Description:
Are you interested in mission-driven legal work? Do you enjoy helping others? Join Child Support Division (CSD) of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in our mission to encourage responsible parenting by promoting the involvement of both parents in their children's lives and ensuring that children in Texas receive the support they need and deserve.Assistant Attorneys General (AAGs) represent the State of Texas in judicial and administrative family law proceedings to establish paternity, obtain court orders for financial support and health care coverage for children, and enforce and modify child support orders. CSD staff also strive to promote the involvement of both parents in their children's lives and the agency regularly collaborates with other state agencies and community organizations to serve the needs of Texas families. CSD AAGs have a robust legal practice that includes gaining significant trial court experience, developing skills in negotiating agreed court orders, and becoming subject-matter experts in many practice areas of family law. CSD AAGs are part of a collegial statewide team dedicated to supporting Texas children and families.
AAGs experience the challenge and honor of public service while enjoying a healthy work-life balance, developing hands-on legal experience, and engaging in camaraderie with their colleagues across the state. The OAG is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas. As the State's law firm, the OAG provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits (https://ers.texas.gov/Benefits-at-a-Glance) along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans.
- Represent the State of Texas at legal proceedings to locate, establish, enforce, modify, or terminate court orders for child support and medical support.
- Represents the State of Texas in administrative hearings
- Provides legal advice, consultation, and technical assistance to the Child Support Program
- Develops and delivers training
- Performs related work as assigned
- Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions
- Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule
- Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information
- Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity
Qualifications:
Assistant Attorney General (AAG) I:
- Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Education: Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree
- Licensed as an attorney by the State of Texas
- Member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas
- Experience: 0 years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: Full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney
- Knowledge of Family Law and the Texas Family Code
- Skill in legal writing, mediation, and negotiation
- Skill in serving as a trial lawyer, preparing sound opinions, conducting investigations, and performing legal research
- Skill in using a personal computer for word-processing and data entry/retrieval
- Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines
- Skill in effective oral and written communication
- Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making
- Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback
- Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment
- Ability to provide excellent customer service
- Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG workspace within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week (unless on approved leave)
- Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel
- Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA
- Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs.
- Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 25%
- Assistant Attorney General (AAG) II: All the above minimum qualifications for an AAG I, PLUS:
- Experience: One (1) year of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: Full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney
- Assistant Attorney General (AAG) III: All the above minimum qualifications for an AAG II, PLUS:
- Experience: Two (2) years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: Full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney
- Assistant Attorney General (AAG) IV: All the above minimum qualifications for an AAG III, PLUS
- Experience: Three (3) years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: Full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney
Preferred Qualifications:
- Two years' experience in handling Family Law cases
- Jury Trial Experience
- Experience in handling a high-volume legal practice
- Other Language: Ability to proficiently read, write, and speak Spanish
