Unit Chief Counsel

Description:

Job Summary:
The Arizona Attorney General's Office, Child and Family Protection Division, is seeking an experienced Unit Chief Counsel to lead the Gila/Pinal Protective Services Section litigation unit. This position provides legal representation and counsel to the Department of Child Safety (DCS) and oversees a team responsible for complex child welfare litigation, case strategy, and courtroom advocacy. This position is located in the Protective Services Mesa location.

Remote Options: This position may be eligible for Remote Work two days a week.

Job Duties:
The Unit Chief Counsel oversees a team of litigators within the Protective Services Section, providing leadership, guidance, and support to ensure high‑quality legal representation for the Department of Child Safety (DCS). In this role, the Unit Chief supervises PSS attorneys whose responsibilities include providing legal advice on child welfare law and representing DCS in dependency, termination of parental rights, guardianship, and other juvenile‑court‑related matters. The Unit Chief ensures that attorneys comply with all applicable laws, court rules, and DCS/AGO policies and procedures, while also serving as a key liaison between the Attorney General's Office and DCS. This includes attending meetings with agency partners, facilitating communication, and supporting collaborative case strategy and operational needs.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities (KSAs):
Knowledge:

• Knowledge and understanding of applicable case law, statutes, rules, and regulations of state and federal courts.
• Knowledge of legal techniques and the basic concepts of American Jurisprudence and the formats used to prepare pleadings and other legal documents.

Skill

• Oral advocacy
• Effective legal writing
• Legal analysis and reasoning
• Provide reliable client advice, and exercise good judgment regarding legal advice and recommendations
• Effective courtroom practice

Ability:

• Display appropriate courtroom demeanor
• Build client relationships
• Demonstrate negotiation skills and persuasive abilities
• Utilize a problem-solving approach
• Litigate using innovative techniques
• Ability to handle a high volume of work and stressful situations

Selective Preference(s):
Pre-Employment Requirements:

• Travel is required for this position. A valid Arizona Driver's License is required, along with consent to have your driving record run periodically.
• Admission to, and good standing with, the Arizona State Bar is required (include on resume the date(s) of admission in Arizona and any other states). Candidate must have an active Arizona State Bar license.
• Attorney applicants are required to submit a writing sample with their resume/application profile.
• The writing sample should contain an analysis of some substantive legal issue and provide insight concerning your ability to think and to explain and advocate for a particular position.
• All applicants under serious consideration for hire with the Attorney General's Office are required to be fingerprinted by the Office and complete a criminal background check through State and Federal agencies. A job offer cannot be tendered until the candidate has successfully passed the initial background check. Your record does not automatically constitute a bar to employment. Factors such as, but not limited to, age at time of offense and age of offense, as well as the relationship between the offense and the job for which you apply will be taken into account.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver's License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

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