Closing Date: 6th November, 2026
Description:
About this Job:The mission of the Louisiana Department of Health is to protect and promote health and to ensure access to medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services for all residents of the State of Louisiana.
Learn more about Louisiana Department of Health (https://ldh.la.gov/)
You'll serve as a senior legal counsel for one of the nine LDH regions throughout the state of Louisiana, with specific emphasis on the 24-hour state psychiatric hospitals, group homes, and forensic supervised transitional residential aftercare (FSTRA) facilities on the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELM HS) campus at Jackson, Louisiana in LDH Region 2. You'll performs highly professional and administrative duties and is responsible for providing highly technical legal direction, advice, assistance, consultation, representation. Bring your legal expertise to a role where your counsel helps protect the agency, support essential services, and improve outcomes for Louisiana residents. Incumbent must possess broad and intensive legal experience in all phases of the legal process regarding health law.
Minimum Qualifications:
Possession of a current Louisiana license to practice law plus four years of experience as a practicing attorney.
Job Specification
The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.
Job Duties and Other Information
Job Duties:
You'll have direct influence on the operation of LDH regional activities involving several major programs under LDH, including Office of Public Health (OPH), Office of Behavioral Health (OBH), Office for Citizens with Developmental Disabilities (OCDD), and Adult Protective Services (APS), as well as on the LDH facilities (including contracted facilities) located on the ELMHS campus at Jackson, Louisiana in LDH Region 2.
- Provide highly technical legal advice, assistance, and consultation to the Executive Counsel, General Counsel, and Deputy General Counsels, on high profile and complex legal matters.
- Provide legal advice, counsel, consultation, and representation to the Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System (ELMHS) and the Office of State Health Care Facilities on complex legal matters.
- Advise and represent state facilities in matters involving judicial commitments, court proceedings, and related legal requirements.
- Conduct and support facility investigations and provide legal guidance on disciplinary matters and civil service appeals.
- Review, interpret, and advise on facility policies, procedures, and practices to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Provide legal counsel on litigation involving state facilities, including matters related to the Community Forensic Services Program.
- Review, negotiate, and advise on contracts, cooperative endeavor agreements (CEAs), and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) involving state facilities.
- Conduct court hearings in multiple parishes and provide timely, well-reasoned legal guidance to protect the Department's interests, minimize liability, and support efficient operations.
Position-Specific Details:
Location: Office of the Secretary / Legal / East Feleciana Parish
Appointment Type: This position may be filled as a Probationary appointment, Promotional appointment, or Job appointment (temporary appointment that may last up to 48 months)
Cost Center: 3071070203
Position Number(s): 50557072
Compensation: This position is eligible for the following Special Entrance Rates (SER):
Attorney-Regional - $35.22 hourly / $2,817.60 bi-weekly
How to Apply:
No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.
To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.
Information to support your eligibility for the position must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.
For information on how to check your application status and understand status updates, please click HERE (https://ldh.la.gov/assets/docs/hr/Forreferenceonly/LDH-Application-Status-Guide-4.2026.pdf) (Download PDF reader). (https://get.adobe.com/reader/)
Contact Information:
Deanda Thymes
Deanda.Thymes@la.gov
LA Department of Health (LDH)
Division of Human Resources
PO Box 4818
Baton Rouge, LA 70821
225-342-6477