ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL - CHILD AND FAMILY PROTECTION DIVISION

ADDRESS: VARIOUS STATEWIDE

Salary: $80,000 – $120,000

Grade: 01

Join the Arizona Attorney General's Office and Make a Meaningful Impact

The Arizona Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is seeking passionate and committed Assistant Attorney Generals to join our Child and Family Protection Division (CFPD) - a team devoted to protecting Arizona's children, strengthening families, and upholding the State's interests with excellence.

In this role, you will handle complex and rewarding legal work, providing trusted legal advice, counsel, and representation for the State of Arizona. As a member of the CFPD team, You'll have the opportunity to directly support the missions of the Department of Economic Security (DES) or the Department of Child Safety (DCS).

Why Join the Child and Family Protection Division?

CFPD is the AGO's largest division with over 300 professionals working across four practice areas:

• Appeals (APL)
• Child Support Services (CSS)
• Civil and Criminal Litigation and Advice Section (CLA)
• Protective Services Section (PSS)

PSS and CSS have offices statewide - including Kingman, Prescott, Flagstaff, Phoenix Metro, Tucson, Sierra Vista, Yuma and Bisbee - creating opportunities wherever you want to build your career. CFPD Appeals has locations in Phoenix and Tucson, and CLA is located only in Phoenix.

What Makes This Role Special

• Work with purpose: Every case you handle directly supports Arizona's most vulnerable populations.
• Collaborative culture: Join a team of dedicated attorneys and staff who support each other and share knowledge generously.
• Professional growth: Experience new practice areas, take on increasing responsibility, and learn from seasoned legal experts.
• A welcoming environment for emerging and veteran attorneys: Recent graduates may apply to join us as law clerks pending Arizona Bar licensure, then move into an Assistant Attorney General role once licensed.

Ready to Explore Our Sections?

You can lean more about each CFPD section here:
CFPD Section Information

This position may offer the ability to work remotely two days a week, based upon the Division's business needs and continual meeting of expected performance measures.

• Provides legal representation including, in certain practice areas, advice and representation in complex cases in State and Federal court.
• Prepares legal documents, including but not limited to briefs, pleadings, and memoranda.
• Investigate; interview agency clients; reviews documents and evidence; conducts legal research; conduct discovery; review and analyze cases for trial; appears in court.
• As assigned, respond to inquiries from law enforcement and the general public.
• Attend meetings and training as necessary.

Knowledge of:

• Applicable statutes, case law and court rules;
• Legal techniques and the basic concepts of American Jurisprudence and of the formats utilized in the preparation of legal documents;
• Practical factors that impact litigation decisions and goals, including plaintiff responses, opposing counsel strategies and judicial perspectives, and victim/witness considerations;
• Financial considerations for the state;
• Legal practice experience, especially in complex litigation;
• Ethical standards applicable to lawyers and public employees.

Skills in:

• Persuasive oral and written communication pertaining to case presentation through various stages of representation, including litigation through trial and appeal if required;
• Preparing legal documents memoranda and correspondence efficiently;
• Analyzing legal and factual issues;
• Trial skills and negotiating skills;
• Interpersonal relationships as applied to interaction with court personnel, agency personnel, victims, and government agencies;
• Time Management

Ability to:

• Identify issues, analyze and articulate legal arguments, assess evidence and communicate it to the client;
• Effectively plan, organize, direct and monitor complex investigations/cases.
• Coordinate activities with a variety of governmental and non-governmental agencies, including law enforcement agencies;
• Apply analytical and problem-solving methods to systems and programs;
• Encourage teamwork through collaboration and communication;
• Manage significant volume of high exposure cases;
• Effectively utilize skills of subordinate staff;
• Display courteous and professional behavior;
• Appropriately apply professional ethical rules in daily practice;
• Exercise good judgment in making strategic decisions in cases and in providing legal advice to clients;
• Respond timely to communications and file timely motions and responsive pleadings.

Excellent writing and communication skills are required. Knowledge of the various DES/DCS programs is a plus, but CFPD's robust training program will educate newly hired lawyers regarding substantive areas that each practice area involves. Applicants must also have the ability to work collaboratively with others.

• Attorney applicants are required to submit a writing sample with their resume/application profile.
• The writing sample should contain an analysis of some substantive legal issue and provide insight concerning your ability to think and to explain and advocate for a particular position.
• All applicants under serious consideration for hire with the Attorney General's Office are required to be fingerprinted by the Office and complete a criminal background check through State and Federal agencies. A job offer cannot be tendered until the candidate has successfully passed the initial background check. Your record does not automatically constitute a bar to employment. Factors such as, but not limited to, age at time of offense and age of offense, as well as the relationship between the offense and the job for which you apply.
• Admission to, and good standing with, the Arizona State Bar is required (include on resume the date(s) of admission in Arizona and any other states). Candidate must have an active Arizona State Bar license (except recent law school graduates applying for conditional offers).
• Travel is required for this position. A valid Arizona Driver’s License is required, along with consent to have your driving record run periodically.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

The Attorney General's Office offers a comprehensive benefits package to include:

• Student Loan Assistance Program
• Sick leave
• Vacation with 10 paid holidays per year
• Health and dental insurance
• Retirement plan
• Life insurance and long-term disability insurance
• Optional employee benefits include short-term disability insurance, deferred compensation plans, and supplemental life insurance

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

• Positions in this classification participate in the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS).
• Please note, enrollment eligibility will become effective after 27 weeks of employment.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Human Resources at (602) 542-8056 or email us at humanresources@azag.gov.

During all phases of the selection process, people with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation by contacting the AG’s Human Resources Office at (602) 542-8056 or via e-mail at HumanResources@azag.gov. The Arizona Office of the Attorney General does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, religion, sexual orientation or age in its programs, activities or in its hiring and employment practices. The following division has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Operations Division, 2005 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004, Phone: (602) 542-8056, Fax: (602) 542-8000.