Staff Attorney

About the role

The Office of the Legislative Counsel is expanding its team and recruiting one full-time Staff Attorney to start in December 2026. This hybrid (remote and in-office) position is located in the Capitol building in Salem, Oregon. The role involves providing non‑partisan legal research, writing opinions, drafting bills and amendments, and reviewing administrative rules for legislators, committees, and state agencies.

Responsibilities

• Perform legal research and write legal opinions on statutes, case law, and constitutional law for legislators, committees, and staff.
• Handle individual project assignments, such as editing the Oregon Revised Statutes or writing annotations.
• Draft bills and amendments, analyze legal issues, ensure conformity with office form and style, and note any legal problems.
• Review Oregon Administrative Rules for consistency with enabling legislation and constitutionality; prepare adverse rule reports when needed.
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance; be responsive to legislators, staff, constituents, agencies, and lobbyists.

Qualifications

Applicants must hold a J.D. degree, have at least one (1) year of related legal experience (practice, judicial clerkship, or legislative work), be a member of a state bar, and be able to become a member of the Oregon State Bar within 18 months of appointment. An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates ability to perform the duties may be considered.

Skills

• Advanced legal research skills using electronic and print reference materials.
• Ability to work effectively at a professional, nonpartisan level with legislators, staff, constituents, agency personnel, lobbyists, and the public.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision under time pressures.
• Ability to communicate complex ideas clearly, concisely, and persuasively both verbally and in writing.

Benefits

• Work/life balance, paid leave, and a competitive benefits package.
• Full medical, vision, and dental insurance with paid sick leave, vacation, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays per year.
• Collaborative work environment with a collegial, hardworking team.
• Opportunities for professional development to expand breadth and depth of knowledge.
• Mentoring from attorneys with decades of experience at the Office of Legislative Counsel.
• Chance to participate and observe as ideas are crafted into policies and laws.
• Opportunity to learn and delve deeply into a wide variety of legal subject areas.

Pay

Salary range: $7,800 – $11,698 (base salary, excluding PERS contributions).

Schedule

Hybrid position (remote and in‑office) based at the Capitol building in Salem, Oregon. The Oregon Legislature operates on a two‑year cycle: in odd‑numbered years the session runs roughly January to June; in even‑numbered years the session is February and early