Agency Counsel

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS (Education and Experience)

Your preparation for this opportunity could include a combination of relevant experiences including:

• This position requires a Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law and admittance to the Montana Bar and Federal District Courts.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY:

A complete state application is not required; however you will need to initiate the application and attach the resume cover letter or other required documents at time of application to be considered for this position. Resume will auto fill the application but the application will not be scored or reviewed.

Failure to attach the cover letter and resume will result in your application being considered incomplete and will not be considered further. Materials submitted but not requested will not be considered in the selection process.

Tip: When attaching your resume cover letter or other required documents you must mark the attachments as RELEVANT or we will be unable to view your documents.

Required application materials:

• Cover Letter - Your Cover Letter should explain how your experience and education meet the identified Knowledge Skills and Abilities with examples that demonstrate your qualifications.
• Resume - include all work experience you have held that would help you qualify for this position including duties dates of employment.

Only online applications will be accepted. By applying online you can receive updates and monitor the status of your application.

All documents for Veteran or Disability preference must be received or date stamped by the closing date. You will receive an application confirmation email with instructions on acceptable preference documents and how to submit such documents.

If you need an accommodation with the application process please contact the HR office.

BENEFITS:

Being able to enjoy the quality of life in the beautiful state of Montana is one of the benefits you will love about this opportunity! Our mountains waterways and open spaces provide not only beautiful scenery but year-round recreational opportunities including hiking camping biking fishing boating hunting skiing and snowmobiling. Montana boasts a high-quality education system and a variety of entertainment including fairs rodeos and theaters. Read more about our great state here.

See our other incredible benefits here. These are some of our benefits just to name a few:

• Work/life balance with hybrid schedules or partial telework may be available within the state of Montana.
• 38 paid days off a year including vacation sick leave and holidays.
• Military leave: Youll get up to 15 days of military leave with full pay.
• Longevity raises with continuous service as well as any negotiated market increases and state statutory raises.
• Health dental vision life insurance coverage flexible spending accounts EAP - clickhere to learn more.
• Free telehealth and access to free employee medical clinics through our medical plan - click here to learn more.
• Choice between two retirement plans with an employer contribution between 8.73% - 9.07% of your annual salary. A third optional 457(b) deferred compensation plan is also available. Click here to learn more.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness- Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive loan forgiveness- clickhere to learn more!
• Career progression training opportunities and room for professional growth.
• State employee discounts at various businesses across the state.

This position may be eligible for a statutory 2% an hour base pay increase effective on July 1 2026.

*This position may be covered by aVoluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA)

Note: Employees for the State of Montana must reside within Montana. All applications and required application documents must be submitted through the MT Careers site at: roles at the Montana Department of Labor & Industry (DLI) give you the chance to practice law in service of real people real workplaces and real impact across the state. At DLI you help promote safe workplaces fair treatment and a strong Montana workforce while advising the regulators who license professionals and resolve disputes. You become a trusted partner to boards programs and decision-makers whose choices affect workers employers and communities every day.

MISSION STATEMENT:

Empowering all Montanans through work and opportunity.

Its about the people and the impact we make in our communities every day. We are proud of our open team-based supportive and collaborative work environments. Learn more about DLIhere.

HOW WE WORK:

• Professionalism. We creatively address issues based on curiosity thorough research and the law.
• Ownership. We are reliable and accountable to our team our clients and ourselves.
• Collaboration. We are effective when we have the confidence and humility to receive and provide consistent advice.
• Impact. We see societal benefit dignity and empowerment in our everyday work.
• Results. Our Professionalism Ownership Collaboration and Impact are driven by and reflected in data.

If you care about public service practical problem solving and using your law degree to move the needle for an entire state youll fit right in.

As Agency Counsel for the transactions team you will:

• Draft and review administrative rules for DLI and its attached boards.
• Support boards in their quasi judicial functions and regulatory responsibilities.
• Draft review negotiate and enforce contracts.
• Conduct policy research legislative drafting and state/federal compliance reviews.
• Provide day to day legal counsel to DLI boards and programs.
• Occasionally represent DLI or its boards in administrative or court litigation.

This team is ideal if you like rulemaking policy and building durable legal frameworks that help programs run smoothly.

WHAT YOU BRING

You dont have to know everything on day one but you do need strong core skills and a growth mindset.

• Communication and collaboration. You can translate complex law into clear concise writing and plain language explanations for courts legislators board members agency staff and the public. You build productive relationships and approach conflict with a problem solving mindset.
• Legal analysis and problem solving. You are comfortable spotting and researching complex issues then turning your work into practical defensible advice and action plans. You like working with others to craft strategies that fit the Departments mission and statutory authority.
• Regulatory and procedural expertise. You either have or are ready to build a working knowledge of administrative litigation and legislative procedures. You can interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws regulations and case law to real world agency decisions.
• Board advising and regulatory judgment. Youre interested in helping regulatory boards set and enforce standards that protect the public without placing unnecessary burdens on Montanas professionals and businesses.

WHY YOU MIGHT LOVE THIS JOB

• Your work has visible impact on workers employers and licensed professionals across Montana.
• You get a diverse interesting mix of matters instead of a single narrow niche.
• You join a mission driven agency that values data continuous improvement and a culture of individual responsibility.
• You build a career in public service while living and practicing in Montana.

If youre ready to use your law degree to serve the public shape policy and grow as alawyer wed love to hear from you.