DCR #24-365 Discrimination Legal Specialist (Housing Unit) Newark at New Jersey Attorney General's Office

The New Jersey Attorney General's Office is looking for a Legal Specialist to join the Division on Civil Rights, Housing Unit.  The position can be based in Trenton, Cherry Hill, Newark, or Atlantic City, NJ - applicants must indicate their location preference when applying.  The annual salary for this position will be $115,000.00.  Salary offered is non-negotiable.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

The Attorney General has broad oversight of the state’s legal and law enforcement matters. As the head of the Department of Law & Public Safety, the Attorney General supervises a wide range of Divisions, Offices, and Commissions, consisting of over 2,800 sworn law enforcement officers, 600 attorneys, and thousands of other public servants.

ABOUT THE DIVISION:

The N.J. Division on Civil Rights (DCR) is charged with enforcing the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD), New Jersey Family Leave Act (FLA), and Fair Chance in Housing Act (FCHA) and preventing and eliminating discrimination and bias-based harassment in New Jersey. The Policy Unit drafts guidance documents and regulations, drafts and advises on legislation, and issues policy reports on issues impacting the civil rights of NJ residents.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

Under limited supervision of the Deputy Chief Legal Specialist, Director and Deputy Director of DCR, the Legal Specialist will:

• Quickly and efficiently investigate cases under the New Jersey Law Against Discrimination (LAD) and the Fair Chance in Housing Act (FCHA).
• Investigate complaints of discrimination and bias-based harassment, including by reviewing relevant documents, interviewing witnesses, and gathering evidence to determine whether there is probable cause to believe that the LAD has been violated.
• Include drafting an investigation plan that identifies relevant evidence to be obtained, including witnesses to interview, conducting the relevant interviews, and summarizing relevant information;
• Gather and evaluate documents and other physical evidence from the parties and summarizing relevant information learned from same;
• Facilitate settlement discussions when appropriate, and drafting, editing, and reviewing settlement agreements;
• Draft administrative decisions including a summary of the investigation and thorough legal analysis, including legal research, and ensuring that assigned investigations and decisions are legally sound and correctly enforce the LAD;
• This position will be required to conduct investigations in a timely fashion with limited supervision and oversight, use DCR's online case management system (NJBIAS) to actively manage a caseload and move several investigations forward at the same time, and tailor all investigations only to what is relevant to the particular legal claim.
• Performing other related duties as requires.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Graduation from an accredited law school with Juris Doctor (J.D.) or a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) degree.
• OR Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree including three (3) years of experience involving legal or legislative research, drafting of rules, regulations, amendments, and/or the interpretation of statutes.

OTHER KEY FACTORS:

• All offers of employment are conditional subject to the applicant agreeing to and then passing a background check that may include fingerprinting.
• Preference will be given to applicants who obtain a Juris Doctor (J.D.) or a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) degree from an accredited law school.
• This position may also require non-traditional work hours, on an as needed basis, including evenings and weekends on short deadlines for certain assignments, with or without advance notice.

BENEFITS:

• Paid Leave Time
• Paid State Holidays
• Health, Dental, Vision and Prescription Benefits
• Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation and Retirement Plans
• Telework may be available

HOW TO APPLY:

If qualified, please submit a cover letter indicating interest in job vacancy announcement #24-365, a current resume and a copy of your final unofficial transcripts and/or foreign degree evaluation (for education credit), to the Recruitment Coordinator via email at jobs@njoag.gov on or before the closing date of November 4, 2024.

For more information, please visit https://www.njoag.gov/careers/all-job-postings/