Closing Date: 18th February, 2025

Description:

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

The Colorado Department of Law, Civil Litigation and Employment Law Section is recruiting for a First Assistant Attorney General to lead the Section's Transportation Unit. This is an exciting opportunity to provide legal services to our state transportation partners to make a difference in the lives of Coloradans! The Transportation Unit provides a broad spectrum of legal counsel and representation to the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), one of the largest state agencies in Colorado. The First Assistant Attorney General will serve as general counsel to CDOT and its many divisions, enterprises, and boards as well as the Transportation Commission. The position will form lasting and rewarding client relationships while also leading a team of talented transactional and litigation attorneys and professional staff.

The Office of the Attorney General offers the opportunity to be involved in challenging, interesting, and meaningful work in a collaborative environment supported by leadership committed to effective and innovative legal work.

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:
This is an incredible opportunity to serve in a leadership role in the provision of litigation, transactional, and general counsel services to one of the largest state agencies in Colorado. The First AAG position will oversee high-impact litigation that often involves multi-million-dollar disputes and some of the State's most sophisticated enterprises. In addition, the position will supervise various high-impact and often high-profile transactional and advice matters.

This First AAG leads and supervises the work of the Transportation Unit within the Civil Litigation and Employment Law Section. The Transportation Unit acts as a general service law firm to CDOT and the Colorado Transportation Commission, with the exception of personnel and tort matters. The Unit also advises and represents TABOR-exempt Enterprises, including the Statewide Bridge and Tunnel Enterprise, the High Performance Transportation Enterprise (d/b/a Colorado Transportation Investment Office), and the Clean Transportation Enterprise. The Unit files condemnation actions on behalf of CDOT, defends inverse condemnation actions, and brings and defends administrative actions. The Unit also handles access control, highway beautification, and billboard permit disputes, and assists CDOT with protests brought under the Procurement Code. The Unit advises CDOT on construction matters and represents CDOT in construction dispute review boards, arbitration, and litigation. The Unit attorneys serve as issue counsel in public financing matters, assisting with bond and loan issuances. Members of the Unit also review, revise, and approve CDOT contracts, assist in drafting and negotiating contracts, including public-private partnership contracts, and provide legal advice on rulemaking, legislation, and any other legal matters that arise.

The work of the Transportation Unit provides an opportunity to learn, explore, and engage with the law and critical programs that enhance the quality of life and environment of the citizens of Colorado by facilitating an integrated multi-modal transportation system throughout the state. As the First Assistant Attorney General in the Transportation Unit, you will have the opportunity to do the following:

Unit Leadership
  • Facilitate the work and operations of the Unit, promoting collaboration, engagement, integrity, and exceptional legal service.
  • Assign and oversee advice matters, litigation, and other legal responsibilities, and coordinate workflow.
  • Provide guidance, strategy advice, feedback, and general transactional and litigation assistance to attorneys and paralegals as needed.
  • Work closely with the Section and DOL employees to develop systems and processes designed to increase efficiencies, streamline litigation, enhance client services, and promote practice excellence.
  • Lead the Unit in the development and maintenance of strong client partnerships, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, cost-effective legal services to clients while maintaining the highest standards of professionalism.

Supervision and Administration
  • Lead a collaborative team of 6 attorneys and 1-2 professional staff consistent with the values of the DOL that recognize that members of the DOL are public servants, principled, innovative, and better together. This includes making hiring and salary recommendations, performance management activities, approval of leave requests, resolution of personnel matters, and other administrative tasks.
  • Report to the Civil Litigation and Employment Law Section Deputy AG and/or Assistant Deputy AG on legal, operational, and personnel matters on a regular basis and seek supervisory or managerial assistance from the Deputy and/ or Assistant Deputy.
  • Assist the Section Deputy AG and Assistant Deputy AG with personnel, budget, and various administrative duties affecting the work of the Unit, Section, and the DOL.
  • Participate in management and leadership teams for the Section and the Office.

Client Service – The First AAG carries a meaningful and independent workload, including the important work listed below.
  • Serve as the lead advisor to CDOT, its enterprises, boards of directors, divisions, and the Transportation Commission on a broad variety of legal topics including state transportation issues, policy issues, procurement issues, legislative mandates, and subpoenas.
  • Support the Unit's public contracting expert, negotiate and draft complex agreements with CDOT's governmental partners and private parties, assist with bond and loan issuances.
  • Monitor legislative and legal developments related to CDOT, its enterprises, board, divisions, and the Transportation Commission. Interpret new legislation collaboratively with CDOT and DOL members.
  • Review policies, rules, statutes, and applicable law to advise CDOT with respect to compliance and operational issues.
  • Serve as the DOL's subject matter expert on state transportation issues.
  • Litigate matters for CDOT in administrative court, state and federal district courts, and appellate courts, typically in collaboration with other attorneys.
  • Research and draft legal opinions.
  • Draft rule opinions and memoranda.
  • Attend board and commission meetings.
  • Advise on board and commission conduct, including applicability of the Colorado Open Meetings Laws, conflict of interest, and Colorado Open Records Act. Conduct mandatory annual training for multiple boards and commissions.
  • Represent Boards in administrative challenges and hearings.
  • Advise, recommend, and coordinate training specific to current legal issues or areas of concern. Conduct trainings as requested or needed by the client.
  • Provide general counsel and advice to CDOT and related agencies on all matters and connect them with the appropriate specialists within the DOL for further advice and guidance.

First Assistant Attorneys General at the Department of Law ensure the Unit consistently provides high-quality legal representation. The First Assistant Attorney General serves as a frontline leader and is responsible for assisting the Deputy Attorney General with personnel, budget, and various administrative duties affecting the work of the Unit and the DOL.

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.

Salary will be paid on a biweekly basis.

Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights:
What we are looking for:
  • The First Assistant Attorney General is part of the Office of the Attorney General/Department of Law leadership team. As such, the strongest candidates will demonstrate excellence in the following competencies:
  • Communication & Listening – Inspires confidence through active listening and effective communication with clients, leadership, colleagues, and staff. Inspires confidence through active listening and effective communication with clients, leadership, colleagues, and staff.
  • Flexible & Adaptable Management – Accepts, adapts, and contributes positively to change; leads with new concepts and ideas; and encourages others to be equally adaptive and flexible.
  • Coaching & Developing People – Invests in our talent through coaching and sponsorship and by pushing individuals outside of their comfort zones to grow as professionals.