Assistant General Counsel

About the role

The Assistant General Counsel leads legal, policy, and procedural matters affecting the Siting Division, a division within the Department of Public Utilities ("Department"), which oversees the siting of major energy facilities in Massachusetts. The Assistant General Counsel also assists the Deputy General Counsel in supervising the Siting Division's legal staff.

Responsibilities

• Interviewing, recommending for hire, assigning, training, managing, supervising, directing, and evaluating the work performed by Siting Division attorneys.
• Staff supervision and general review responsibilities ensure that all work products and activities of the Siting Division are handled in a legally sound, well-informed, thorough, and thoughtful manner, consistent with all applicable Siting Board statutes, regulations, policies, precedent, and procedures.
• Reviewing written work products prepared within the Siting Division, such as discovery, memos, rulings, orders, Tentative and Final Decisions, presentations, and other documents or content to ensure consistency with the Siting Board statutes, regulations, policies, precedent, and procedures, with the general objective of producing clear, accurate, well-reasoned, and legally sound work product.
• Assisting in setting case priorities and providing legal and procedural guidance for the Siting Division, including case team staffing, early identification of potential legal or policy issues, and ongoing consultation with case team members and others, as needed.
• Assisting in formulating and administering policy concerning the siting of energy infrastructure in the Commonwealth; assisting in formulating and administering any regulatory, statutory, or Siting Division management policies and practices that may be necessary for the management of the Siting Division.
• Coinciding the defense of appeals of Final Decisions of the Siting Board with the Office of the Attorney General or the Special Assistant Attorney General, and overseeing tasks within the Siting Division relating to submission of record materials, assistance with legal filings, and preparation for oral argument.
• Participating in interagency meetings, working groups, and special projects, as assigned.
• Responding to siting-related inquiries from the public, the regulated community, legislators, local, state, and federal officials, and other stakeholders, particularly where legal or procedural guidance may be needed.
• Coordinating work of the Siting Division with other Department divisions related to case-tracking management and procedures, docketing procedures, legal practices, and the content and management of the Siting Division/Siting Board website.
• Advising on statutory and procedural requirements for agency action and legal obligations under the Freedom of Information Act, Privacy Act, Public Records Law, Open Meeting Law, Administrative Procedures Act, and related legislation and regulations.
• Keeping up to date on relevant statutes, regulations, case law, and legal and policy issues relevant to the Siting Board’s jurisdiction through review of past cases, legal and trade journals, and attendance at relevant professional, governmental, and/or technical meetings.
• Serving as Presiding Officer, where necessary, on assigned agency adjudications or other matters to ensure that the mandates of the Siting Board are fulfilled.
• Assisting Siting Division management, as needed, in carrying out Siting Division responsibilities and activities.

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of laws relating to siting energy infrastructure, related federal, state, and local law, land use law, administrative law, Constitutional law, and the Rules of Evidence and Civil Procedure.
• Ability to analyze complex legal issues and to recommend their disposition.
• Ability to communicate effectively and persuasively, orally and in writing.
• Ability to manage legal and technical teams to work effectively together, meet deadlines and resolve complex, often novel legal, technical, and policy issues.
• Knowledge of utility and energy sector and related technology, economic principles, and environmental policy and protection.
• Ability to perform relevant and effective legal research.
• Ability to handle novel and far-reaching cases that impact numerous stakeholders.
• Ability to negotiate and obtain consensus from groups with conflicting interests.
• Familiarity with the work of other state, federal, local and regional agencies involved in the process of siting and permitting energy facilities.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively with others as part of interdisciplinary case teams.
• Organized and self-directed, with the ability to work independently.
• Strong project management skills, including planning and supervising work product.
• Able to manage time effectively, and work in a productive, organized, and methodical way.
• Strong editing and reviewing skills to develop clear and effective written work product.
• Ability to provide substantive procedural direction on assigned cases.
• Strong analytical skills and judgment, and an inquisitive approach.
• Competency in Microsoft office products, and other common office applications.
• Ability to work effectively in a hybrid remote work setting with certain required in-office days.

Qualifications

• Law degree from an accredited law school.
• Member of the Massachusetts Bar.
• Five to ten years of experience as a practicing utility or energy attorney with substantial administrative law experience.
• Experience selecting, training, and developing the skills of attorneys.
• Experience managing a staff of attorneys.
• Experience reviewing performance and evaluating work of attorneys.
• Experience with resolving complex issues that require both technical and legal knowledge.
• Experience with creative problem solving.
• Experience with managing major policy initiatives from inception to reality.