Description:
Description:The Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has the general charge, supervision, and direction of the State's legal business, acting as legal advisors and representatives of the major agencies, various boards, commissions, officials, and institutions of State Government. The OAG also protects the public by civil enforcement of antitrust, civil rights, consumer protection, and securities laws and regulations and by the prosecution of organized crime, Medicaid fraud, environmental crimes, insurance fraud, state tax evasion, and other statutorily assigned matters. As Maryland's 47th Attorney General, Anthony G. Brown leads the Office with a critical focus on equity, justice, and fairness.
The OAG is seeking a Principal Counsel for the Maryland's Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). This position offers a unique opportunity to play a critical role in Maryland's ongoing effort to protect Marylanders from the high costs of prescription drug products. The PDAB is an independent unit of state government tasked with addressing issues of high prescription drug costs and the rapid growth of those costs. The Maryland PDAB is the first agency of its kind in the nation.
The Principal Counsel serves as PDAB's senior legal counsel and works closely with its executive leadership, Board, and other state partners to ensure compliance with applicable laws, effective governance, and sound decision‑making. The Principal Counsel plays a critical role in supporting the agency in developing and implementing procedures to identify and study prescription drug products, and in crafting policy solutions, including upper payment limits, to redress affordability challenges.
The responsibilities include advising on governance, procurement, ethics, the Open Meetings Act, the Public Information Act, information technology, administrative law and regulatory review, security, privacy, risk management, federal and state health programs, insurance, data acquisition and management, intellectual property, compliance, federal preemption, constitutional matters, and litigation. As a one-person legal office with no supporting staff, the Principal Counsel is solely responsible for managing the agency's full spectrum of legal services and ensuring timely, strategic, and effective legal guidance.
This position requires a leader who demonstrates professionalism, dependability, honesty, and a commitment to equitable and respectful workplace practices, along with the initiative to be a self-starter and the ability to translate complex legal matters into clear, accessible terms for non-attorneys. This is a dynamic and highly impactful role for an attorney who thrives in a mission‑driven, innovation‑oriented environment and who is committed to the highest standards of legal service and public trust.
Classification: Assistant Attorney General VI
Experience: The ideal candidate will have ten years of experience, with strong written and oral communication skills, relationship-building ability, sound judgment, professionalism, and a commitment to ethical practice. The ideal candidate must be comfortable working across a wide range of technical subject matters and able to multitask, work under tight time constraints, problem-solve, and prioritize effectively.
Demonstrated skill in applying constitutional and administrative analysis to novel and complex legal and policy problems is required, as is experience developing, reviewing, or interpreting federal and state legislation and regulations.
Familiarity with health insurance, intellectual property, federal healthcare programs, and healthcare regulatory matters involving pharmacy, payer, or reimbursement issues is preferred. Experience managing or overseeing complex litigation involving constitutional and highly technical legal issues is also desirable.
The Office of the Attorney General expects its attorneys to demonstrate a sustained commitment to pro bono service. Applicants should have a demonstrated record of meaningful pro bono engagement or a sincere interest in pro bono work as a professional obligation. Once hired, Assistant Attorneys General are expected to fulfill that commitment throughout their employment with the Office through active participation in OAG's Stephen H. Sachs Pro Bono Program or other qualified opportunities. The OAG supports attorneys in meeting the goal set by the Maryland Supreme Court, MD Atty Rules 19-306.1(b), by allowing up to 50 hours work-time to be used for approved pro bono activities.
Submission: Applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, writing sample, and a list of three professional references, including at least one current or former supervisor.
Telework: Hybrid Work – 2 in-office days weekly.