Assistant Attorney General – Human Services Division
The Human Services Division represents the Department of Children’s Services, Department of Human Services, and Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services. Division attorneys develop and hone every skill needed to be successful as trial and appellate litigators, advisors, teachers, and problem-solvers. Not only do Division attorneys handle complex legal issues involving constitutional challenges and statutory interpretation, but they also protect Tennessee’s most at-risk populations—children and vulnerable adults—from harm, helping them to lead stable lives going forward. The work of the Division is diverse, unique, and government-specific and allows attorneys to be true advocates for their clients and the State of Tennessee.
Responsibilities:
- Serve as lead counsel on a variety of civil appeals in the Tennessee Court of Appeals and Tennessee Supreme Court that stem from trial litigation handled by agency attorneys
- Serve as lead counsel or second chair in civil rights litigation in state and federal trial and appellate courts
- Serve as lead counsel in state trial courts on a variety of matters, including but not limited to: constitutional challenges to statutes and rules/regulations, contempt petitions, and Uniform Administrative Procedures Act petitions for judicial review
- Review rules and regulations promulgated by agency clients under the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act
- Advise client agencies regarding complex legal issues
- Train and teach client attorneys at DCS and DHS through CLE presentations
- Review pleadings and documents to evaluate a case and develop a case strategy
- Effectively manage and meet deadlines
- Draft and respond to pleadings, motions, and written discovery
- Conduct witness interviews and other investigatory tasks
- Appear at oral arguments in appellate courts and hearings in trial courts
- Negotiate settlements
- Travel across the State for depositions, hearings, trials, site visits, etc.
Qualifications:
- Juris Doctorate
- Tennessee law license or eligibility for a Tennessee law license
- Minimum 2 years of experience in civil litigation preferred
- Strong legal research and analytical skills
- Superior writing and oral advocacy skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
- Excellent time management and organizational skills
- Capability to work concurrently on multiple cases and/or projects
- Precision and attention to detail
- Willingness to travel throughout the State
- Commitment to being client-focused and responsive to the client agency’s questions and concerns
To apply:
Applications can be submitted via our online application portal.
Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws. The application process for this position may require a criminal history check.