Closing Date: 6th October, 2025
Description:
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is the state agency that advances public education and libraries in Wisconsin. Our mission is to advance equitable, transformative, and sustainable educational experiences that develop learners, schools, libraries, and communities in Wisconsin. Working at DPI offers you the opportunity to build on our long-standing commitment to public education so that students are learning the skills and knowledge necessary to become contributing members of our communities.At DPI, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone feels safe, supported, and valued. Equity and inclusion are at the core of our organizational values, which include belonging, integrity, love, humility, and honor. These values guide how we build our teams, develop our leaders, and create a culture that empowers everyone to be their authentic selves. When employees are respected and valued for who they are and staff are held accountable for demonstrating that respect to others, we believe it drives greater engagement and collaboration, ignites creativity and innovation, and fosters connection between teams and those we serve.
Our employees enjoy an exceptional employee assistance program that offers a variety of programs and tools to help promote wellness. We have a team-oriented atmosphere, focus on work-life balance, and offer flexible work schedules for most positions. Click this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUu6A5dZBPU) to learn more about the benefits of working at DPI.
The Office of Legal Services within the Division of Government & Public Affairs is seeking applicants for an Attorney position. If you are seeking a regular, consistent schedule working alongside a team of smart, engaged, and motivated colleagues, this may be the ideal position for you! Team members enjoy supporting one client (no billable hour tracking!) and performing mission driven work that contributes to public education and shaping policy.
Position Summary:
This position provides legal advice and representation to the department.
Duties include: performing legal research and writing projects, including preparing legal memoranda; representing the department before other administrative agencies and, when necessary, in court; collaborating with staff to draft, review, negotiate, and manage legal agreements and contracts; assisting the Wisconsin Department of Justice in defending the department in state and federal court; reviewing department policies and practices to ensure compliance with state and federal laws and regulations; researching and drafting final agency decisions and orders; coordinating with department staff to ensure the timely response to public records requests; providing training to department staff on a variety of legal topics; and providing general legal advice and counsel to the department.
For more information, please view the complete position description.
Salary Information:
Depending on qualifications, the salary will be between $48.00 - $54.00 per hour (approximately $99,840 - $112,320 per year). For current and eligible former State employees, compensation will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan effective at time of hire. This position is in pay schedule 09, range 75. A one-year probationary period will be required.
This position offers excellent benefits (https://etf.wi.gov/career-benefits-state-employees). The State of Wisconsin is a qualifying employer for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service).
Job Details:
Remote Work: This position has the option of working 100% remotely with a requirement that the employee is expected to have access to secure high speed internet. DPI employees are generally expected to work within the state of Wisconsin. Advance approvals are required to have an out-of-state telework site. Remote work flexibility will be discussed in more detail during the interview process.
Headquarters: The position is headquartered at 201 W. Washington Ave. in Madison, WI, and employees are required to report there on their first day of employment. In addition, the employee may need to report to their headquarter location as operational needs require. Reimbursement for traveling to or from the employee's headquarters is not provided (e.g., mileage, meals, parking, lodging, etc.).
Pre-hire requirements: A criminal background check will be conducted prior to an offer of hire.
Legal authorization: Applicants must be legally entitled to work in the United States (i.e., a citizen or national of the U.S., without DPI sponsorship). The Department of Public Instruction does not sponsor visas, either at time of hire or at any later time.
Qualifications:
Please address the following in your resume and/or letter of qualifications.
A minimally qualified applicant must have experience with all the below:
- Researching, analyzing, and interpreting law
- Providing legal advice, counsel, and recommendations
- Providing legal representation (e.g., conducting litigation or hearings, negotiating, etc.)
- Preparing legal documents or memorandums (e.g., pleadings, briefs and allied court papers, legal opinions, administrative rules, orders, contracts, agreements, etc.)
- Graduated from an accredited law school
- Licensed (or eligible to obtain a license) to practice law in the state of Wisconsin
- Providing legal advice in one of the following areas: K-12 education programs, licensing, employment, or special education.
How to Apply:
Applying is easy! Click “Apply for Job” to start your application process. Sign into your account or click “Register Now” to create an account before applying for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application.
Helpful Tips:
- Current state employees must apply through the STAR “Careers” tile. Do not create an external applicant account.
- There will be no opportunity to change your application materials once you have clicked “Submit”.
- The system will automatically log you off after 30 minutes of inactivity, so click “Save as a Draft” often.
- Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for general Wisc.Jobs user information and technical assistance.
- Candidates may need to check their spam or junk email folders for correspondence about this position.
Your resume should include the following:
- Your educational background including any course work that relates to the position in which you are applying.
- Your employment history, including experiences and/or duties and a summary of accomplishments and skills learned or used.
- Any training or experience, including volunteer work or internships, you have related specifically to the “Qualifications” section of the assessment.
- Spell out any acronyms and/or abbreviations the first time used.
- Additional information regarding your past work experience, including volunteer work and internships, or coursework you have taken.
- Highlights of your most relevant skills and experiences as they related to the specific job you are applying for.
- Specific examples that clearly demonstrates your level of expertise.
Your application materials should not include any information that is not job-related, such as race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, creed, disability, or genetic information. Further, do not include any self-identifying information such as photos, social security numbers, political affiliation, citizen status or conviction records. This document is not a letter of recommendation that someone else wrote about you.
Application materials will be evaluated, and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the process. References will be requested from top candidates once interviews have taken place.
The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the
