Special Assistant Attorney General

Special Assistant Attorney General

(Two-Year Fellowship in association with New York University School of Law)

Energy & Environment Bureau

Environmental Protection Division

The Office of the Attorney General will host a highly motivated attorney as a Special Assistant Attorney General for a two-year legal fellowship in the Environmental Protection Division of the Energy & Environment Bureau (EEB). This fellowship, sponsored by the New York University School of Law State Energy & Environmental Impact Center (State Impact Center), is for a two-year term with the possibility of extension subject to mutual agreement between the Attorney General’s Office and the State Impact Center.

EPD represents the Commonwealth in federal and state litigation and policy development, including enforcement of environmental laws, defense of state agencies, and advocacy for strong federal environmental protections. EPD’s docket covers a wide range of topics, including addressing climate change; protecting clean air and water; preserving wetlands, tidelands, and public open space; cleaning up contaminated sites; handling and disposal of solid and hazardous waste materials; and responding to the needs of residents of communities with environmental justice concerns. The attorney selected for this opportunity will provide a supplemental, in-house resource to the Attorney General, EEB, and EPD on a host of climate and environmental litigation and policy matters, with a particular focus on federal matters, supervised by EEB, including issues at the intersection of climate and environmental policy and environmental justice.

More information about EEB and EPD can be found at https://www.mass.gov/ago/eeb. The non-partisan State Impact Center supports state attorneys general in defending and promoting clean energy, climate, and environmental laws and policies. More information about the State Impact Center can be found at https://stateimpactcenter.org.

Primary Duties: The Special Assistant Attorney General will work independently and in teams to perform complex legal and strategic work on various federal, regional, and state climate-change and environmental litigation and policy matters with a particular focus on federal matters of national and regional significance with specific impacts on Massachusetts residents and communities. The Special Assistant Attorney General will serve as lead or co-counsel in litigation in federal and state courts; prepare legal notices, briefs, comment letters, and other associated litigation and regulatory documents; conduct in-depth analysis and prepare legal memoranda; interpret laws and regulations; review and develop recommendations regarding proposed regulations and policies; provide legal advice to agency clients; respond to public inquiries; and work closely with the Office’s communications and policy teams on press and public outreach. In addition, the Special Assistant Attorney General will coordinate with interested allies on legal, regulatory, and communication efforts regarding climate and environmental issues, including state and federal climate and environmental policies. The principal focus of the Special Assistant Attorney General’s workload will be climate and environmental litigation and related policy matters, but the Attorney will also contribute to the other work of EEB and EPD, as needed and assigned.

Position Requirements: Applicants must have litigation and/or policy experience with an interest in climate and environmental protection; the ability and desire to oversee multiple complex and challenging matters, simultaneously; effective negotiation, analytical, research, and written and oral communication skills; and the ability to work well within a team in a fast-paced environment.

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate a connection to the people and communities we serve and a commitment to supporting a respectful, diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment. A proven history of a commitment to public service or public interest work is preferred. Applicants must be able to effectively represent and advocate for the Commonwealth and the Attorney General before the courts, federal, state, and local agencies and governments, and the public, and to quickly learn previously unfamiliar concepts and material.

Applicants must be a member of the Massachusetts bar with at least three years of experience as a practicing attorney. The selected candidate will be responsible for the payment of the candidate’s own bar registration dues.

Position Type: This position is considered a Special Assistant Attorney General/Volunteer Attorney under an agreement between the State Impact Center and the Attorney General’s Office for the benefit of the Commonwealth. The selected attorney will not be an employee of the Attorney General’s Office but will work under the direction of and owe a duty of loyalty to the Attorney General’s Office. The term of the position is two years. Our current hybrid model includes some remote workdays for most positions.

Salary: Salary and benefits for this position, including health care benefits, are provided by the NYU School of Law. The salary range is $84,134 to $125,572, commensurate with JD year. The successful candidate will be eligible for subsidized health benefits (medical, prescription, dental, and vision coverage) and life insurance; leave, including annual vacation, personal, sick, and paid parental leave. The candidate is also eligible to participate in a retirement plan. For information regarding benefits for this fellowship, please visit NYU’s website at: https://www.nyu.edu/employees/benefit/full-time/professional-research-staff/benefits-guide-2025.html.

Application Process: To apply for this position, visit the AGO website’s jobs portal at www.mass.gov/ago/employment to register and create a profile, upload your cover letter and resume, and submit an application. Candidates may only apply directly using the AGO’s online Employment and Recruitment jobs portal. The application deadline for this posting is January 2, 2025.

Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We will gladly assist applicants in need of an accommodation. For assistance, contact the Human Resources Division at (617) 963-2041.

Inquiries regarding position and status may be made to:

Carly Pusateri, Managing Administrative Assistant and Paralegal

Environmental Protection Division

(617) 963-2280

The Attorney General’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As the representative of the Commonwealth and its residents, the Attorney General’s Office strives to ensure that those working in our office reflect the diversity of the communities we serve. The Office encourages applicants from a broad spectrum of backgrounds to apply for positions.