ATTORNEY - 61000470

Requisition No: 815203 

Agency: Public Service Commission

Working Title: ATTORNEY - 61000470

Position Number: 61000470 

Salary:  $50,000 ($55,000 upon becoming member of the FL Bar) 

Posting Closing Date: 06/28/2024 

Attorney

Florida Public Service Commission

Office of General Counsel

SES - Open Competitive

Tallahassee, FL

Application Deadline: Continuous

$50,000 ($55,000 upon becoming a member of the FL Bar)

Our Mission: 

The Florida Public Service Commission (FPSC) is committed to making sure that Florida's consumers receive some of their most essential services — electric, natural gas, telephone, water, and wastewater — in a safe, reasonable, and reliable manner. In doing so, the FPSC exercises regulatory authority over utilities in one or more of three key areas: rate base/economic regulation; competitive market oversight; and monitoring of safety, reliability, and service.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options (For more information, please click https://www.mybeneftis.myflorida.com/health);
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click https://myfrs.com);
• Paid Leave of Absence benefits, including Personal and Sick Leave;
• Nine paid holidays and one paid Personal Holiday each year;
• State Employee Tuition Waiver Program – Six credit hours per semester with the state college/university system;
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP);
• Deferred Compensation Plan;
• Tax Beneficial Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Flexible Work Schedules;
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) – Student loans can be forgiven after 10 years of qualified public service, certain eligibility requirements must be met. (For more information, please click http://studentaid.gov/publicservice);
• And more!

Office of General Counsel:

The Office of General Counsel provides legal counsel to the Commission on all matters under the Commission’s jurisdiction. This office also supervises the procedural and legal aspects of all cases before the Commission. In addition, this office assists in responding to inquiries from the Legislature.

The office is responsible for defending Commission orders on appeal, for defending Commission rules challenged before the Division of Administrative Hearings, and for representing the Commission before state and federal courts. To assist FPSC offices and divisions, this office offers support in making filings with, or presentations to, other federal, state, or local agencies. The office advises in the promulgation of rules and attends or conducts rulemaking hearings at the Commission’s direction. It also reviews procurement contracts; counsels the Commission on personnel, contractual, public records, and other administrative legal matters.

In cases involving evidentiary hearings before the Commission or an Administrative Law Judge, the office is responsible for conducting discovery, presenting staff positions and testimony, and cross-examining other parties’ witnesses. In conjunction with the appropriate technical staff, this office prepares recommendations to the Commission and prepares written Commission orders.

Description of Job Duties:

The Attorney the Florida Public Service Commission hires will work in the Economic Regulation Section or the Regulatory Analysis Section of the Office of General Counsel.  The Economic Regulation Section handles legal work for the Commission concerning ratemaking, certification, and territorial issues in the water, wastewater, electric, and gas industries. The Regulatory Analysis Section handles legal work for the Commission concerning Telecommunications Companies, Renewable Energy, Energy Conservation, Storm Protection, Natural Gas Safety, enforcement, and ratemaking for small Water and Wastewater Utilities, among other things. The  attorney will appear primarily before the Florida Public Service Commission.  This will be an excellent opportunity to learn how to conduct formal and informal proceedings available under Chapter 120, F.S., the Florida Administrative Procedure Act, and to develop an understanding of utility and energy law, civil procedure, and rules of evidence.   Attorneys will evaluate issues pertaining to utility regulation and state energy policy, conduct investigations and discovery, present evidence at hearings, and advocate positions orally and in writing, and work collaboratively on a team.  This position also involves interaction with customers, utilities, local governments, and other state agencies. When deemed appropriate by management, this position qualifies for a flexible work schedule. 

Minimum Qualifications:  

Bachelor of Law or Juris Doctor from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association. 

This position requires membership in the FL Bar within 12 months of appointment to position. 

Information verifying answers to the Qualifying Questions must be found on the Employment Application.

Background investigations, including criminal history record checks and education verification's, will be conducted on all applicants recommended for hiring. You may be required to provide your Social Security Number in order to conduct this background check.

Employment Eligibility:

Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States. The Florida Public Service Commission participates in the Department of Homeland Security’s Electronic Employment Verification Program (E-Verify) to assist in this required verification process.

Civil Service Law requires all males born after December 31, 1959, to register with the Selective Service System unless they meet certain exemptions under the law. Failing to register when required makes one ineligible for appointment.

We hire only U.S. citizens and lawfully authorized alien workers.

EEO/AA and Accommodation:

The state of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or the People First Center (1-877-562-7287). Notification to the Commission’s Human Resources Section must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

Post-Employment Restrictions:

Pursuant to Section 350.0605(2), F.S., former Commission employees are prohibited from appearing before the Commission to represent any client regulated by the Commission on any matter in which he/she had participated and which was pending at the time of his/her termination.

Pursuant to Section 112.313, F.S., FPSC Senior Management Service or Selected Exempt Service employees shall not personally represent another person or entity for compensation before the Commission, for a period of two years following vacation of his/her position.  Exceptions to this law are provided for former Commission employees who are employed by another agency of State government and those employed by the Commission prior to January 1, 1995.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.