Closing Date: 31st October, 2026
Description:
Who we are:Our Mission:
The Ohio Consumers' Counsel advocates and educates to secure for Ohioans affordable, reliable, and equitable residential utility services that are essential to their well-being.
The Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the State's voice for millions of Ohio residential utility consumers, seeks an employee with a passion for public service to serve as an Assistant Consumers' Counsel in its Legal Department. This position is an opportunity to help consumers, including at-risk and low-income Ohioans, regarding justice for their electric, natural gas, telephone, and water utility services. Since the legislature created the agency in 1976, we have sought lower utility bills and reliable utility service for residential consumers. At OCC, we put Consumers First.
What You'll Do:
The attorney will provide legal advice to management and the agency director (the Consumers' Counsel) for leading the Agency's consumer protection role. The attorney will advocate (litigate and negotiate) the Agency's consumer protection issues in forums that principally include the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). Other forums for consumer advocacy can include the Ohio Supreme Court, and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Services also can include legislative advocacy, where utility regulation and consumer protection are set forth in Ohio law.
The attorney will need an understanding of utility regulations – that broadly involves rate-setting, service quality issues and policy matters such as the agency's favoring of effective competitive markets over monopolies for providing services to consumers. The attorney will assist with retaining and functionally supervising consultants for this work. The attorney will need to work well within agency teams and be adept at independent work requiring personal initiative to achieve agency objectives for consumers.
Additional Information:
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! (https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio) Our benefits package includes:
Medical Coverage
Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the available Ohio Med plans.
Quality, affordable, and competitive medical benefits are offered through the available Ohio Med plans.
Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance
Dental, vision, and basic life insurance premiums are free after completed eligibility period (https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio/healthcare/01-health-care). Length of eligibility period is dependent on union representation.
Dental, vision, and basic life insurance premiums are free after completed eligibility period (https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio/healthcare/01-health-care). Length of eligibility period is dependent on union representation.
Time Away From Work and Work/Life Balance
Employee Development Funds
The State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee.
- Paid time off, including vacation, personal, and sick leave
- 11 paid holidays per year
- Childbirth/Adoption leave
The State of Ohio offers a variety of educational and professional development funding that varies based on whether you are a union-exempt employee or a union-represented employee.
Ohio Public Employees Retirement System
OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee's salary. Visit the OPERS website (https://www.opers.org/) for more information.
OPERS is the retirement system for State of Ohio employees. The employee contributes 10% of their salary towards their retirement. The employer contributes an amount equal to 14% of the employee's salary. Visit the OPERS website (https://www.opers.org/) for more information.
Deferred Compensation
The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website (https://www.ohio457.org/) for more information.
Why Work for the State of Ohio:
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! (https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio) Our benefits package includes:
Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.
Qualifications:
The Assistant Consumers' Counsel must have a license to practice law in the State of Ohio. A minimum of three years or equivalent experience in public utility regulation, with a working knowledge of utility regulation and utility consumer issues is required. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in oral and written communications, including persuasive writing and making technical issues understandable. Familiarity with work processing programs, online research and other technology used in legal advocacy is expected. Applicants should have a willingness to work more than forty hours per week, as needed for consumer advocacy, and a commitment to public service.
The Ohio Deferred Compensation program is a 457(b) voluntary retirement savings plan. Visit the Ohio Deferred Compensation website (https://www.ohio457.org/) for more information.
Why Work for the State of Ohio:
At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! (https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio) Our benefits package includes:
- Medical Coverage
- Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period (https://careers.ohio.gov/why-work-for-state-of-ohio/healthcare/01-health-care)
- Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
- Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
- Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
- Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) (https://das.ohio.gov/employee-relations/benefits-administration/about-my-benefits/retirement-systems) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation) (https://www.ohio457.org/home)
Qualifications:
The Assistant Consumers' Counsel must have a license to practice law in the State of Ohio. A minimum of three years or equivalent experience in public utility regulation, with a working knowledge of utility regulation and utility consumer issues is required. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in oral and written communications, including persuasive writing and making technical issues understandable. Familiarity with work processing programs, online research and other technology used in legal advocacy is expected. Applicants should have a willingness to work more than forty hours per week, as needed for consumer advocacy, and a commitment to public service.