State of Ohio

Deputy Solicitor General (2500033F)

Organization

: Attorney General

Agency Contact Name and Information: Kelly Smith, kelly.smith@OhioAGO.gov

Unposting Date

: Jun 24, 2025, 3:59:00 AM

Primary Location

: United States of America-OHIO-Franklin County-Columbus

Compensation: commensurate with experience

Schedule

: Full-time

Work Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm

Classified Indicator: Unclassified

Union: Exempt from Union

Primary Job Skill

: Attorney/Legal

Technical Skills: Attorney/Legal

Professional Skills: Attention to Detail, Collaboration, Strategic Thinking, Verbal Communication, Written Communication

Agency Overview

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has played a vital role in shaping Ohio’s past and present and the work it does today helps chart the state’s future. The office consists of nearly 30 distinct sections that advocate for consumers and victims of crime, assist the criminal justice community, provide legal counsel for state offices and agencies, and enforce certain state laws. In these and other capacities, staff members interact with tens of thousands of Ohioans each year.

Job Description

The Ohio Attorney General's Office is currently seeking an experienced, licensed attorney with a passion for public service to join the Office of the Solicitor General Section as a Deputy Solicitor General. The headquartered location is 30 E. Broad St Columbus, Ohio.

The Office of the Solicitor General Section of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office represents the State of Ohio and its agencies on appeals in the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, the Ohio Supreme Court, and other state and federal courts. The section handles a wide range of cases, from civil rights, to election disputes, to criminal law. It also assists the Attorney General in determining the cases that the State or its agencies will ask the U.S. or Ohio Supreme Court to review, and also the positions that the State will take before those courts. The section, teaming up with the sections where the cases began, prepares the petitions, briefs, and other papers filed by the State on appeal. Its lawyers also regularly participate in oral arguments before those courts.

Deputy solicitors routinely represent the Attorney General's office before the Supreme Court of Ohio, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and other appellate courts, in many of the State’s most critical legal cases. The successful candidate will perform the following duties which include but are not limited to:

• Represents the State of Ohio in civil or criminal trials, hearings, and proceedings (state or federal courts, administrative boards, or commissions).
• Appears as lead or co-counsel (especially for complex cases or with less experienced attorneys). May manage a large caseload or serve multiple clients concurrently.
• Conducts legal research on complex statutory and regulatory issues.
• Drafts high-level legal documents: briefs, affidavits, motions, memoranda.
• Advises agencies and officials on law and policy.
• Assists in drafting proposed statutes and administrative rules
• Provides legal advice to agency heads, boards, commissions, or other state personnel.
• Negotiates and settles complex legal matters, with significant potential public impact.
• Participates in formulation of agency or statewide policy and legal strategy.
• Works with federal, state, and local officials, and public or private sector groups.

Why Work for the State of Ohio

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)
• Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

Qualifications

• Three or more years of experience as an appellate litigator, including demonstrated experience as a litigator at the Supreme Court of the United States.
• Successful completion of a clerkship at a Federal District Court, Federal Circuit Court, or the Supreme Court of the United States
• Licensed to practice law in the State of Ohio pursuant to Section 4705.01 of the Ohio Revised Code.

Job Skills: Attorney/Legal, Collaboration, Attention to Detail, Strategic Thinking, Verbal and Written Communication

Supplemental Information

The Attorney General’s Office is a dynamic organization that offers career opportunities across many different disciplines to people from all backgrounds and experiences. We do not discriminate in any way. All people are equal under the law, and it is so at the AGO. This is a workplace where talent gains you entry and performance determines your career path. Staff can join and lead employee resource groups and participate in online or in-person events to learn about the experiences of others.

Employees of the Attorney General's Office must have been in their current positions for at least 12 months in order to be eligible for consideration.

The Attorney General's Office may fill additional, similar positions as a result of this posting.

The Ohio Attorney General’s Office is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Serves at the pleasure of the Attorney General per O.R.C. 124.14(B)(2).

AGO#: 25-06-111

Background Check Info:

Selected candidate(s) will be subject to the following background checks:

Criminal history

Driving record

Taxes

Drug Test

In addition, an Internet search may be conducted of publicly available and job-related information through social media

(Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.) or through the use of search engines (Google, Bing, etc.).

ADA Statement

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

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