Assistant Attorney General – Transportation Unit (Transactional/Litigation Focus)

The Civil Litigation and Employment Law Section has an exciting opportunity to provide legal services to one of the largest state agencies in Colorado. The successful candidate will lead various high-impact matters for the Colorado Department of Transportation, one of Colorado’s largest agencies.

Application will be reviewed and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. 

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The Transportation Unit acts as a general service law firm to CDOT and the Colorado Transportation Commission. We also represent the Colorado Bridge and Tunnel Enterprise and the Colorado High Performance Transportation Enterprise, which are government-owned TABOR-exempt enterprises and divisions within CDOT. We file condemnation actions on behalf of CDOT, defend inverse condemnation cases, and bring and defend administrative actions and high exposure litigation. We also engage in negotiations, mediations, and arbitrations with construction industry stakeholders. Further, we handle access control, highway beautification, and billboard permit disputes, and assist CDOT with protests brought under the Procurement Code. Our team also reviews, revises, and approves CDOT contracts; assists in drafting and negotiating contracts, including public-private partnership contracts; oversees other major transactions, and provides legal advice on rulemaking, legislation, and any other legal matters that arise. We are looking for a person who excels at independently tackling new and challenging issues on a regular basis, and who is eager to engage as a part of a team.

This attorney position is part of the Transportation Unit that advises and assists the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and divisions within CDOT.

We are hiring for an Assistant Attorney General to provide litigation and general counsel services to CDOT. In this role, you will lead, or support, high-impact litigation that often involves multi-million-dollar disputes and some of the State’s most sophisticated enterprises. You will counsel CDOT on construction contract disputes, general litigation matters, real property disputes, and CDOT’s equal opportunity program. You may also prosecute and defend administrative actions in the Office of Administrative Courts. In this role, you will have an active motions practice, engage in discovery, prepare witnesses for hearings and trials, and take matters to trial. You will also have the opportunity to collaborate with an engaging team of attorneys and staff, advise our client on specific issues, draft memoranda, devise creative legal strategies, work closely with agency staff and leadership, and respond on short notice to inquiries from the management team.

Because our Transportation Unit is highly collaborative, work may be interchanged across different positions within the Unit.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in the Department of Law. 

Salary Note: The Department of Law uses a wage progression compensation model. Although a salary range is listed, salary will be set commensurate with the successful candidate’s qualifications and in compliance with the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act. 

Attorneys with less than 3 years of experience as a practicing attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General I (AAG I). The salary range for an AAG I is $83,292-$92,400/annually.
Attorneys with more than 3 years of experience practicing as an attorney will be hired as an Assistant Attorney General II (AAG II). The AAG II salary range is $96,420-$120,000/annually.

At a minimum, applicants must:

• Be admitted to the Colorado bar or be clearly eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar and be in good standing at the time of application. Candidates eligible to waive into the Colorado Bar will be required to submit proof of their completed application and application for Practice Pending Admission before the first day of employment. For more information about admission to the Colorado bar please review information on the Colorado Supreme Court Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel.

Further, we are seeking applicants that have most of the following attributes:

• A minimum of three (3) years of practice as a litigation attorney.
• Strong litigation abilities, including legal writing, oral argument, client counseling, cross-examination, legal strategy, and settlement negotiation.
• Ability to assume diverse caseload with moderate supervision and have good judgment as to when to consult teammates and supervisors.
• Strong legal research, writing, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Self-starter who is capable of and enjoys working independently.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and public service.
• Comfort with and confidence in assessing risks and benefits.
• Strong analytical skills and keen attention to detail.
• Well-developed ability to work collaboratively.
• Excel at learning new areas of law and takes initiative to learn quickly and dive into subject matter.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Applicants must pass a thorough background investigation prior to appointment.
• Occasional travel, including overnight travel, may be required.