What are the responsibilities and job description for the Staff Attorney position at State of Colorado?
Do you think practicing law should include a purpose as well as a paycheck? Does serving the public while learning something new every day appeal to you? If so, consider a career where you serve the people of Colorado by helping the Colorado General Assembly provide effective representative government for all Coloradans and help write the law. Consider a career with the Office of Legislative Legal Services ("OLLS"), the nonpartisan in-house counsel for the Colorado General Assembly.
The OLLS facilitates and supports the legislative work of the General Assembly and protects the General Assembly's organizational interests without participating in its politics. We draft legislation for all 100 state legislators, and we conduct research for and provide legal advice to the legislators and their staff. We also serve the people of Colorado directly by publishing and annotating the Colorado Revised Statutes, reviewing executive branch agency rules for compliance with constitutional and statutory requirements, reviewing and commenting on potential new laws proposed by citizens exercising their initiative rights, and providing to the public information related to the work of the General Assembly.
The OLLS is seeking full-time Staff Attorneys with a tentative starting date in mid-October. Please see a listing of the office's bill drafting teams for more information: https://content.leg.colorado.gov/agencies/office-legislative-legal-services/team-subject-matters.
The OLLS offers a total compensation package that includes a starting salary ranging from $93,000 - $103,000, commensurate with demonstrated qualifications and experience, and with the upper portion of the range reserved for candidates with significant legislative drafting experience or other relevant legal experience; medical, dental, and vision insurance; life insurance and short-term disability insurance; employer contributions to retirement; paid leave benefits, including annual vacation leave, sick leave, family and medical leave, holidays, volunteer leave, and compensatory time; a monthly transit allowance; seasonal flexible work schedules; and optional FSA and HSA accounts. OLLS Staff Attorneys may also qualify for public service loan forgiveness if they meet certain requirements while employed full-time in public service.
The OLLS offers a hybrid work environment that is designed to meet the needs of the legislature and allow staff flexibility to work remotely. However, during the four-month legislative session (January through early May), this position requires mostly in-person work at the State Capitol complex. During the eight-month legislative interim (early May through December), employees may choose to work remotely or come into the office on most days, but in-person attendance is occasionally required.
This position is not part of the classified state personnel system.
Each applicant must be licensed to practice law in Colorado or if not licensed at the time of starting the position, must have a licensure application pending or submit an application for licensure within two weeks after starting, and be licensed within a year after starting. We prefer candidates who have at least three years of legal experience and can demonstrate a strong interest in supporting the work of representative government without being politically active. For more information about what an OLLS Staff Attorney does, please see the full job description here:
https://leg.colorado.gov/agencies/office-legislative-legal-services/staff-attorney-job-description.
Please submit your resume, a writing sample, and a brief cover letter that highlights the reasons for your interest and any relevant legislative experience. The writing sample must be limited to two to eight pages, may be a full document or an excerpt of a document, and should demonstrate your legal analysis.
Application materials must be received no later than August 16, 2026. No phone calls, please. A finalist for a Staff Attorney position must pass a basic criminal history record check.
The OLLS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected by law or regulation. All qualified applicants are given equal opportunity, and employment decisions are based exclusively on job-related factors.
Salary : $93,000 - $103,000