Regional Staff Attorney (Atty II)

Description:

Description:
Status: Internal/External-OIEC employees and the general public

Job Posting Number: 00054833

Location: Statewide

Travel required: 25%

Do you have a passion for public service and enjoy making a difference? Don't miss out on this opportunity. The Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC) is hiring! Apply now if you're looking for a rewarding career in public service.

You'll love the Benefits of Working at OIEC:

• 96 hours of accrued vacation a year
• 96 hours of accrued sick leave a year
• 20+ holidays every year
• Career advancement opportunities
• Free parking
• Free comprehensive medical insurance for full-time employees and 50% off premium costs for dependents (state pays other 50%)

OIEC is the state agency that helps injured employees with their Texas workers' compensation claims. The agency assists, educates, and advocates on their behalf.  OIEC provides services in 20 offices across the state.  Agency services include advocacy, customer service, and dispute assistance through OIEC's Ombudsman Program.

Regional Staff Attorney (Attorney II) – Statewide
The Office of Injured Employee Counsel is looking for an experienced attorney with a passion for service and training. OIEC's mission is to advocate, educate, and assist the injured employees of Texas. As part of our mission, OIEC ombudsmen assist injured employees in proceedings before the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation. We're looking for a self-starter who loves to teach and loves to learn. Being a regional staff attorney involves: performing moderately complex (journey-level) attorney work; working with the General Counsel; interpreting laws and regulations; assisting ombudsmen in every aspect of claims including information gathering, formal and informal hearings, and drafting administrative appeals; and developing and presenting training to agency staff. The successful candidate will love answering questions from laypeople, drafting documents, and analyzing medical evidence. Works under general supervision, with moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Preferred Locations: Austin, Houston West, Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio

This position:

• provides legal support
• educates agency staff on Texas workers' compensation law/rules
• responds to requests for assistance
• documents assistance in a computer system
• researches laws and administrative decisions
• suggests alternatives for resolution of disputes
• provides assistance in drafting appeals, legal briefs, rule comments, and proposed legislation
• develops and presents training to agency staff

Qualifications:
This position requires:

• graduation from an accredited law school with J.D. or LL.B degree
• two years full-time legal experience in administrative hearings or litigation. Law clerk experience may be counted towards the legal experience requirement
• a license to practice law in the State of Texas

Preferences for this position include:

• three to five years of experience in Workers' Compensation litigation
• training others
• legal research and writing

This position requires demonstrated knowledge of:

• Litigation, Civil or Criminal
• Texas Administrative Code
• Texas Government Code

This position requires demonstrated skill in:

• handling and solving problems
• interpreting and explaining laws and regulations
• use of correct grammar, punctuation and spelling

This position requires the demonstrated ability to:

• Travel
• interpret and apply laws
• use legal reference materials
• prepare legal opinions and briefs for use in administrative hearings
• explain legal concepts to non-lawyers
• multitask between different assignments and meet deadlines
• establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of individuals and groups
• communicate effectively both verbally and in writing with all levels of employees and the public

Pursuant to the Governor's Executive Order GA-48, candidates having any connection or continuous connections to any governmental entity or political apparatus of a country listed in 15 C.F.R. 791.4 (https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/subtitle-B/chapter-VII/subchapter-E/part-791/subpart-A/section-791.4&data=05|02|Rebecca.Kelly@cpa.texas.gov|130924d5573e4ce580e108ddb9b85c3e|2055feba299d4d0daa5a73b8b42fef08|0|0|638870923985820279|Unknown|TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ==|0|||&sdata=tJq2xgrK78YPt7oCTBYusAC5RAxH/1AEg2+fy+Dn7gE=&reserved=0) may be subject to a heightened security background check depending on other factors.

OIEC does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment visa.

How to Apply:
Before you apply, please click, or copy and paste the following link into your browser for more information about working for the Office of Injured Employee Counsel (OIEC): OIEC LINK (https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-15/subtitle-B/chapter-VII/subchapter-E/part-791/subpart-A/section-791.4&data=05|02|Rebecca.Kelly@cpa.texas.gov|130924d5573e4ce580e108ddb9b85c3e|2055feba299d4d0daa5a73b8b42fef08|0|0|638870923985820279|Unknown|TWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ==|0|||&sdata=tJq2xgrK78YPt7oCTBYusAC5RAxH/1AEg2+fy+Dn7gE=&reserved=0)

All applications must contain complete job histories, including job title, dates of employment, name of employer, manager's name and phone number, and a description of duties performed. We may reject applications that do not include all the required information. Resumes do not take the place of this required information.

Submitted through Work in Texas
Work in Texas (WIT) applicants must complete the supplemental questions to be considered for the posting. To complete the supplemental questions, please go to CAPPS Career Center to register or log in and access your profile. Click on the following link or copy and paste it into your browser: CAPPS TALEO Career Section (https://capps.taleo.net/careersection/ex/jobsearch.ftl?lang=en)

Criminal background checks will be conducted on all final candidates. An applicant who has been convicted of a criminal offense relevant to the position may be disqualified from employment.

Equal employment opportunity: OIEC does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, or disability in employment or in the provision of services. Any request for reasonable accommodation needed during the application process should be directed to OIECHR@oiec.texas.gov.

Please note: Unless specifically and expressly stated otherwise, regular attendance is an essential function of every OIEC job.