09/30/2010 07121

ATTORNEY 2, OGC

DEFINITION:

This is responsible professional legal work under the authority of the Office of General Counsel (OGC).

An employee in this job is responsible for performing legal work at the full professional performance level, often within a specific field of law. A wide variety of legal work is performed, which includes research, drafting opinions and pleadings, performing legal regulatory work, or representing an agency in courts of law. Difficulty of legal problems encountered ranges from routine to moderately difficult. Legal research preliminary to the rendering of decisions affecting agency operations, the preparation of documents, or the preparation of cases for trial is done independently, but subject to general supervision by a higher level attorney based on the difficulty of the legal problems encountered.

EXAMPLES OF WORK:

Renders legal advice directly to decision-makers within a state agency.

Prepares contracts, leases, deeds, and other legal documents.

Conducts research in rendering legal opinions.

Prepares materials for proposed legislation.

Formulates agency rules and regulations.

Performs legal work in enforcing the laws, rules and regulations of an agency.

Conducts quasi-judicial hearings or advises boards or administrative officers in deciding hearings.

Litigates cases in court, in a special field of law.

Confers with private citizens to advise them on state laws and regulations.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of common law and state and federal laws, in regard to general administrative and regulatory functions of state government.

Knowledge of the judicial procedures and of the rules of evidence.

Knowledge of the principles, methods, materials and practices of legal research.

Knowledge of the methods and practices of pleading civil or criminal cases and of effective techniques in the presentation of cases in court.

Ability to interpret, analyze and organize facts, evidence, and precedents and to present such materials in opinions, orders, or decisions.

Ability to interpret and analyze legal documents and instruments.

Ability to draft legal documents and proposed legislation.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Ability to communicate effectively orally.

Ability to communicate effective in writing.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

Two years of professional legal experience and graduation from an accredited school of law;

                                                                                                                                                  or

An equivalent combination of experience and training.

POST EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENT:

Applicants must be certified for admission to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania and must maintain membership on a continuous basis during employment.