Staff Attorney

Are you intrigued by Election law? Bring your legal experience to the

Wisconsin Elections Commission!

This position is headquartered at 201 W Washington Avenue, Madison, WI.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission is charged under Wisconsin Statutes to administer and enforce Wisconsin’s elections laws. A core mission of the Commission is to ensure ongoing and quality education, training, outreach, technical assistance, and advice to municipal clerks, county clerks, and local election inspectors (poll workers) that conduct elections as well as to ensure adherence to, and compliance with Wisconsin election laws and required procedures.

Another core function of the Commission is to provide current and accurate information to the public as well as various governmental and other organizations about the State's electoral processes, voting statistics, and trends.

Under the general direction of the Attorney Supervisor, this attorney is responsible for providing legal advice on the application of elections laws to the Commission and its staff along with authoritative and timely advice and information to candidates, state and local election officials, state public officials and the general public.

The Staff Attorney is responsible for:

• preparing legal opinions, enforcement orders and administrative rules to implement agency policy and authority.

• represent and support the agency in all relevant litigation matters, including preparing agency legal filings and acting as a liaison with agency outside counsel.

All agency staff is required by state law to meet standards for non-partisanship. It is imperative that the Staff Attorney not place themselves in a position that would undermine officials' or the public's confidence in the Commission's integrity, fairness, and non-partisanship.

For more information, please view the complete position description.

This classification is assigned to pay schedule/range 09-75. The starting salary will be between $40.00 and $52.00 per hour ($83,200.00 and $108,160.00 annually), depending on qualifications plus excellent benefits. A 12-month probationary period may be required for this position.

Pay for current state employees will be set in accordance with the Wisconsin State Compensation Plan at the time of hire.

The selected candidate must not have given a political contribution to a candidate for a partisan state or local office in the twelve months prior to appointment and must comply with the agency's nonpartisan requirements during employment.

Due to the nature of the position, WEC will conduct background checks on applicants prior to selection. WEC does not sponsor work visas and is not an eligible OPT (Optional Practical Training) employer for F-1 international students. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States, and to complete the required employment eligibility form.

Qualifications below will be evaluated during the selection process and must be addressed in your resume and letter of qualifications.

Qualified applicants will have education or training with each of the following:

[Training may include work performed in an experiential learning setting (e.g., legal clinic, pro bono project, or educational course]

• Researching, analyzing, and interpreting law
• Providing legal advice, counsel, and recommendations
• Providing direct legal representation (e.g., representing clients in adjudicative settings like court or administrative hearings, taking or defending depositions, negotiating settlements)
• Preparing legal documents or memorandums (e.g., pleadings, briefs and other court papers, legal opinions, memos, orders, etc.)
• Drafting administrative rules or legislation
• Managing, drafting, or responding to written discovery (e.g., requests for admission, interrogatories, requests for production)
• Responding to public records requests

In addition, well-qualified candidates will have direct experience with any of the functions listed above and/or the following:

• Education, training or experience within complex statutory or regulatory frameworks.
• Education, training or experience in election law (e.g. WI Stats Chapters 5 to 10 and 12) [Does not need to be specific to Wisconsin.]

The steps to apply online are quick and easy! Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application. Be advised that there will be no opportunity to change your application materials once you have clicked “Submit.”

Please visit the Frequently Asked Questions section for general wisc.jobs user information and technical assistance.

Your letter of qualifications and resume are very important parts of your application and are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job. Please review instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications. Your cover letter is limited to a maximum of two (2) typed pages, single-spaced, no smaller than 10-point font, with 1-inch margins. Resumes should be limited to no more than two (2) pages (no format requirements). Pages more than the specified limits may not be evaluated. References are not necessary at this stage of the process..

Submitted materials will be evaluated by a panel of job experts and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer or voluntary demotion) should complete the application process as described above by the stated deadline.

The State of Wisconsin is committed to providing opportunities to all applicants from all backgrounds. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. Any applicants and employees with a disability may request reasonable accommodations.

The State of Wisconsin offers a special program for qualified veterans with a 30% or greater service-connected disability. If you are a qualified veteran, please visit the Veterans Employment page for application instructions to be considered for the Veterans Non-Competitive Appointment (VNCA) program.

Questions can be directed to Paula Langbecker at paulag.langbecker@wisconsin.gov.

Applicant materials are due by 11:59pm Thursday, May 14, 2026.