Staff Attorney Job Announcement
Do you think practicing law should include a purpose as well as a paycheck? Are you more interested in finding creative solutions to complex and important problems than in fighting battles? Does serving the public while learning something new every day appeal to you? Do you want to work in a dynamic, diverse, cooperative, and respectful environment where your integrity, competence, and initiative will be appreciated? If so, consider a career where you serve the people of Colorado by helping the Colorado General Assembly provide effective representative government for all Coloradans. Consider a career where you don't just interpret or apply the law, but actually help make the law and address Colorado's most pressing public policy problems; where you use everything you bring to the table—your knowledge of the law and public policy, your research and writing skills, your interpersonal skills, your sound professional judgment, your ability to set aside your own biases, and, perhaps most of all, your intellectual curiosity and love of lifelong learning—to help make Colorado a better place. Consider a career with the Office of Legislative Legal Services ("OLLS"), the nonpartisan in-house counsel for the Colorado General Assembly.
The OLLS facilitates and supports the legislative work of the General Assembly and protects the General Assembly's organizational interests without participating in its politics. We draft legislation for all 100 state legislators, and we conduct legal and related public policy research for and provide legal advice to the legislators and the other nonpartisan legislative staff agencies. We also serve the people of Colorado directly by publishing and annotating the Colorado Revised Statutes, reviewing executive branch agency rules for compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, reviewing and commenting on potential new laws proposed by citizens exercising their initiative rights, and providing to the public information related to the work of the General Assembly. We provide these services proudly and with excellence to forward the cause of effective government for all Coloradans.
The OLLS seeks a full-time Staff Attorney for a position with a tentative starting date in mid-October. Each applicant must be licensed to practice law in Colorado. We prefer candidates who have at least three years of legal experience and can demonstrate a strong interest in supporting the work of representative government without being politically active. For more information about what an OLLS Staff Attorney does, please see the full job description here.
The OLLS offers a total compensation package that includes a starting salary ranging from $87,725 - $100,860, commensurate with demonstrated qualifications and experience; medical, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance and short-term disability insurance; employer contributions to retirement; paid leave benefits, including annual vacation leave, sick leave, family and medical leave, holidays, and compensatory time; a monthly transit allowance; seasonal flexible work schedules; and optional FSA and HSA accounts. OLLS Staff Attorneys may also qualify for a public service loan forgiveness if they meet certain requirements while employed full-time in public service.
The OLLS offers a hybrid work environment that is designed to meet the needs of the legislature and allow staff to work remotely throughout the year. However, during the four-month legislative session (January to May), this position regularly requires in-person work at the State Capitol. During the eight-month legislative interim (May through December), employees may choose to work remotely or come into the office on most days, but in-person attendance is occasionally required.
If interested, please send your resume, a writing sample, and a brief cover letter that highlights the reasons for your interest, any relevant legislative experience, and your salary requirements to olls.ga@coleg.gov, and include "Staff Attorney position" in the subject line of the electronic mail message.
Application materials must be received no later than July 26, 2024. No phone calls, please. A finalist for a Staff Attorney position must pass a basic criminal history record check.
The OLLS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by law or regulation. All qualified applicants are given equal opportunity, and employment decisions are based exclusively on job-related factors.