RHODE ISLAND OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY UNIT CHIEF
SPECIAL ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL
CIVIL DIVISION
PAYGRADE 8740 ($116,814 - $134,665)
October 10, 2024 – October 31, 2024
The Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General is seeking an experienced litigator with extensive state and federal court experience to help lead the Office’s Environment and Energy Unit.
About the Office of the Attorney General: The Attorney General is the state’s top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of Rhode Island through a broad range of duties. Every day, the Office’s attorneys fight to ensure the public safety of the state’s communities, improve the economic security of its citizens, safeguard the state’s spectacular natural resources, and restore the public’s trust in government. Assistant and Special Assistant Attorneys General represent the people of Rhode Island in civil and criminal matters before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States. The Office is unique among attorneys general offices across the country. Out of fifty states, only two other offices share the same broad criminal mission. The Office’s attorneys prosecute complex and violent crimes but also functionally serve as one of the nation’s largest district attorney’s offices, prosecuting all felonies throughout the state.
Environmental and Energy Unit: The Environment and Energy Unit within the Civil Division’s Public Protection Bureau develops and leads high-impact, cutting-edge advocacy efforts in the environment and energy sectors; counsels the Attorney General and other government officials on environmental and energy-related issues; performs a range of functions, including litigation, public comment, and policy development; and provides oversight with respect to state and federal agencies’ regulatory actions and responsibilities. From identifying and pursuing landmark civil actions against businesses and individuals that have harmed or threaten to harm the health of Rhode Islanders and/or the State’s public trust resources, to advocating for a just transition in the State’s energy future, the Unit’s attorneys are at the forefront of matters being litigated before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States.
The Environmental and Energy Unit prioritizes responding to the threats posed by climate change. Rhode Island has been a national leader in climate action through passage and implementation of the State’s 2021 Act on Climate, which sets the most aggressive, enforceable emissions reductions targets in the country. The Rhode Island Attorney General has also been a national leader in the climate space—the first state to bring a climate change lawsuit when it sued 21 major fossil fuel companies in 2018.
Duties and Opportunities:
The Office is seeking an attorney to work with leadership and partners in the Civil Division to set the course for the work of this Unit. The Unit Chief is expected to fulfill the following roles:
· Lead and support the identification and prioritization of potential Environmental and Energy Unit affirmative work.
· Anticipate and understand current and emerging environmental and energy issues and look for opportunities to engage around those issues to protect Rhode Islanders and advance the mission of the Unit.
· Lead litigation and supervise the work of Unit attorneys in both State and Federal Courts.
· Provide significant oversight, training, and mentorship to the attorneys and staff within the Unit.
· Work with the Public Information Officer and the Director of Community Engagement, engage with community members to identify needs and opportunities, and understand impact of ongoing work.
· Along with leadership in the RIAG, work with agency partners throughout State government.
Opportunities for Special Assistant Attorneys General in the Civil Division also include attending National Association of Attorney General trainings and conferences throughout the country, serving on boards, commissions, working groups, and/or task forces as a designee of the Attorney General, providing substantive expertise to legislative or policy initiatives, and supervising student interns as part of the Office’s legal internship program.
Eligibility:
The successful applicant must have a law degree from an accredited law school and be an active member in good standing of the bar of any jurisdiction. If not a member of the Rhode Island Bar, the candidate must be eligible for admission to the Rhode Island bar and prepared to sit for the bar exam or obtain admission through score transfer.
Qualifications:
At least 10 years of litigation experience is preferred but not mandatory. Strong candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to public interest law and either experience in environmental law or significant affirmative litigation and/or enforcement experience with demonstrated interest in environmental policy. The position of Environmental and Energy Chief will require leadership skills, an interest in creative legal thinking and a demonstrated ability to both envision and build on an organizational level. Candidates must have strong written/oral advocacy and negotiating skills and possess the capacity to function in a sometimes-high stress, demanding environment. Applicant must work well independently and as part of a team, including with other attorneys and support staff. Ability to work with other state government employees and communicate with members of the public is a must. Litigation experience in both state and federal court is also a must. The applicant should bring innovative thinking to the ways in which the Office of the Attorney General can consistently and increasingly meet the needs of Rhode Island residents.
Application Process : Applicants should mail or email (1) a cover letter summarizing why you are interested and describing the skills and abilities you possess that will enable you to succeed in this position, (2) resume, (3) list of three references, and (4) a writing sample to:
Aida Crosson
Director of Administration
Office of the Attorney General
150 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
Or email:
Sarah Rice
Deputy Chief, Public Protection Bureau
Equal Opportunity Employer: The Attorney General’s Office is stronger, more credible, and more capable when its employees bring diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to their work. The Office encourages all qualified applicants from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and persons with disabilities to apply.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, or covered veteran status.
Other Information: Finalists will be subject to a background investigation including reference checks. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background investigation.