OAG - Bankruptcy & Collections | Assistant Attorney General IV-V | 26-0197

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
The Office of the Attorney General, a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas, is hiring an Assistant Attorney General for the Bankruptcy & Collections Division. The Bankruptcy & Collections Division is the centralized collection authority for the State, charged with the responsibility to recover all debts, judgments, taxes, fee, fines, penalties, loans, and other obligations referred to the agency for collection. Division attorneys represent and protect the State’s monetary, regulatory, and policy interests in bankruptcy cases as they may appear.

The OAG seeks a highly qualified bankruptcy attorney to join the Bankruptcy Regulatory Team. The Bankruptcy Regulatory Team represents state regulatory agencies such as the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the General Land Office, the Texas Railroad Commission, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, and the Public Utility Commission as well as other OAG divisions including Consumer Protection, Civil Medicaid Fraud, and Environmental Protection in complex, high profile bankruptcy cases across the country. The Bankruptcy Regulatory Team routinely works with other state attorney general offices in national bankruptcy cases.

This Assistant Attorney General position may be based in Austin, Dallas, or Houston depending on the candidate’s preference and the needs of the Bankruptcy Regulatory Team. An Assistant Attorney General based in Dallas or Houston will work remotely with the Austin-based Bankruptcy Regulatory Team from an OAG satellite office and occasional trips to Austin for in-person meetings will be necessary.

Qualified candidates will have substantial experience in all aspects of Chapter 7 and 11 bankruptcy practice including: bankruptcy litigation, negotiating and drafting complex settlement agreements, asset analysis and recovery efforts, automatic stay issues, business operations and affairs, first day motions, recovery and defense of preferential transfers, and plan/disclosure statement formulation. Qualified candidates will also have in-court litigation experience.

As the State’s law firm, the OAG provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits (https://ers.texas.gov/Benefits-at-a-Glance) along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans.

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS
Assistant Attorney General IV:

• Drafts pleadings, motions, discovery, and other legal documents in connection with representing state regulatory authorities and other agencies in bankruptcy court in varied litigation of primarily environmental, consumer protection, oil & gas, healthcare, insurance, banking, and student loans.
• Directs or provides legal advice, counsel, and assistance to client state agencies; communicates and coordinates with client agencies.
• Participates in evidentiary hearings as lead counsel and conducts discovery as needed.
• Assist with evidentiary hearings of other attorneys on the team.
• Performs routine to highly complex legal research.
• Analyzes routine to moderately highly complex factual legal issues; develops evidence through witness interviews, depositions, and other discovery.
• Testifies at hearings, trials, or legislative meetings.
• Reviews bills and amendments for legislative consideration.
• Assist with training and mentoring less tenured staff.
• May oversee the performance of legal research and the reporting of findings and conclusions.
• Performs related work as assigned
• Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions
• Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule
• Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity

Assistant Attorney General V: All of the above functions for an Assistant Attorney General IV plus:

• May supervise the work of others.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Assistant Attorney General IV:

• Education: Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (JD) degree
• Licensed as an attorney by the State of Texas
• Member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas and eligible to practice law in Texas by start date.
• Experience: Three years of full-time experience as a licensed attorney working in the following (or closely related) fields: commercial bankruptcy and restructuring
• Extensive knowledge of laws and legal principles and practices relevant to bankruptcy law
• Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines
• Skill in effective oral and written communication
• Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making
• Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback
• Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment
• Ability to provide excellent customer service
• Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG work space within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week (unless on approved leave)
• Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel
• Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA
• Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs.
• Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 10%

Assistant Attorney General V: All of the above qualifications for an Assistant Attorney General IV plus:

• One additional year full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney in federal bankruptcy court.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience: At least five years full-time experience as a licensed attorney practicing in the area of bankruptcy law
• Experience: Experience in leading complex litigation cases
• Certifications: Board Certified in Business Bankruptcy Law

TO APPLY

To apply for a job with the OAG, electronic applications can be submitted through CAPPS Recruit. A State of Texas application must be completed to be considered, and paper applications are not accepted. Your application for this position may subject you to a criminal background check pursuant to the Texas Government Code. Military Crosswalk information can be accessed at https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf

THE OAG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER