Assistant Attorney General

ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL Position No: 125-606Position Title: Natural Resources and Native American AffairsSalary Range: $81,000 - $120,000 per year. For total rewards click: Total Rewards CalculatorClosing Date: July 24, 2026Status: Full-Time with State Benefit Package Recruitment: Internal/ExternalLocation: 500 North 9th Street, Bismarck, NDSelecting Supervisor: Matthew Sagsveen, Director, Natural Resources and Native American Affairs Division Summary of Work The Attorney General is the chief legal officer for the state of North Dakota, and the Attorney General’s Office serves more than 70 state agencies, boards, and commissions, as well as the University System. The Attorney General is dedicated to provide the highest quality professional and ethical legal services to state officials, agencies, and people of the state of North Dakota.The Natural Resources and Native American Affairs Division, a Division in the Attorney General’s Office, provides legal services to state agencies that are involved with and regulate the State’s natural resources. These agencies include the Department of Environmental Quality, Department of Water Resources, Industrial Commission (including the State Mill and Elevator, Department of Mineral Resources, Pipeline Authority), Parks and Recreation Department, Game and Fish Department, several commodity boards, and others. To further these important goals, the Attorney General’s Office is seeking a qualified attorney to join the Natural Resources and Native American Affairs Division. Typical duties for this position may include working collaboratively with the division director and other attorneys in the division on the following tasks: Facilitate strong working relationships with state agency clients and stakeholdersLegal research, writing, discovery, motion practice, document preparation, and trial or hearing preparationRepresent clients in administrative and civil proceedingsAdministrative case management and trackingAppellate advocacyManage clients’ legal operationsRespond to legal correspondenceMonitor, draft, and review legislation, and provide legislative testimony as needed Manage outside counsel The Ideal Candidate:Is passionate about the management of Natural Resources in North Dakota, and is eager to contribute their expertise to positively impact North Dakota. Easily engages and communicates with others orally and in writing. Self-motivated to conduct research, analyze complex legal issues, and ensure accuracy of work.Has excellent organizational skills.Demonstrates an ability to provide sound judgment including the ability to think critically, identify, break down and evaluate complex legal issues, and write in a concise and logical manner. Thrives on solving and managing unique or unprecedented legal questions and issues. Finds it rewarding to be highly dependable and work on significant issues impacting North Dakota.All new employees are given the opportunity to receive on the job training, as well as the opportunity to participate in local, regional, and national training courses for topics such as general counsel training, advanced litigation skills such as deposition training, appellate advocacy, e-discovery, and negotiations.In addition to the monthly salary based upon experience and demonstrated competency, this position includes fully paid health insurance for employee and family, the option to participate in employee-paid dental and vision for employee and family, participation in the state NDPERS defined benefit retirement plans, as well as the option to participate in the 457 deferred compensation plan, and the option to contribute to a medical spending account. The position also includes annual and sick leave benefits.Employees in this position are eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Location of Work:The Division office is centrally located in Bismarck, North Dakota.Minimum Qualifications Licensed to practice law in North Dakota, or the expectation of imminent admission to the North Dakota bar.2+ years of experience is preferred. Experience in industry related to natural resources is preferred, but not required. High ethical standards and a clean disciplinary record.Ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality.Advanced interpersonal skills needed to work well with the public.The judgment, reliability, and willingness to devote time and energy necessary to provide excellent legal services to the State of North Dakota.Ability, demonstrated in previous employment experience or otherwise shown, to establish and maintain effective, harmonious working relationships with clients, colleagues, and supervisors.Excellent time management and organization skills.Proven ability or potential to produce excellent legal work product.Successful completion of the interview process, reference checks, and standard background and criminal record checks to determine knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform assistant attorney general tasks.About Team ND "Far and away the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore RooseveltMore than 7,500 talented, hard-working people across sixty-three agencies have come together as Team North Dakota. At Team ND, we are driven to succeed through gratitude, humility, curiosity and courage. Our purpose is to empower people, improve lives, and inspire success. Join us in being legendary.Total Rewards: The State of North Dakota is committed to providing team members with a strong and competitive rewards package that support you, your health and your family.Considering a new position on Team ND? How does your current position stack up? Use our Total Rewards Calculator to estimate.Application Procedures Applicants are screened based on qualifications, successful completion of the interview process and a background and criminal investigation. Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis. The Office of Attorney General does not provide sponsorships.Application package must be received by 11:59 PM on the closing date listed on the opening.TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS POSITION APPLICATIONS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE AT: Documents to be submitted:ResumeCover letter with a summary that clearly explains how the applicant's work experience is related to the summary of work and minimum/preferred qualifications3 Professional ReferencesCollege Transcripts (copies or unofficial versions are acceptable for the initial application process but when the top candidate is given a conditional employment offer, they are required to present official transcripts)The North Dakota Office of Attorney General prohibits candidates from plagiarizing any portion of their employment application and interview process to include responses to questions in which you must provide a narrative and/or verbal response. You must create your own responses originally and not copy or adapt them from other sources. While the North Dakota Office of Attorney General encourages you to create your narratives and interview responses with great care, including correct use of grammar and style, you are prohibited from using any artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool, to include but not limited to ChatGPT during the interview process. Any information you provide during the application and interview process is subject to verification. The North Dakota Office of Attorney General will discontinue your candidacy if we find you have violated this prohibition on use of AI tools in the application and interview process. All hiring decisions are subject to approval by the Attorney General. No offer of employment is final or binding until approved by the Attorney General.Anyone needing assistance or accommodations during any part of the application or interview process please contact Ashley, Office of Attorney General: E-mail: View email address on click.appcast.io; phone: View phone number on click.appcast.io or TTY: View phone number on click.appcast.io.Learn more about Office of Attorney General at: Learn more about Employment Benefits at: Visit North Dakota State government: To learn more about living in North Dakota, visit Equal Employment Opportunity The State of North Dakota and this hiring agency do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), genetics, religion, age or disability in employment or the provisions of services and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 23-12-10.