TDI-Attorney III (Staff Attorney) (Part-time)

Do you have a passion for public state service and enjoy making a difference? Don’t miss out on this opportunity. The Texas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers’ Compensation (DWC) is hiring! DWC administers and operates the Texas workers’ compensation system. DWC regulates the workers’ compensation system, settles disputes, provides customer service, promotes workplace safety, and ensures compliance with state laws. DWC has 20 offices across the state of Texas, with the headquarters located in the Capitol Complex, in the Barbara Jordan Building at 1601 Congress Avenue in Austin, near the Texas Capitol.

Benefits of working at TDI:
•    Flexible work schedules.
•    Work-life-balance.
•    96 hours of accrued vacation a year.
•    96 hours of accrued sick leave a year.
•    20+ holidays every year.
•    Career advancement opportunities.
•    Free parking. 
•    401(k) and 457 Programs. 
•    State of Texas retirement plan with a lifetime annuity through the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS).
•    Free comprehensive medical insurance for full-time employees and 50% off premium costs for dependents (state pays the other 50%). 
•    Optional benefits like dental, vision, life insurance, and many more.
•    Qualified employer for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
•    Part-Time employee benefits are based on a proportionate basis.

Before you apply:
TDI does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of an employment visa.
Learn about our selection process, our military employment preference, licensing, and credential requirements.

Job posting details 
Attorney III (Staff Attorney) Part-Time 
This part-time Staff Attorney position works three days (24 hours) a week. Performs highly complex (senior-level) legal work for the DWC Enforcement section. Work involves legal research and writing, and providing feedback and training on legal writing standards regarding clarity, format, organization, punctuation, grammar, and spelling. This position requires preparing legal documents, participating in hearings and presentations, interpreting laws and regulations, and rendering legal advice and counsel. May supervise the work of others. Works under limited supervision, with considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

This position:
•    Represents the TDI/DWC Enforcement section in disciplinary actions concerning health care providers, insurance carriers, and other workers' compensation system participants.
•    Supports overall editing needs by reviewing department work product for quality and compliance with industry and the agency’s style guides and format requirements.
•    Resolves complaints concerning alleged violations of the Texas Insurance Code, Texas Government Code, Texas Labor Code, or the Texas Administrative Code.
•    Conducts electronic legal research and investigates legal issues and provides legal advice and opinions for the Commissioner of Workers' Compensation, or other agency employees.
•    Analyzes statutes, judicial decisions, and other legal research.
•    Prepares Commissioner Orders related to contested cases and hearings.
•    Assists with drafting briefs, pleadings, and other legal documents.
•    Assists with administrative hearings and rule-making proceedings.
•    Represents the agency at business meetings, hearings, trials, legislative sessions, conferences, and seminars, or on boards, panels, and committees.
•    Travel is required up to 5% of the time.  If travel is over 10%, you must maintain a state of Texas Driver’s License. 
•    Performs other duties as assigned. 
 

This position requires:  
•    Graduate from an accredited law school with a J.D. or L.L.B degree.
•    Three years of full-time legal experience as a licensed attorney.
•    Strong legal writing and editing skills.
•    Experience with the application of complex statutory and rule provisions. 
•    Law clerk experience can be counted toward legal experience.
•    Regular work attendance.

Additional job details: 
•    Must be licensed to practice law in the State of Texas.
•    Must be a member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas.
•    You must submit a writing sample with your application.

Preferences for this position include: 
•    Relevant degree or experience, such as a Bachelor's Degree or experience in Journalism, English, Communications, Writing, Education, Editing, or Publishing.
•    Experience in reviewing the work of other team members and providing feedback.
•    Recent administrative, regulatory, health and/or insurance law experience, with preference given to experience with workers’ compensation law.
•    Skill or experience in discovery, motions practice or bench trials.

This position requires demonstrated knowledge of:
•    State laws, rules, procedures, and regulations relevant to job requirements.
•    Legal editing standards such as the AP Stylebook, Bluebook Style or similar standards.
•    Civil and evidentiary techniques and procedural requirements, including the Texas Rules of Evidence and Texas Rules of Civil Procedure.
•    Legal principles and practices, including but not limited to administrative proceedings, laws, regulations, and rules relating to the agency, such as the Texas Workers’ Compensation Act, the Texas Administrative Procedures Act, and the Public Information Act.
•    Legal research methods, including the use of Westlaw and other online resources; and
•    Experience in the preparation of legal documents and effective legal writing principles, including preparation of pleadings, legal documents and briefs utilising common standards of grammar, punctuation and style.

This position requires demonstrated skill in:
•    Problem solving and critical thinking.
•    Using Microsoft Office software applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and SharePoint.
•    Using personal computers sufficient to enter and extract data from related systems and programs such as Centralized Accounting Payroll and Personnel (CAPPS) and other systems required to perform the job.
•    Planning, decision making and problem solving.
•    Organizing and managing multiple competing priorities.
•    Negotiation techniques.
•    Legal research, writing, and analysis.
•    Communicating and working effectively with all levels of employees, government officials, and the public.
•    Using virtual meeting technology, such as Zoom and Teams, is sufficient to be able to share, review and communicate information and documents in virtual meetings and hearings.

This position requires the demonstrated ability to:
•    Communicate and work effectively with a wide range of people with varied skills, knowledge, and backgrounds.
•    Maintain the confidentiality of sensitive information.
•    Analyze and solve work-related problems and work independently on a variety of administrative work and technical assignments.
•    Manage and coordinate multiple tasks and priorities to meet necessary deadlines.
•    Work both independently and as a team player.
•    Prepare sound, clear, logical opinions and express those opinions logically, clearly, and persuasively, both verbally and in writing.
•    Use reasoning and logic to identify and solve problems.
•    Exercise mature judgment in the analysis of legal problems and prepare sound, clear, logical opinions and express those opinions logically, clearly and persuasively, both orally and in writing.
•    Comprehend and apply the Texas Insurance Code, Texas Labor Code, Texas Government Code and Texas Administrative Code to distinct fact patterns.
•    Apply critical thinking to analyze and solve legal issues and interpret laws and regulations affecting the agency.
•    Identify problems, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions.
•    Follow the chain of command and directions.
•    Organize and manage multiple priorities and cases and meet deadlines.
•    Provide commitment to public service.

Military Employment Preference
Get help translating your military work experience and training courses into civilian job terms, qualifications/requirements, and skill sets. Redact personal or sensitive information from all attachments.

To receive a military employment preference, you must submit the following documents, as applicable, with your application. See How to Apply – Military Employment Preference.

Applicable Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes are included, but not limited to one of the following: 
27A, 250X, 4402, 4410, LGL10

Click or copy and paste the following link into your browser to access Military Crosswalk information: 
Military Crosswalk for Occupational Category - Legal (texas.gov)

How to apply:
You may apply through the CAPPS Career Center or Work in Texas (WIT).
The following information is required with your submission. Your submission must include the following:
•    Employment history (month and year).
•    Duties and responsibilities.
•    Education.
•    Certifications.
•    Licenses.
•    Supplemental questions (if applicable)*.
We may reject submissions that do not include all the required information. 
*If you are applying through WIT, log into CAPPS Career Center to access supplemental questions and review your submission.