DEPUTY CHIEF LEGAL COUNSEL

Position Overview

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board is seeking to hire a motivated, self-starting Deputy General Counsel that will be reporting to the General Counsel.  This position will provide technical and strategic assistance to the General Counsel in preparing, developing and implementing rules and policies on legal issues confronting the agency.  The Deputy General Counsel will be responsible for the statewide Preliminary Hearing Program, serves as a hearing officer conducting complex hearings and resolving complex hearing issues.  This position will also draft and review contracts and grants, provide legal interpretations of statutes, regulation and policies for agency staff and prepare reports for the General Counsel and Executive Director. The ideal candidate will be able to work well with the public, staff and management. We invite those interested in public safety to apply. 

Essential Functions

• Provides technical and strategic assistance to the General Counsel in preparing, developing and implementing rules and policies on legal issues confronting the Board and its statutory functions relating to hearings. Assists the General Counsel with Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests.
• This position will have principal administrative responsibility for the statewide Preliminary Hearing Program. Serves as a resource to government officials, attorneys, and the public, by providing legal opinions, interpretation, and advice with respect to the Prisoner Review Board policy, procedures, and applicable state and federal laws.
• Serves as a Hearing Officer traveling to attend and/or conduct preliminary and complex hearings. When prioritizing and executing hearings protocols, the Deputy General Counsel is the principal implementer of Board policy and exercises the Board’s statutory authority and for which has principal authority when acting.
• Drafts and reviews contracts and grants.
• Provides legal interpretation of statutes, regulations, and policies for agency staff.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires having graduated from an accredited law school.
• Requires three years of progressively responsible administrative experience in a public or private legal organization, preferably in the areas of criminal justice or administrative law.
• Requires to be in, and maintain, good standing with the Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission.

Preferred Qualifications

•  Prefers the ability to successfully apply learned knowledge and techniques to working environment.
• Prefers working knowledge of principles of administration and management, including organization, controls and techniques used in dealing with management and procedural problems.
• Prefers the skills and ability in analyzing, appraising and organizing facts, evidence and precedents and in presenting such material, involving a moderately complex problem; in clear and logical form in written media briefs, memoranda, summarizations, research reports or regulations.
• Prefers the ability to maintain satisfactory public contracts and working relationships with others; to exercise sound judgement in appraising and evaluating problems of a procedural nature; and to use expediently all primary and secondary legal source materials, to analyze all legal documents and instruments to prepare, conduct and report formal and informal hearings.
• Prefers the skill and ability to run computer operating systems, basic knowledge of Office Suites, including Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access; ability to operate and manage WebEx software and internet-based platforms.
• Prefers working knowledge of the agency’s program operations and policies.

Employment Conditions

• Possession of a valid current driver’s license.
• Ability to successfully pass Department of Corrections, Illinois State Police and county jail background checks as necessary to enter required correctional facilities throughout Illinois.
• Ability to travel statewide to conduct screenings and hearings which could include overnight stays.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.
• This position has been found to meet the requirements in section 4A-101 of the Illinois Governmental Ethics Act requiring the occupant/employee to file a Statement of Economic Interest. The Illinois Governmental Ethics Act (5 ILCS 420/4A et seq.) requires certain state officials and employees to file annual Statements of Economic Interest with the Office of the Secretary of State that will be made available for examination and copying by the public. All employees required to file a Statement of Economic Interest are also required to file the Supplemental Statement of Economic Interest with the Executive Ethics Commission. (See Executive Order 15-09) Fines and penalties apply to untimely filings.
• The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description.

About the Agency

The Illinois Prisoner Review Board's mission is to function under statutory authority as a quasi-judicial body with a primary focus on public safety. It further acts as a checks and balances on other state and local institutions. The Board imposes release conditions for incarcerated individuals who are exiting penal facilities, revokes and restores good conduct credits from inmates and conducts hearings to determine whether parolees have violated conditions of parole. The Board also notifies victims and their families when an inmate is about to be released from custody. Finally, the Board makes confidential recommendations to the Governor relative to clemency petitions. To learn more about our agency Click Here.