Associate Counsel 3 Position

Salary: $8,408.00 per month ($100,896 per year), depending upon experience.

This position serves as a team member of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) for the Department of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities (DIDD). This position is located on the Middle Tennessee Regional Office campus (previously known as Clover Bottom Developmental Center Campus) at One Cannon Way; 275 Stewarts Ferry Pike in Nashville, Tennessee. There is an opportunity for an alternative work arrangement that includes some work from home, as responsibilities allow. The position is Executive Service and reports to the Director of the Office Administrative Appeals/DIDD Senior Associate Counsel. Anyone interested in applying for this position should submit his/her required documentation, as noted below, to Norah.Glickstein@tn.gov. Applications will be considered until the close of business on Friday, February 17, 2023, or until the position is filled.

Required Documentation: Each applicant must submit the following documents prior to being considered for candidacy:
• Cover letter and resume;
• DD-214 (Member 4 copy), if applicable; and
• At least two writing samples that demonstrate the applicant’s ability to perform complex legal analyses and arguments. At least one writing sample must demonstrate the applicant’s ability to correctly cite and apply legal authority such as case law, statutes, rules, and/or regulations. A writing sample that is merely a fill-in-the-blank template/form will not be accepted.
• Note: At the time of the interview, a list of at least three professional references will be requested.

Examples of the duties and responsibilities of this position:
• Perform complex, detailed legal file reviews and analyses pertaining to substantiations for abuse, neglect, and/or exploitation of persons with disabilities and maintain compliance with applicable laws, rules, and regulations;
• Provide legal representation on behalf of DIDD in a variety of contested/uncontested cases such as placement on the Abuse Registry, conservatorships, and employment appeals in courts throughout Tennessee;
• Provide file management, oversight, and review of applications for removal from the Abuse Registry, including assisting in the facilitation of the committee hearings;
• Provide file maintenance, including case tracking in SharePoint;
• Prepare and facilitate presentations and meetings, as requested, before DIDD staff, provider agencies, and other third parties (i.e., school systems), as requested regarding conservatorship; supported decision-making; strategies for testifying at hearings; and the DIDD abuse, neglect, and exploitation due process procedure;
• Provide legal advice to DIDD personnel, as requested;
• Provide a legal review of State contracts, policies, etc. on behalf of DIDD, as assigned;
• Prepare memoranda, letters, or other documents necessary to effectuate the mission of DIDD;
• Provide assistance to the Attorney General’s Office, as requested and assigned;
• Interpret and apply federal and state legal requirements affecting DIDD programs;
• Assist in the development of DIDD’s legislative proposals and bill analyses, as assigned; and
• Some overnight travel may be required, but it will be infrequent.

Minimum Qualifications: Graduation from an approved school of law and experience equivalent to three years of increasingly responsible professional full-time experience in the practice of law. Experience with contested litigation, especially matters conducted pursuant to UAPA, is preferred. The ideal candidate will have very strong analytical and writing skills, including the ability to proofread.

Necessary Special Qualifications: Possession of a license to practice law in the State of Tennessee and be in good standing without a disciplinary record with the state’s Board of Professional Responsibility and possession of a valid driver’s license.

The selected applicant will be required to:
• Complete a criminal history disclosure form;
• Agree to release all records involving their criminal history to the appointing authority;
• Supply a fingerprint sample prescribed by the TBI based criminal history records clerk.

Knowledge and Skills: Skills needed for this position include strong knowledge of frequently used computer programs (Microsoft Office, Excel, SharePoint, and Outlook), as well as legal research software. This position requires a thorough analytical approach to problem-solving and complaint resolution, strong multi-tasking, computer and Internet research skills, flexibility, excellent interpersonal skills, verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to work well with all levels of internal and external management and staff. The position requires attention to detail and excellent process-oriented thinking.

If your name appears on the Tennessee Department of Health Abuse Registry, the Substantiated Investigations Records Inquiry (SIRI) database that is maintained by the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, or the Felony Offender Registry that is maintained by the State of Tennessee, we cannot consider you for employment in this position.

This organization participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. This employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee's Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.

The State of Tennessee is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination or illegal harassment in the workplace. It is the state's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination or harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.