Assistant Attorney General (Criminal Appeals)

WHAT YOU WILL DO
The Criminal Appeals Section is Colorados prosecutorial authority at the appellate level of the criminal justice system. Our primary function is to serve the people of Colorado as well as the interests of justice by ethically and efficiently defending felony convictions before the Colorado Court of Appeals and Supreme Court. We do this by writing answer briefs and orally arguing cases which range from relatively minor postconviction issues to complex white-collar crime homicides child abuse and sexual assaults. Each attorney is individually responsible for reading the record conducting legal research on all of the defendants claims and crafting responsive arguments to explain why a conviction or sentence should be addition to writing answer briefs and conducting oral argument our attorneys often provide support to other sections in the office through moot court sessions legislative review and legal editing. Attorneys are also expected to interact with stakeholders including local district attorneys crime victims and victim advocates on a regular basis.

This job announcement may be used to fill other attorney vacancies in the Criminal Appeals section at the Department of Law.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

Qualified applicants must be licensed to practice law in Colorado or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application before the first day of employment along with an estimate of the date by which they expect to be licensed in Colorado. Our ideal candidate for this position will have the following attributes or experience:

• Exceptional writing research and analytical abilities
• Strong oral communication skills
• Eagerness to solve complex legal problems
• An ability to manage an independent case load
• Developed collaborative skills and commitment to working as part of a team
  
  

In addition we are looking for a candidate with at least one year of experience as a practicing attorney. This includes fellowship or clerkship experience. Candidates without one year of experience may be considered if their application demonstrates a strong background in research writing and oral advocacy.

THIS POSITION REQUIRES TWO WRITING SAMPLES. PLEASE REVIEW THE HOW TO APPLY SECTION OF THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Conditions of Employment:

• Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel website.
• Applicants must pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment.
• This position offers flexible work arrangements. Please note that flexible work arrangements may change based on business needs.
• Colorado Department of Law participates in E-Verify and will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S.

HOW TO APPLY
Applicants must establish an account with and complete the online applications including the Contact Information section. Applicants are not required to complete the Work Experience Education or Additional Information sections of the online application.

Applicants must provide 1) a cover letter detailing your interest in the position and relevant skills/experience 2) a resume; 3) two writing samples preferably ones that are a brief petition or longer substantive motion that has not been substantially edited by another person; 4) three professional references. Use the Attachments feature of the online application to add documents.

The Department of Law is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment including completing the application process interviewing completing any pre-employment testing participating in the employee selection process and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator Julie Christopher at or call .

If you have any questions regarding this position please contact our Legal Talent Director at


WHY WORK FOR US

We Embrace Flexibility
We aim to produce outstanding work product for our clients be efficient with our time and support each other as team members which also means we embrace flexible working arrangements when and where possible.

We Are Committed to Diversity Equity and Inclusion
At the DOL our commitment to DEI is thriving. We know that we are better together when our differences are valued and everyone is inspired and empowered to contribute. As such we strive to provide a safe environment where individuals feel valued and respected for who they are; demonstrate a behavior and mindset where differences are welcomed and individuals are treated equally and empowered to do their best work; and promote growth and innovation through a diverse workforce. We empower an active Diversity Equity & Inclusion Impact Team that creates approaches to ensure safe spaces and a culture supportive of people being their authentic selves hosts events and programs on DEI areas important to our employees enables development and sustainability of resource groups that give a voice to historically marginalized populations focuses on retaining our incredible talent and more! If your professional goals include promoting growth and innovation with colleagues who recognize that we are better together when our differences are valued and respected then DOL is your place to be!


We Have Strong Core Values
Our core values drive our actions. At the Department of Law we are: 1) principled maintaining the highest ethical standards rigorous legal analysis and careful evaluation of facts; 2) public servants who are always ensuring our work is not about us but instead is about the people of Colorado; 3) innovative by seeking to identify the best approach make deliberate decisions and look to improve; and 4) better together by working to support each other and collaborate.

We are Committed to Developing our Attorneys
We are deeply invested in our talent and regularly provide meaningful opportunities for personal and professional growth through training and coaching. Further our professional development and performance goal setting process is collaborative and ongoing and aimed at helping our attorneys grow and succeed.

We Offer Excellent Benefits
In addition to competitive medical and dental health plans employer-paid life insurance paid holidays retirement plans and vacation and sick leave earned each month there are many other unique benefits that we offer including:

• Public Service Loan Forgiveness: a borrower may qualify for forgiveness by making 120on-time payments while employed full-time in public service if they have certain kinds offederal loans in a qualifying repayment plan
• Free access to a recently renovated on-site fitness center
• Excellent work-life programs such as flexible work schedules professional development opportunities and an employee discount program
• Employer-paid mental health and counseling services through Colorado State Employee Assistance Program
• Employer-paid annual attorney registrationdues
• Employer-provided access to professional development training and CLE through PLI Department of Law Universityand other entities.