NJ Civil Service Navigator

FIRST ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL

Code: 30368 State Unclassified Range: M44 (FY2026)
Salary: $187,401.83 - $278,651.97/year FY2026 schedule (last updated 2026-05-08)

As an unclassified state title, First Assistant Attorney General is filled by appointment, and its published pay band is more of a guide than a fixed grade.

The one gate is 5 years of relevant experience. The FY2026 range lands between $187,402 and $278,652, and state payroll currently lists 2 people in the title, most of them at Law and Public Safety.

How to apply

  • No exam
    This title is not filled by examination

    Non-competitive, unclassified, and Senior Executive Service titles are appointed directly by the hiring agency rather than through a civil service exam. Apply directly to the agency below.

  • Agency posting

    Department of Law & Public Safety posts its own vacancies directly, often before (or instead of) any civil service exam announcement. Provisional appointment against a posted vacancy is how most people are actually hired into this kind of title.

Who employs this title

State payroll records show 2 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $205,000. The agencies employing the most are:

  • Law and Public Safety (2)

Counts from NJ YourMoney agency payroll. See statewide workforce analytics.

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator.

Examples of work

  • The First Assistant Attorney General shall, during the absence or inability to act, through sickness or other cause, of the Attorney General, or in case of a vacancy in the office of the Attorney General, have the same powers and perform all the duties which are conferred and imposed by law upon the Attorney General until the Attorney General shall return to duty or a new Attorney General is appointed and shall qualify.
  • Assists the Attorney General in maintaining suitable headquarters for the department and such other quarters within the State as he may deem necessary to the department's proper functioning.
  • As directed, will have general responsibility for the department's operation.
  • As directed, supervises the organization of the department and changes in the organization thereof.
  • As directed, formulates and adopts rules and regulations for the efficient conduct of the work and general administration of the department, its officers and employees.
  • As directed, adopts uniform procedures for all secretarial, recording and clerical duties of each of the division, bureaus and other agencies within the department.
  • As required, will be the request officer of the department.
  • Assists the Attorney General in making an annual report to the Governor and to the Legislature of the department's operations, and render such other reports as the Governor or the Legislature shall from time to time request.
  • As required, will be present at the seat of the government during the session of the Legislature.
  • As directed, will give to the Governor, to the members of the Senate and the General Assembly, and to all other officers, departments, boards, bodies, commissions and instrumentalities of the State Government, legal advice on such matters as they may from time to time require.
  • As directed, will examine and decide all legal matters submitted to him by the Governor or the Legislature and act for them in any matter in which they may be interested, and shall exclusively attend to and control all litigation and controversies to which the State is a party or in which its rights and interests are involved.
  • Assists the Attorney General in carrying out and enforcing the provisions of the New Jersey Securities Law and also the Civil Rights Law.
  • Assists the Attorney General in administering the department's role as the sole legal adviser, attorney or counsel, notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, for all officers, departments, boards, bodies, commissions and instrumentalities of the State Government in all matters other than those requiring the performance of administrative functions entailing the enforcement, prosecution and hearing of issues as imposed by law upon them; and represent them in all proceedings or actions of any kind which may be brought for or against them in any court of this State; and shall likewise interpret all statutes and legal documents, inspect and approve contracts and titles and otherwise control their legal activities.
  • Assists the Attorney General in attending generally to all legal matters in which the State or any officers, department, board, body, commission or instrumentality of the State Government is a party or in which its rights or interests are involved.
  • Assists the Attorney General in enforcing the provisions of the Constitution and all other laws of the State, as well as perform all of the duties conferred and imposed by law upon the Attorney General.

Experience

Five (5) years of comprehensive professional legal experience as an attorney at law in the State of New Jersey

License

Admission to practice as an attorney at law in the State of New Jersey.

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

  • Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording information systems used by the agency, office or related units.
  • Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
  • Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.

Note

The examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.