General Counsel

About the Agency

The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) is committed to protecting and nurturing Mississippi's at-risk children and families. MDCPS offers a variety of positions statewide, including social work positions providing case management services and working with potential foster families, supervisor positions providing clinical and administrative support, and agency support positions such as policy development, human resources, information technology, program management, training, and budgeting/finance.

Working with MDCPS will give you the chance to make a life-changing difference for Mississippi's most vulnerable children and families.

Position Duties/Job Description

The Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services (MDCPS) is looking for attorneys to serve as General Counsel for the agency. MDCPS’s General Counsel serves as chief legal officer and is responsible for the Office of Legal Counsel. The General Counsel handles all legal matters affecting MDCPS’s operations; works with programmatic areas and senior leadership providing legal guidance and opinions on matters of law and policy related to programs and service delivery. General Counsel also coordinates with the Office of the Attorney General and outside counsel on litigation matters. General Counsel assists in the identification of needed legislation and the preparation of proposed legislation under the direction of the Commissioner of MDCPS.

General Counsel oversees the legal aspects of the agency’s contracts/procurement work, including supervising the attorneys who draft scopes, contract provisions, and MOUs; supervises the attorneys who manage eligibility issues in cooperation with the Eligibility Unit; provides legal counsel on HR and employment matters; assists the General Counsel with issues related to federal regulatory compliance, including grants management; with policy/procedure work; and with civil matters in which the Office of the Attorney General represents the agency.

General Counsel provides direct supervision to the Agency Representation Deputy, responsible for matters concerning child welfare in Youth and Chancery Courts; supervising attorneys who prepare social workers for courtroom testimony throughout the state; supervising attorneys who process public information requests and provide legal guidance regarding privacy and confidentiality; responsible for oversight and tracking of the Termination of Parental Rights processes, and will monitor and track adoption for the Pathways to Permanency initiatives within the agency.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of legal experience in Youth Court/Chancery Court and demonstrated interest in child welfare law preferred.

Location and Salary

Position located in the MDCPS State Office in Jackson, MS with some in-state travel required. Mississippi Bar license required.

MS 20

Salary Range: $101,626.42 to $152,592.07 with salary determined by applicant’s experience and qualifications.

Benefits

• Health/Prescription Insurance: Eligible employees have the opportunity to participate in the state’s health and prescription insurance program. Employees may select either single or family coverage with affordable co-payments. More detail can be found at Know Your Benefits.
• Wellness Benefits: Employees are eligible for a wellness and health promotion program. This plan provides annual benefits for certain services with first-dollar coverage with no deductible.
• Life Insurance: All eligible employees receive an actual term life insurance policy upon employment. The policy coverage is two times the employee’s annual salary to a maximum of $100,000. More detail can be found at Life Insurance Choices.
• Optional Insurances: Many agencies offer discounted premiums for dental, vision, and cancer insurance.
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Many state agencies provide opportunity for employees to participate in pre-tax spending accounts. These accounts allow employees to withhold childcare expenses and unreimbursed medical expenses prior to application of state and federal taxes.
• Paid Personal Leave and Sick Leave: Full-time employees receive paid time off for personal needs and for sick leave. Leave begins accruing after one month of employment and may be used as it is accrued. Employees earn approximately 18 days of personal leave annually and 12 days of sick leave annually.
• Military Leave: In accordance with federal law, all employees serving in the armed forces, or the military reserves are entitled to 15 days per year for military training.
• Holidays: Employees receive up to 10 paid holidays to enjoy many of our nation’s celebrations with family and friends.
• Retirement Programs: The State of Mississippi provides all its employees a Defined Benefit/Defined Contribution Retirement Program. Employees become vested in the State’s retirement system after 8 years of employment. Both you and your employing agency contribute toward your retirement. More detailed information regarding the State’s retirement program can be found at http://www.pers.state.ms.us.
• Deferred Compensation: State agencies offer several opportunities for their employees to participate in a deferred compensation voluntary retirement savings plan. More information can be found at Deferred Compensation.
• State Credit Union: All state employees are eligible to participate in the Mississippi Public Employees’ Credit Union. This organization offers state employees special savings and borrowing plans. For more information about this program, call 601.948.8191.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Many state agencies provide opportunities for their employees to achieve higher education through tuition reimbursement. Common programs include medical and nursing fields, accounting, and business/administrative fields.
• Career Development Training: The Mississippi State Personnel Board offers several management and administrative certification programs, as well as professional development courses to enhance employee value to the agency. Individual agencies also offer technical training and allow membership in professional organizations to employees in their specific fields of employment.
• Promotional Opportunities: Employees who have completed 6 or more months of service are eligible for promotional opportunities within state government employment.

Contact Information

If you have any additional questions, you can contact Shannon Rushton, Deputy Director of Human Capital, shannon.rushton@mdcps.ms.gov.