Closing Date: 9th March, 2026

Description:

Department Information:
Find a rewarding career making a difference: Join the Office of the Attorney General!

The Natural Resources and Environment Section, Federal & Interstate Water Unit is seeking an experienced attorney to join the hardworking and collaborative team that represents the Department of Natural Resources, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, Division of Water Resources (the State Engineer's Office), Compact Commissioners, and the State of Colorado. This attorney will help protect Colorado's significant rights and interests in its interstate waters by representing the State of Colorado in federal and interstate water matters in Colorado's major interstate river basins. The ideal candidate will have experience with Colorado water law, western water law, federal environmental law, federal regulatory law, and have a genuine desire to work on challenging and important matters in a public service role.

Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted on a rolling basis. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

Who We Are:
The Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law is the “People's Lawyer.” The Attorney General, Phil Weiser, was elected by the people of Colorado and is the State's chief lawyer and law enforcement official. Our vision for the Department of Law is: “Together, we serve Colorado and its people, advancing the rule of law, protecting our democracy and promoting justice for all.” Our core values and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, drive our actions and demonstrate our focus on being principled public servants who are innovative and better together.

Visit our website to learn more: https://coag.gov/.

Description of Job:
What you will do:
The Federal & Interstate Water Unit within the Natural Resources Section of the Office of the Attorney General seeks an Assistant Attorney General to assist in research, drafting, litigation, and negotiations involving compact compliance, environmental permitting, and related matters.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to represent the Department of Natural Resources, the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), Division of Water Resources (the State Engineer's Office), Compact Commissioners, and the State of Colorado in state and federal court, as well as in negotiations with other states, the federal government, and Indian Tribes. The purpose of that work is largely to protect and honor Colorado's rights and obligations under interstate water compacts, and to uphold the State's sovereign interests over water rights administration and distribution within its borders.

This position will assist other attorneys within the unit in managing the legal aspects of the State's interstate water compacts. The position will also assist those attorneys and the clients in navigating issues of federal reserved water rights, federal environmental programs, and state water rights administration within Colorado. The position will include legal and legislative research, brief and memo drafting, and discovery management. In addition to representing the State of Colorado in litigation and negotiations with other states, the position will require the candidate to interact with water users, federal agencies, non-governmental organizations, and Indian Tribes. Some travel may be required.

This recruitment may be used to fill more than one Assistant Attorney General position in 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-$117,964/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 - $136,558/annually.

Salary will be paid on a biweekly basis.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights:
What we are looking for:

Applicants must:
Be admitted to the Colorado bar or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.

Our ideal candidates will have many, or most, of the following skills and attributes:

Demonstrated experience with Western Water Law, Colorado water law preferred, or federal regulatory experience. Familiarity with interstate compacts is also beneficial.
Aptitude for legislative, legal, and historical research.
Excellent writing and oral advocacy skills.
Demonstrated litigation experience in federal or state courts.
Demonstrated experience in negotiations and other transactional work.
Familiarity with litigation discovery and document management.
Familiarity with federal environmental and endangered species law.
Familiarity with Tribal law.
Ability to effectively work with stakeholders on complex issues.
Superior skills in legal research and a natural curiosity to investigate issues.
Strong problem-solving skills and a demonstrated ability to analyze complex legal and factual problems.
Ability to manage a heavy workload and thrive under tight deadlines.
Self-starter, who can work independently, but also enjoys collaborating with a team.

Conditions of Employment:

Applicants must pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment.
Requires in-state travel by state vehicle and occasional interstate travel as needed.
Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel website.

The Office of the Attorney General offers challenging, interesting, and meaningful work. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that a diverse work force adds quality and perspective to the services we provide to the public. Candidates with diverse qualities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

This position is non-classified and is not subject to appeal rights.

Supplemental Information:
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
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 hea