Description:

Are you interested in mission-driven work? Do you enjoy helping others? Join the Office of the Attorney General's Child Support Division (CSD) in our mission to encourage responsible parenting by promoting the involvement of both parents and ensuring children 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.

Performs highly complex and/or managerial/attorney work. Work involves organizing employee work assignments; interpreting laws and regulations; and providing legal advice, counsel, and assistance in representing the state's interest in child support enforcement. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans.

Function Description:
  • Represent the State of Texas at legal proceedings.
  • Plans, organizes, directs, and monitors office performance and takes corrective actions to achieve assigned goals and objectives
  • Supervises all office personnel, including hiring, evaluating, counseling, and training under the direction of the Regional Director
  • Supervises office legal processes under the direction of the Senior Regional Attorney
  • Supervises and monitors the office budget
  • Monitors and ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, policies, procedures, and standards while providing excellent customer service
  • Responds to inquiries and resolves issues from agency management, government officials, attorneys, parents, advocacy and community groups and other customers
  • Serves as primary office legal counsel
  • 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:
  • 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: Four (4) years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: Full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney, two of which must have been in Family Law
  • 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%

Preferred Qualifications:
  • Texas Child Support Program
  • Experience in handling a high-volume legal practice
  • Management experience