The Civil Litigation and Employment Law Section is seeking a talented, enthusiastic, and experienced attorney to represent the State of Colorado in civil rights and constitutional litigation in state and federal court. This position offers an exciting opportunity to handle a caseload which primarily involves complex civil rights litigation and associated constitutional claims, habeas petitions, civil appeals and advice matters for state agencies. This position is best suited for an attorney who is interested in the intersection of criminal justice and federal civil rights law, and who excels at independently researching and writing about unique legal issues while engaging collaboratively as a part of a team with other attorneys and staff.
Applications will be reviewed, and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. Interested parties are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.
This position is subject to the Hiring Freeze as outlined in Executive Order D 2025 009. The selected finalist will have a start date after January 1, 2026. Candidates should be aware that while an offer may be extended, their employment will not commence prior to that date.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
In this role, you will represent the Colorado Department of Corrections, and you will have the opportunity to litigate federal civil rights claims of all sorts. This often includes claims brought pursuant to the First, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution, as well as claims brought pursuant to statutes such as the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act. Our team also handles various other matters such as habeas corpus petitions, small claims cases, and judicial review of agency rulings. Attorneys may also provide general legal advice to client agencies on a broad variety of topics including policy issues and subpoena or open records requests.
Experience in these areas of law is very helpful but not required – we have robust resources to support attorneys who are new to these areas of law. What is important to us is experience in, and enthusiasm for, legal writing and litigation work. So, if you enjoy all aspects of litigation, including motions practice, discovery, trial work and appellate work, this is the role for you! We are looking for candidates who are great writers and thinkers and who can manage their own federal and state cases. We are also looking for people who enjoy being part of a fun, light-hearted team that cares deeply about their service to the State of Colorado. People in this unit are successful because they enjoy their autonomy but thrive in a collaborative environment where people work together to help each other succeed. Past experience as a judicial clerk is a plus.
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Qualified 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. 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 website.
Further, we are seeking candidates that have at least some, if not many, of the following skills and experiences.
- At least five years of legal experience preferred.
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- Strong legal research and writing skills, including some experience drafting and filing briefs in federal court, and/or strong trial work in state or federal court.
- Prior experience as a state or federal judicial law clerk.
- Interest and/or experience with 42 U.S.C. § 1983 cases, C.R.C.P. 106 cases, Constitutional law, administrative law, and federal and state appeals is preferred.
- Broad range of litigation experience.
- Ability to be self-directed and manage one’s own caseload from pleading stage through trial and appeal.
- Good problem-solving skills and the confidence to know when to ask questions.
THIS POSITION REQUIRES AT LEAST ONE WRITING SAMPLE. PLEASE REVIEW THE "HOW TO APPLY" SECTION OF THE JOB ANNOUNCEMENT FOR MORE INFORMATION.
The Office of the Attorney General offers challenging, interesting, and meaningful work. We are an equal opportunity employer and believe that a diverse workforce adds quality and perspective to the services we provide to the public. Candidates with diverse qualities and backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
This recruitment may be used to fill more than one Assistant Attorney General position in the Employment Practices and Civil Rights Unit.
Salary: $88,197.00 – $136,558.00 Annually
Deadline: 12/31/2025 11:59 PM Mountain
Link to full job posting and to formally apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado/jobs/5143533/assistant-attorney-general-corrections
