SENIOR ATTORNEY

Senior Attorney (SES)

Working in the Department of Education's General Counsel's Office is a perfect opportunity for a motivated attorney to sharpen their existing legal skills and develop new ones while providing an integral service to the people of Florida. The Department has general oversight of Florida's education policy and works tirelessly to ensure that every Florida student is given the opportunity to pursue one of life's greatest intrinsic goods: knowledge. The primary responsibility of the attorney in this position is to represent the Department in contractual matters and relating to other issues encountered by the Department operating as a state agency generally. The attorney in this position may participate in procurement activities, labor relations matters, the Department's scholarship programs and ethics matters. More specifically, the job entails:

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Handle litigation as assigned by the General Counsel - Handle litigation before all state and federal courts and administrative tribunals. Represent the State Board of Education, the Commissioner of Education, and Department of Education in litigation where any of the above may be a party.
• Advice and consultation - Consult with and advise personnel of the Department of Education on a wide range of issues affecting the agency. Areas of practice include, but are not limited to, contracts; reviewing, drafting and implementation of legislation; public records requests and Sunshine Law issues; intellectual property; technology issues; rulemaking; purchasing procedures and competitive solicitations; charter school issues; matters under the Administrative Procedures Act; assist K-12 section in litigation and resolving legal issues involving the Education Code; and provide legal advice and litigation support to Choice Office and Office of Student Financial Assistance.
• Assist in the preparation, review and negotiation of contracts - Responsible for the review of contracts, agreements, amendments, leases, and other miscellaneous contractual and commercial documents entered by the Department of Education as assigned by the General Counsel. Provide assistance in the preparation, negotiation, and legal interpretation of complex contractual documents.
• Attendance at meetings and conferences - Attend professional meetings and conferences designed to advance skill and knowledge in the field of education law. Attend meetings and conferences involving Department of Education personnel and provide verbal and written advice as needed and when requested. Performs other related tasks as assigned by the General Counsel. Coordinates intra-agency agreements on issues relating to educational facilities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Admission to the Florida Bar
• Ability to prepare and maintain a variety of records
• Ability to understand and apply Florida Statutes and FDOE rules and policies
• Ability to solve problems
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing
• Ability to plan, organize and coordinate work assignments
• Ability to produce accurate and timely information under tight timeframes, balance multiple and
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office software, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel

Working for the State of Florida has benefits! State Group Insurance coverage options+ (health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental option) Nine paid holidays and a Personal Holiday each year Student Loan Forgiveness Program (Eligibility required) Tuition Fee Waivers (Accepted by major Florida colleges/universities) Annual and Sick Leave Benefits Flexible Spending Accounts Ongoing comprehensive training provided Career Growth * Highly skilled, professional environment Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits For a more complete list of benefits, visit

Leave Information: SMS/SES Annual Leave - Employees in Senior Management Service and Selected Exempt Service positions are credited with 176 hours of annual leave upon appointment. In subsequent years, the annual allotment is credited on the anniversary date of the initial appointment. Sick Leave - Employees in Senior Management Service and Selected Exempt Service positions shall be credited with 104 hours of sick leave upon appointment. In subsequent years, the annual allotment is credited on the anniversary date of initial appointment.

Background Screening Requirement It is the policy of the Florida Department of Education that applicants for employment/volunteer undergo Level 2 background screening in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, Florida Statutes, as a condition of employment or being permitted to serve as a volunteer. You will be required to provide your Social Security Number to conduct required verifications. No applicant for a designated position will be employed, contracted or permitted to volunteer until the level 2 screening results are received, reviewed, and approved by the Department. Level 2 background screening shall include, but not be limited to, finger printing for all purposes and checks under this requirement, statewide criminal and juvenile records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, federal criminal records check through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local criminal records checks through local law enforcement.

Selective Service System (SSS) and Requirement Male applicants born on or after October 1, 1962, will not be eligible for hire or promotion in the Other Personal Services (OPS) or Career Service, or appointment in the Selected Exempt Service (SES) or Senior Management Service (SMS) unless they are registered with the Selective Service System (SSS) before their 26th birthday, or have a Letter of Registration Exemption from the SSS. Verification of Selective Service registration will be conducted prior to hire. For more information, please visit the Selective Service website.

Special Note Please note that this position requires an on-site schedule of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Telework is not available for this role.

Application Information & Hiring Requirements Your Candidate Profile (application) must be complete in its entirety. Work History (in easy to review chronological order) Consists of: Any position held by a State of Florida Agency Any position held by a Florida University All periods of employment from high school graduation All periods of current or prior unemployment Gaps 3 months or more must be accounted for* Any Education Any Volunteer Experience Your resume and application must match *Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a word document listing your gaps. It is unacceptable to use the statement "See Resume" in place of entering work history. Your candidate profile will be converted to your official application. Include supervisor names and phone numbers for reference checks or the contact information for your Human Resources office to verify current or former employment. Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications. Hiring Information and Requirements: The Bureau of Personnel Management reviews every application for prior State of Florida and Florida University work history in the People First system. If claiming Veteran's Preference, the candidate MUST attach supporting documentation such as the DD214 and your VA Letter that reflects level of disability if applicable. Applicable to career service positions only. If claiming Right to First Interview, the candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions. Applicable to career service positions only. NOTE: Responses to qualifying questions must be clearly supported by the state application and any omission, falsification, or misrepresentation in the answering of the qualifying questions will be cause for immediate elimination from the selection process. If you experience problems applying online, please call the People First Service Center at View phone number on click.appcast.io Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center View phone number on click.appcast.io). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.