Legislative Criminal Justice Counsel

What You'll Do

• Assists the director in preparing commission work products and facilitating commission and committee meetings.
• Serves as liaison to the Ohio General Assembly, executive branch officials, state agencies, regulatory bodies, governmental entities, judicial associations, bar associations, court personnel associations, and other interest groups as designated by the commission director.
• Maintains positive relationships with legislators and advances legislative agendas.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of the legislative process, Ohio state government, and the structure, organization, and operation of the Ohio judicial system.
• Monitors legislation, handles legislative program activities, and public affairs as one of the commission’s registered lobbyists.
• Attends legislative committee meetings, discusses initiatives with interested parties, and drafts testimony for legislative committee hearings.
• Prepares and makes presentations on the status of legislation, legislative activities during the session, and new laws after adjournment.
• Prepares, drafts, analyzes, and monitors new legislation.
• Tracks and monitors pending legislation affecting the criminal justice system, informing affected parties of its status, taking appropriate action, and drafting talking points and other communication tools.
• Advises the director, the commission and its committees, interested parties, and justice system partners regarding legislative issues and initiatives and provides updates on the status of legislation that is proposed or pending before the Ohio General Assembly.
• Makes presentations, including preparing and providing updates regarding the status of legislation that is proposed or pending before the Ohio General Assembly.
• Maintains awareness of trends developed through legislation, case law, and promising practices relative to criminal justice issues and disseminates pertinent information to the commission director, the commission and its committees, interested parties and justice system partners.
• Tracks bills in the Ohio Legislature and prepares written and oral updates for the commission.
• Conducts legal and non-legal research.
• Writes memos and other documents on criminal justice issues for the commission and provides legal advice on commission matters, as needed.
• Makes presentations on the work of the OCSC, its committees, other working committees and criminal justice seminars, judicial and court personnel educational courses, and other meetings and sessions.
• Writes and edits commission documents, including legislative drafting. May provide written and oral testimony at legislative committee hearings.
• Serves as a staff liaison to committees, boards, task forces, commissions, and workgroups.
• Makes presentations on the work of the OCSC, its committees, other working committees and criminal justice seminars, judicial and court personnel educational courses, and other meetings and sessions.
• Writes and edits commission documents, including legislative drafting. May provide written and oral testimony at legislative committee hearings.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications & Experience

• Requires a law degree, membership in good standing of the Ohio bar.
• Requires two or more years’ relevant experience in the criminal justice field; prior experience in the Ohio Court System strongly preferred.
• Prior experience in developing positive relationships with legislators and in advancing legislative agendas is preferred.
• Registration as lobbyist or legislative agent must be obtained pursuant to Section 101.72 of Revised Code.
• Requires thorough knowledge of the legislative process; Ohio state government; and of the structure, organization, and operation of the Ohio judicial system.
• The position also requires exceptional organization, communication and interpersonal skills and requires demonstrated understanding of the commission's work, procedures, and research.
• Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness, and creativity in situations involving the evaluation of information.
• Requires the ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts & draw valid conclusions; the ability to prepare meaningful, concise & accurate reports; the ability to distill and simplify complex statutes; the ability to work with diverse groups on policy development; proficiency in the use of legal research methods, performing complex analyses and exceptional writing skills; and good communication skills.
• Requires a high level of proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint; the Internet, and Westlaw or Lexis and other legal-research resources.
• Requires occasional travel within Ohio and occasional out of state travel and the ability to work non-standard work hours when appropriate.
• Requires the ability to perform all aspects of the job with fairness, equity, patience, discretion, and confidentiality.
• Must possess proven skills to demonstrate strong public speaking and sound grammar/writing abilities.

Special Requirements

• This position is regularly exposed to sensitive information and the employee is expected to keep any such information strictly confidential.

Physical Requirements

• This position operates in a professional office environment.
• This role routinely uses standard office equipment, such as computers and phones.
• This is a largely sedentary role; however, the employee may also be required to move about the office and other locations while traveling on Commission business.

Travel Requirements

• Requires ability to work extended hours as needed and to travel on Court business is required, including overnight stays.
• Valid driver’s license required.