Attorney - Staff Attorney

Department of Professional and Financial Regulation (and Boards) - Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation

Job Class Code: 2016

Grade: 31 (Professional/Technical)

Salary: $65,083 - $88,233

Location: Gardiner, ME

Opening Date: June 6, 2024

Closing Date: June 30, 2024

(There will be a 3% across the board general salary increase effective June 30th, 2024.)

The Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation seeks a licensed attorney to assist agency staff with various legal tasks related to the regulation of professionals in many fields. State licensing programs within the Office include health-related and trade and service professions.

In this dynamic, fast-paced, multi-faceted regulatory agency, the core staff of program administrators, investigators, and field inspectors requires legal analysis and assistance with legal issues, including the resolution of consumer complaints, the APA rulemaking process, the adjudicatory hearing process, the examination process, and freedom of access issues.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Managing the Office's agency rulemaking activities, including drafting rules, reviewing rules, and coordinating the scheduling of rulemaking processes under the Maine Administrative Procedure Act.

• Providing legal advice to the staff regarding professional licensing matters.

• Interacting with staff and consumers about the administrative complaint process.

• Reviewing and analyzing case history, preparing complaint reports for licensing administrators, responding to staff requests for legal research, drafting legal memoranda regarding statutory interpretation of professional licensing statutes as well as state and federal laws affecting licensees.

• Coordinating Office responses to requests for records under Maine's Freedom of Access Act ("FOAA") and performing confidentiality and privilege review of responsive documents.

• Managing the agency's mandated reporting requirements, including the National Practitioner Data Base and the ASC Registry.

• Drafting training materials as needed for agency staff on issues such as rulemaking, document retention, complaint and hearing procedures.

• Drafting and maintaining board member process manual.

• Providing general legal support to the Deputy Director and the Director.

To be successful in this position, you must have knowledge of and experience in:

• Applying agency and industry laws, rules, policies, and procedures

• Maine law and judicial system

• Understanding Maine Legislative Process

• Effective oral and written communication with staff, state officials and the public at large

Minimum qualifications:

A Law degree from an accredited law school and five (5) years experience in legal practice including at least three (3) years in a field directly related to area of assignment.