The candidate must have at least seven (7) years of civil litigation experience and must excel in oral and written communication, project management, and legal writing and editing. The candidate also must have a creative orientation toward the law and bring innovative thinking to the ways in which OAG can expand its work to meet the needs of District residents. The ideal candidate will have significant experience leading case teams, managing legal work and the workloads of attorneys and staff, and mentoring attorneys and staff. The ideal candidate also will have substantial experience with litigating complex, discovery-heavy, fast-paced litigation matters. Ideally, the candidate should have substantive knowledge of relevant laws, policies, and practices relating to consumer protection. We also value candidates with a demonstrated commitment to the District.
Located in the nation’s capital, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is the chief legal office of the District of Columbia. The OAG enforces the laws of the District, defends, and provides legal advice to the District’s government agencies and protects the interests of the District’s residents. This position is located in the Office of Consumer Protection of the Public Advocacy Division.
OAG is seeking an experienced attorney and manager to serve as Director of OCP in PAD. PAD investigates and litigates affirmative civil enforcement cases aimed at protecting the public interest. PAD brings enforcement actions in consumer protection, civil rights, housing, workers’ rights, elder justice, environmental protection, nonprofit, antitrust, and anti-fraud.
Among the largest sections in PAD and office-wide, OCP works to protect District consumers by bringing cases against businesses that take advantage of District residents, educating consumers in the District through outreach events and consumer alerts, and receiving and investigating complaints from consumers in the District regarding potential violations of District consumer laws. OCP both investigates and brings enforcement actions of high priority to residents and participates in national and multistate actions, with subject matters covering deceptive lending, big tech, privacy, scams, addictive and unsafe products, deceptive fees, hyperlocal matters, and more. OCP also runs a wide-reaching Consumer Mediation Program that receives and responds to several thousand consumer complaints annually, resulting in over $1 million returned to District consumers each year. OCP regularly proposes legislative solutions to better protect District residents and engages in frequent public speaking and consumer education efforts. Along with a Deputy Director, the Director oversees the management and operation of OCP, which includes the supervision of 13 Assistant Attorneys General, three paralegals, three investigators, and a staff assistant.
Duties and Responsibilities
The duties of the Director include, but are not limited to:
- Establishing priorities, policies, and procedures for OCP;
- Managing the litigation work of the Office, including directly supervising lawyers, paraprofessionals, and administrative staff in the section, overseeing all phases of litigation and other program work, providing training and professional development opportunities, and evaluating performance;
- Leading and coordinating nationwide investigations with other Attorney General offices;
- Engaging the public on education through town hall meetings, media, and outreach materials, as well as reaching out to community and legal services groups to amplify OAG’s work;
- Developing legislative proposals to strengthen existing District of Columbia consumer protection laws and, where necessary, commenting and/or testifying on pending legislation affecting District consumers;
- Assisting in the management of an extensive consumer complaint intake and mediation program;
- Advising the Attorney General, Chief Deputy Attorney General, First Assistant Attorney General, Deputy Attorney General and Assistant Deputy Attorneys General of PAD, and other senior members at OAG on legal and policy issues related to consumer protection and privacy; and
- Representing the Attorney General in meetings with high government officials.
HOW TO APPLY: Application must be completed in its entirety, along with the following submissions:
1) Cover Letter
2) Résumé
3) Legal Writing Sample
4) A List of Three References
*Please upload all of these documents as one combined PDF in the “resume” field of the application. If experiencing issues uploading attachments, please send the required documents to OAGrecruitment@DC.gov. Failure to submit the required documentation may lead to non-consideration for the position.**
**Please note that the first round of screenings will occur after the first 10 days from posting opening date.*
Licenses and Certifications:
The incumbent must be sworn into the District of Columbia Bar within 360 days of his/her initial appointment with the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia.