
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Excellent interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence.
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Ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
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Experience litigating complex matters in district courts and/or administrative courts.
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Strong legal writing, research, and analytical skills.
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Interest in working on cases that involve children, vulnerable adults and emotionally challenging subject matters.
Some knowledge in the following areas is beneficial: administrative, juvenile, child welfare, behavioral health, privacy law, open records law, special education law, constitutional law, and appellate law.
Please note: Litigation experience does not need to be limited to formal criminal or civil proceedings, but please describe your litigation and subject matter experience in your cover letter.
THIS POSITION REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE WRITING SAMPLE. PLEASE REVIEW THE "HOW TO APPLY" SECTION OF THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The Office of the Attorney General offers challenging, interesting, and meaningful work. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that a diverse workforce adds quality and perspective to the services we provide to the public. Candidates with diverse qualities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENTHOW TO APPLY
Applicants must establish an account with governmentjobs.com and complete the online applications including the Contact Information section. Applicants are not required to complete the Work Experience, Education, or Additional Information sections of the online application. Applicants must provide 1) a cover letter detailing their interest in the position and their relevant experience; 2) a resume; 3) one independent writing sample, and 4) three professional references. Use the "Attachments" feature of the online application to add documents.
Applicant may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.
ADAAA Requests
The Department of Law is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, Julie Christopher at [email protected].
For general information regarding this position and other attorney opportunities at our office, please contact our Legal Talent Director at [email protected].
WHY WORK FOR US
We Embrace Flexibility
We aim to produce outstanding work product for our clients, be efficient with our time, and support each other as team members – which also means we embrace flexible working arrangements when and where possible.
We Are Committed to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
At the DOL, our commitment to DEI is thriving. We know that we are better together when our differences are valued and everyone is inspired and empowered to contribute. As such, we strive to provide a safe environment where individuals feel valued and respected for who they are; demonstrate a behavior and mindset where differences are welcomed, and individuals are treated equally and empowered to do their best work; and promote growth and innovation through a diverse workforce. We empower an active Diversity Equity & Inclusion Impact Team that creates approaches to ensure safe spaces and a culture supportive of people being their authentic selves, hosts events and programs on DEI areas important to our employees, enables development and sustainability of resource groups that give a voice to historically marginalized populations, focuses on retaining our incredible talent, and more! If your professional goals include promoting growth and innovation with colleagues who recognize that we are better together when our differences are valued and respected, then DOL is your place to be!
We Have Strong Core Values
Our core values drive our actions. At the Department of Law, we are: 1) principled, maintaining the highest ethical standards, rigorous legal analysis, and careful evaluation of facts; 2) public servants, who are always ensuring our work is not about us, but instead is about the people of Colorado; 3) innovative, by seeking to identify the best approach, make deliberate decisions, and look to improve; and 4) "better together," by working to support each other and collaborate.
We are Committed to Developing our Attorneys
We are deeply invested in our talent and regularly provide meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth through training and coaching. Further, our professional development and performance goal setting process is collaborative and ongoing, and aimed at helping our attorneys grow and succeed.
We Offer Excellent Benefits
In addition to the comprehensive State of Colorado benefits package including competitive medical and dental health plans, employer-paid life insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans with Colorado PERA, and vacation and sick leave earned each month, there are many other unique benefits that we offer, including:
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Public Service Loan Forgiveness: As a state government employee, you might be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. A borrower may qualify for forgiveness by making 120 on-time payments while employed full-time in public service, if they have certain kinds of federal loans in a qualifying repayment plan
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Free access to a recently renovated on-site fitness center
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Excellent work-life programs, such as flexible work schedules, professional development opportunities, and an employee discount program
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Employer-paid mental health and counseling services through Colorado State Employee Assistance Program
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Employer-paid annual attorney registration dues
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Employer-provided access to professional development training and CLE through PLI, Department of Law University and other entities.
