ASSISTANT COUNSEL - 81496

Location: Nashville, TN

Closing Date: 10/19/2026

Department: Executive Service Assistant Counsel, Department of Agriculture Administration

About the Role

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture works to ensure that agriculture and forestry are the leading industries in Tennessee. The Department actively works with industry, consumers, and lawmakers to serve, support, and promote agriculture and forestry businesses, that they may be more profitable while also protecting the public health and safety. The Office of General Counsel at the Department supports this mission by providing legal support to all departmental program areas: business development, forestry, and regulatory, and is currently accepting applicants for the position of Assistant Counsel.

Assistant Counsel reports directly to Associate Counsel and is responsible for supporting the Department's Division of Administration and Grants and the State Veterinarian's Office. Assistant Counsel makes a difference in this role by developing and maintaining the department's recordkeeping protocols; processing public records requests; documenting and reporting the Department's federal Title VI compliance; evaluating compliance concerns around animal health; advocating for the State Veterinarian's Office in enforcement matters; and supporting program staff on various legal matters. The ideal candidate has one or more years of state administrative law experience and a strong familiarity with public records maintenance and production requirements. The ideal candidate is level-headed with a strong sense of setting and accomplishing goals, individually and as a member of a team.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal counsel to the State Veterinarian's Office for enforcement of animal health transport and testing requirements, issuing official warnings and civil penalties to non-compliant actors, initiating contested case actions for revocation of licenses issued through the State Veterinarian's Office, advising the State Agricultural Crime Unit for entry, assessment, and charging of animal health law violations and developing internal protocols and policies for departmental enforcement operations.
• Analyze and approve procurement contracts, memorandums of understanding, and similar agreements through the State Veterinarian's Office.
• Gather information necessary to issue the Department's annual Title VI implementation plan with the Tennessee Human Rights Commission. Draft and amend the plan as necessary to garner continued compliance and improvement. Train as necessary departmental employees and subrecipients on Title VI requirements.
• Receive and process requests for public records.
• Organize and train departmental staff as necessary to maintain departmental records in accordance with the public records act and applicable retention policies.
• Support General Counsel and internal Department clients on wide range of legal issues and other projects as assigned.
• Assistant Counsel routinely engages executive team members, managerial and field staff, and public constituents for accomplishment of these responsibilities in a collaborative work environment.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Jurisprudence
• Licensed to Practice Law in the State of Tennessee
• One or more years of state administrative law experience (preferred)
• Strong familiarity with public records maintenance and production requirements
• Level-headed with a strong sense of setting and accomplishing goals, individually and as a member of a team

Pay

Annual Salary: $67,764.00 - $87,912.00