General Counsel II - Legal Affairs - Office of the General Counsel - Huntsville (010550)

Texas Department of Criminal Justice • Huntsville, TX

22h

About The Position

Performs complex legal work. Work involves interpreting laws, rules, and regulations; preparing legal documents; rendering legal advice and counsel; consulting with attorneys; assisting in preparing cases for hearings and trials; drafting and negotiating contracts; and drafting bills for legislative consideration for the agency. Works under general supervision and moderate latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

Requirements

• Graduation from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree.
• Three years full-time, wage-earning experience as a licensed attorney.
• Two years full-time, wage-earning experience in the supervision of employees.
• Must maintain a current active license to practice law in the State of Texas during employment with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) through the State Bar of Texas or in accordance with Texas Rule of Professional Conduct 5.05.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal laws and rules of civil procedure, constitutional law principles, and other regulations affecting the Texas Department of Criminal Justice agency operations.
• Knowledge of legal principles and practices of litigation program administration and management.
• Knowledge of legal research methods, discovery processes, and litigation support practices.
• Knowledge of Texas Public Information Act, employment law, and civil rights statutes.
• Skill to communicate ideas and instructions clearly and concisely.
• Skill to coordinate with other staff, departments, officials, agencies, organizations, and the public.
• Skill in administrative problem-solving techniques.
• Skill in public address.
• Skill to analyze and solve legal problems and interpret laws and regulations affecting the agency.
• Skill to review and evaluate the impact of procedures, statutes, rules, regulations, policies, judgments, and litigation on the agency.
• Skillin organizing and presenting complex factual and legal information.
• Skill in drafting clear, concise, and persuasive legal documents.
• Skill to manage multiple priorities and meet strict deadlines.
• Skill to exercise sound judgment and maintain confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Skill to exercise strong interpersonal and teamwork skills to collaborate effectively with OGC’s legal staff on case preparation and litigation tasks.
• Skill to train and supervise the work of others.
• Ability to walk, stand, sit, kneel, push, stoop, reach above the shoulder, grasp, pull, bend repeatedly, climb stairs, identify colors, hear with aid, see, write, count, read, speak, analyze, alphabetize, lift and carry under 15 lbs., perceive depth, operate a motor vehicle, and operate motor equipment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a legal counsel in a governmental agency preferred.
• Experience in administrative, contract, or labor/employment law preferred.
• Program development experience in a legal field preferred.
• Litigation experience in state or federal court preferred.
• Knowledge of agency and departmental organizational structure, policies, procedures, rules, and regulations preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the activities of staff within the Legal Affairs section; plans and organizes legal affairs activities for the agency; reviews laws, rules, and regulations affecting agency operations and administration; provides legislative consultation, guidance, and analyses; provides legal advice on policy decision making and identifies appropriate legal solutions; advises on the interpretation, application, and enforcement of agency laws and regulations; assists in the strategic planning process; develops, implements, coordinates, and evaluates policies, procedures, goals, and objectives; and ensures compliance with laws pertaining to the program areas.
• Lead and manage legal review and approval of major contracts, MOUs, interagency agreements, and transactional documents related to goods, services, land use, and other agency needs; ensures consistency, legal sufficiency, and risk mitigation across all transaction matters; and provides system-wide oversight of transactional legal processes and maintains standardized practices.
• Coordinates with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and agency management on PIA-related litigation where TDCJ is a named party to the suit; provides guidance to staff on statutory requirements and ensures timely, accurate, and lawful disclosures; coordinates legal responses to complex or high-profile PIA requests; provides system-wide oversight of the agency’s process for responding to third-party subpoenas and court-ordered disclosures; and ensures consistency, legal compliance, and coordination with the Office of the Attorney General or other legal representatives on third-party subpoenas and court-ordered disclosures.
• Oversees or directly performs legal research and draft complex legal memoranda, informal and formal legal opinions, and guidance documents; provides leadership and reviews on legal writing assignments across the Office of the General Counsel (OGC); and represents OGC in agency-wide initiatives, special legal projects, and cross-functional working groups.
• Provides legal advice and oversight related to operational support areas including mailroom services, offender access to courts, IT legal compliance, and other related matters; and serves as a legal liaison for resolving cross-functional or emergent legal issues in support units.
• Supervises the work of others; identifies staff development and training requirements; provides oversight and guidance through a dotted line reporting structure to administrative support staff regarding workflow processes; and assigns work, provides legal and professional mentorship, and manages performance and workload distribution.
• Performs a variety of marginal duties not listed, to be determined and assigned as needed.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree