ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL - CIVIL RIGHTS ENFORCEMENT DIVISION - 72280

Executive Service

We allow employees to have 2 weekly remote workdays after they have worked for six months.

https://www.tn.gov/content/tn/attorneygeneral/employment/cred-aag.html

Background Check:

This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.

Who We Are And What We Do:

The Tennessee Attorney General's Office is a full-service law firm, representing the State in litigation, transactional matters, and investigations and providing day-to-day legal advice to a wide variety of state entities and officials. The Office's Civil Rights Enforcement Division enforces the Tennessee Human Rights Act, which prohibits discrimination based on certain protected characteristics in housing, employment, public accommodations, and education. The Division investigates discrimination complaints, resolves complaints through both formal and informal mediations, and when necessary, files lawsuits on behalf of complainants and the State of Tennessee. Its office is in Nashville, but the Division has statewide enforcement authority.

How You Make A Change In This Role:

Assistant attorneys general in the Civil Rights Enforcement Division enforce the State's anti-discrimination laws. AAGs are actively involved in pre-litigation activities, including investigations and complaint-resolution efforts, and they litigate on behalf of both victims of discrimination and the State of Tennessee.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead investigations into complaints of civil-rights discrimination by utilizing pre-suit investigative tools like requests for information, civil investigative demands, and requests for sworn testimony; interviewing potential witnesses; and providing legal direction to the Division's investigators;
• File lawsuits pursuant to the State's anti-discrimination laws, and handle all aspects of civil litigation, including motion practice, discovery, mediation, trial, and in some cases, appellate practice;
• Monitor compliance with settlement agreements and court orders;
• Advise the Division Director and executive leadership on how to proceed with complaints, investigations, settlements, and litigation;
• Collaborate with other attorneys, investigators, support staff, and senior leadership within the Office and with the Division's federal partners; and
• Perform in compliance with the law, office policies, legal ethics rules and in furtherance of the Office's mission to provide principled, independent, and excellent counsel

Minimum Qualifications:

• At least two years of experience practicing law as a licensed attorney;
• Experience conducting investigations using a variety of investigative tools and methods, including interviewing witnesses, taking sworn testimony, and gathering and analyzing documentary evidence;
• Experience presenting legal arguments and evidence in state or federal court;
• Experience drafting memoranda, investigative inquiries, pleadings, motions, briefs, and discovery requests;
• Strong written and oral communication skills; and
• Licensed to practice law in Tennessee or pursuing admission to practice law in Tennessee.

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least five years of experience practicing law as a licensed attorney, including at least two litigating complex cases as first or second chair; and
• Experience investigating and litigating matters involving violations of state and federal civil rights laws (e.g., the Tennessee Human Rights Act, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Fair Housing Act) or other public-protection laws (e.g., state consumer protection law, state or federal false claims acts).

Pursuant to the State of Tennessees Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the States policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that persons race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veterans status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.