Associate General Counsel - Staff Attorney 2 or...

Closing Date: 10th December, 2025

Description:

The work you'll do is more than just a job.
At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

Job Summary:
Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) is seeking an Associate General Counsel to provide legal advice and guidance to MMB management and staff. This position will ensure compliance with state and federal data privacy laws, including the requirements imposed by the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA), and serve as the General Counsel's primary backup, providing legal guidance to MMB management and staff in various legal areas as needed. This includes the Minnesota Imprisonment and Exoneration Remedies Act, state budgeting and financial management, contract review, the state Code of Ethics, litigation and discovery, and other areas as assigned by MMB General Counsel. This is a new and crucial role within the Legal Services team that will collaborate with government leadership to coordinate legal strategy for MMB.

This posting will be used to fill one position at a classification dependent on the selected candidate's skills and experience.

Job duties for this position include:

• Serving as MMB's Data Compliance Official as defined in M.S. section 13.05 and providing legal expertise and general oversight of data privacy functions; managing data requests, data practices complaints, and responses to data practices violations
• Assisting the MMB General Counsel in the provision of legal advice and counsel to MMB; serving as backup for the General Counsel when they are unavailable
• Conducting legal research and analysis in response to requests for legal advice
• Ensuring MMB policies, procedures, and actions are developed and implemented in accordance with applicable state and federal law
• Assisting the MMB General Counsel prepare for settlement conferences and negotiate settlement agreements under the Minnesota Imprisonment and Exoneration Remedies Act (MIERA).
• Coordinating litigation and discovery responses with the Office of the Attorney General
• Working with MMB budget and finance staff to evaluate agency spending authority
• Assessing whether certain employee activities are compliant with relevant state ethics requirements
• Reviewing MMB contracts for compliance with state law and policy and assess for organizational risk and liability
• Advising on proposed legislative changes
• Collaborating with attorneys at other state agencies and Governor's Office staff

Telework options for this position are dependent on where the employee lives. With approval, employees that live within 50 miles from the primary work location may telework up to 50%. Employees that live 50 miles or more from the primary location and live in Minnesota may telework more than 50% with approval.

Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:
To facilitate proper years of service crediting, please ensure that your resume clearly describes your experience in the areas listed and indicates the beginning and ending month and year for each job held. Candidates must clearly demonstrate all the following qualifications on their resume. Resume tips are available here.

Important! To be considered for the Staff Attorney 2 classification, applicants must submit a cover letter and meet the below qualifications:

• Two (2) years of experience providing legal advice and counsel to in house/internal clients
• Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an ABA-accredited law school and actively licensed and in good standing to practice law in the State of Minnesota (or ability to obtain licensure within 90 days of hire)

Experience must include:

• Advising on and responding to data requests related to the MGDPA
• Interpersonal skills sufficient to build and maintain good working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including other counsel, senior leadership, and agency partners
• Analytical, legal research, and problem-solving skills sufficient to identify issues before they arise, propose new and innovative solutions, advise others, and evaluate implementation of solutions
• Writing and communication skills sufficient to draft and present clear, effective, and legally sound arguments; critical and complex information; legal documents; and policy requirements
• Demonstrated respect for diversity and a deep commitment to fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment

Important! To be considered for the Staff Attorney 3 classification, applicants must submit a cover letter, meet all the above qualifications, and have at least four (4) years of relevant experience.

Preferred Qualifications:
MMB values diverse perspectives and encourages all qualified candidates to apply, even if they do not meet 100% of the preferred qualifications. Your unique skills and background might be just what we need!

• Experience providing legal advice and guidance related to the MGDPA, data privacy, records retention, and related compliance
• Data practices-related experience in Minnesota state government
• Data practices-related experience in a unionized environment
• Experience collaborating with attorneys from outside organizations
• Experience representing a public employer (county, state, federal, Tribal, or local government unit)
• Experience planning and delivering complex legal training to non-legal audiences
• Experience giving legal advice to senior organizational leadership
• Experience collaborating on organizational strategy in response to litigation
• Experience managing or facilitating a client's response to subpoenas and other forms of legal discovery
• Experience reviewing contracts for compliance with relevant state and federal law and organization policy
• Experience giving guidance on ethical issues

Additional Requirements:
It is the policy of Minnesota Management and Budget that a successful candidate must pass all required checks prior to employment which may consist of the below checks:

• SEMA4 records check (applies to current and past state employees only)
• Criminal history check
• Reference check
• Social Security and address verification
• Education verification
• Conflict of interest review
• Other legally or internal policy required checks

A criminal history does not automatically disqualify candidates, and each case will be reviewed individually on a case-by-case basis and in alignment with fair and equitable hiring practices.

Minnesota Management & Budget does not participate in E-Verify. Minnesota Management & Budget will not sponsor applicant work visas, including F-1 STEM OPT extensions. All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States.

Application Details
How to Apply:
Select “Apply for Job” at the top of this page. If you have questions about applying for jobs, contact the Careers Help Desk at 651-259-3637 or email careers@state.mn.us. For additional information about the application process, go to http://www.mn.gov/careers.

To receive consideration as a Connect 700 Program applicant, apply online, email the Job ID#, the Working Title and your valid Proof of Eligibility Certificate by the closing date to Jake Pleschourt at jake.pleschourt@state.mn.us.

MMB may choose to non-competitively interview certain disabled veterans (CDVs). To receive consideration as a CDV under M.S. 43A.111, you must:

• Meet service requirements and have a verified service-connected disability rating of at least 30%
• Provide qualifying documentation verifying the disability
• Meet all minimum qualifications identified in this posting
• Submit all documentation by the closing date to Jake Pleschourt at jake.pleschourt@state.mn.us.

Contact:
If you have questions about this position, contact Jake Pleschourt at jake.pleschourt@state.mn.us or 651-201-2567.

Working together to improve the state we love.