TDI-Attorney II-III

      Do you have a passion for public state service and enjoy making a difference? The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) is hiring! We regulate the insurance industry, administer the Texas workers’ compensation system, and educate and protect consumers. Apply now if you’re looking for a rewarding career in public service. The Texas Department of Insurance is 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 other 50%).

·       Optional benefits like dental, vision, life insurance, and many more.

·       Qualified employer for the Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Things you’ll do in your first year on the job as a TDI attorney:  

·       Get insurance and administrative law experience with a manageable workload. Solid training and plenty of experienced support help you ease into learning about the State Fire Marshal’s Office, insurance regulation, and reviewing rules and legislation. Once you’ve gathered the skills needed, you’ll have relevant skills others take a career to develop.

·       Develop administrative law skills—a varied practice area with public and private practitioners throughout the state.

·        Work with a collaborative, team-oriented group of professionals.

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.

Attorney II-III

Develop your skills with a dynamic team of legal professionals at TDI. With $293 billion in premiums, Texas is the nation’s second largest insurance market and the fifth largest in the world. The Office of Policy Development Counsel in the General Counsel Division is hiring an attorney to support TDI in areas such as homeowners and auto coverage, insurance rates, and market oversight. You will be at the forefront of insurance regulation and have the chance to shape policies and regulations that impact the daily lives of Texans.

This position may serve as primary counsel for the State Fire Marshal and other client program areas. The mission of the State Fire Marshal’s Office (SFMO) is to reduce the loss of life and property through fire prevention, education, and protection. SFMO conducts fire investigations, inspects public and private buildings throughout the state, and licenses companies that sell, install, certify, and service fire extinguishers, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, and fireworks.

This position performs moderately complex (journey-level) to highly complex (senior-level) legal work with a supportive and diverse team of professionals. The position collaborates with other departments within the agency to develop and review policies, regulations, and procedures, ensuring they align with legal requirements.

Work includes interpreting laws and regulations, preparing legal documents, collaborating with subject matter experts, and providing legal advice to agency staff on matters involving insurance regulation and administrative law. Work also includes staying up to date on legislative changes that may impact the agency's operations, providing guidance on necessary adjustments. Works under general to moderate supervision with moderate to limited latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

The General Counsel Division provides training and a positive, collaborative work culture. An ideal candidate will have knowledge of property and casualty insurance law and experience providing legal advice about property and casualty insurance products, excellent legal research and writing skills, the ability to interpret state and federal laws and apply them to novel legal problems, and the ability to draft thorough and plain language legal documents. The ideal candidate will show a willingness and ability to take on new challenges and subject matter. The candidate will be detail-oriented and an excellent communicator, with good collaboration skills and judgment in the analysis of legal risks.

This position:

·       Advises staff on legal matters, including the interpretation and application of agency

·       regulations and state and federal law.

·       Researches state and federal laws and regulations.

·       Drafts legal opinions and memoranda on regulatory matters.

·       Researches, analyzes, and drafts administrative rules and orders.

·       Drafts orders, monitor's litigation, prepares expert witnesses, and assists with discovery. 

·       Participates in administrative and regulatory hearings.

·       Researches, drafts, and assists in drafting bills and amendments for legislative consideration.

·       Assists the Attorney General’s office in preparing cases for litigation.

·       Travel is required up to 5% of the time. If travel is over 10%, you must maintain state of Texas driver’s license.

·       Performs other duties as assigned.

This position requires: 

·       Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree.

·       Two years of legal experience for the Attorney II position.

·       Three years of legal experience for the Attorney III position.

·       Licensure as an attorney to practice law in the State of Texas.

·       Member in good standing with the State Bar of Texas.

·       Regular work attendance.

Note:

Law clerk experience can be counted toward the legal experience.

Preferences for this position include:

·       These are a plus, but are not required:

o   Previous experience as a prosecutor or working with law enforcement or analogous skills.

o   Previous experience in trial litigation, preparing witnesses, and Daubert examinations.

o   Previous experience as an attorney with a focus on government, administrative, or public law.

o   Previous experience advising in-house on legal issues or similar environment.

o   Previous experience drafting rules and legislation.

o   Previous experience in insurance or insurance litigation.

o   A resume submitted with the application.

o   A cover letter submitted with the application.

o   A writing sample or excerpt of no more than 10 pages, double-spaced, in 12-point font, submitted with the application. The writing sample should not have been authored by anyone other than the applicant. 

This position requires demonstrated knowledge of:

·       State laws, rules, procedures, and regulations relevant to job requirements.

·       Legal principles, practices, and proceedings.

·       Caseload management techniques, including prioritization, decision-making, and collaboration with internal clients and management.

·       State and federal laws, rules, and regulations with emphasis on the Texas Insurance Code and the Texas Administrative Procedure Act.

·       Legal research, analysis, and drafting techniques.

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.

·       Effective oral and verbal communication.

·       Legal research, writing, and analysis, including plain English legal writing.

·       Reasoning and logic to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.

·       Identifying and solving complex problems.

·       Independently planning and organizing a moderate workload.

·       Using good judgment to analyze legal problems and identify courses of action.

·       Project management and/or team leadership.

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.

·       Satisfy the requirement to maintain fully qualified driving status (if applicable).

·       Apply critical thinking skills to novel and complex legal questions in order to identify solutions and evaluate risk.

·       Establish and maintain effective working relationships with both internal and external customers.

·       Identify and analyze legal problems, and prepare sound, clear opinions and briefs.

·       Research legal issues efficiently.

·       Summarize research findings clearly and effectively.

·       Interpret laws and regulations affecting the agency.

·       Express comments and legal opinions clearly and persuasively.

·       Deal tactfully and professionally with the public, coworkers, agency staff and industry representatives.

·       Use electronic and hard-copy legal reference materials.

·       Explain legal concepts to lay persons.

·       Organize and manage multiple priorities.

·       Respond to dynamic situations on an as-needed and case-by-case basis.

·       Use or learn to use agency technology tools, databases, and tracking systems.

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, LGL10, 4402, 4405, 4406, 4407, 4408, 4409, 4410, 4411, 4417, 51JX, 92J0

Click or copy and paste the following link into your browser to access Military Crosswalk information:

https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf

How to apply:

You may apply through CAPPS Career Center or Work in Texas (WIT).

The following information is required with your submission. Your submission must include complete:

·       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.