LEGAL SPECIALIST
Legal Specialist falls in New Jersey's unclassified service: an appointing authority hires for it directly, without a civil service exam.
Qualifying takes a doctoral degree and 3 years of relevant experience. State payroll currently lists about 59 people in the title, led by Treasury.
How to apply
This title is not filled by examination — agencies appoint directly.
See every real route in, and where to apply. 14 agencies employ it. We don't track live vacancies.
See all 14 employers and how to apply →Why this title is unclassified
This specification cites N.J.S.A.11A:3-4(1) (printed that way in the specification; the paragraph letter is (l)), state unclassified service.
(l) All other titles as provided by law or as the Civil Service Commission may determine.
A title in the State unclassified service sits outside Title 11A unless a provision says otherwise. In practice that means no competitive examination to get the job, and none of the career service protections that come with it: no permanent status after a working test period, and no right of appeal to the Civil Service Commission from a removal. Appointment and removal rest with the appointing authority.
The rule that allocates a title to this service is N.J.A.C. 4A:3-1.3.
Who employs this title
Legal Specialist appears on the State payroll at 17 departments, most of them at Department of Treasury. It is also used at one independent authority, New Jersey Transit Corporation.
State departments
Showing the largest 8 of 17 departments. All agencies.
Independent authorities
| Employer | Employees |
|---|---|
| New Jersey Transit Corporation | 1 |
State payroll and independent authority payroll are separate systems and are never merged. See data sources.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 59 people working under this title. The median actual salary is $137,303. The agencies employing the most are:
- Treasury (20)
- Office of State Comptroller (5)
- Environmental Protection (5)
- Banking and Insurance (4)
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. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.
Definition
Under direction of the Chief Executive Officer or other supervisory official in a state department, institution, or autonomous agency, performs confidential legislative, legal, and policy- influencing research related to department programs, in conformance with guidelines established by the State Attorney General; acts as liaison between a state department and the Office of the Attorney General in receiving, formulating, and transmitting requests for legal advice on behalf of a state agency; prepares reports and recommendations on the impact of proposed or existing legislation; does related work as required.
Examples of work
- Coordinates requests for legal advice from the Attorney General's Office.
- Provides guidance as to the nature and substance of the various statutes and regulations covering the responsibilities of the employing state entity.
- Participates as a legal assistant (non-attorney) in negotiations on behalf of the employing entity.
- As a legal assistant (non-attorney) with prior written consent of the Attorney General, represents a state entity in a matter before the Office of Administrative Law.
- Drafts proposed regulations, legislation, and amendments in accordance with the policy objectives of the employing entity, subject to restrictions applicable to non-attorneys. Provides written interim and final agency orders, subject to the review of the Attorney General.
- Provides litigation and other support as requested by the Attorney General.
- Distributes relevant legal decisions, requests for public records, and other legal communications and information.
- Develops legal or policy questions to raise with the Department of Law and Public Safety.
- Manages document inspection and administrative hearing requests. Prepares officials to give testimony for the department regarding regulatory changes or the enactment of new regulatory policies.
- Prepares clear, accurate, and informative reports on department legislative and regulatory matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- As required, analyzes and performs research into state and/or federal legislation pertaining to department programs, functions and procedures, and prepares reports thereon.
- Does research into court decisions, and court cases which affect the work of the department.
- Prepares material for use in hearings, reviews, or other executive determinations.
- Reviews department rules, regulations, and procedures for correctness and prepares digest thereof.
- Assists in liaison work with the Legislature, the Governor's Office, the Attorney General's Office and with other state and local government officials and employees in pertinent matters.
- Establishes priorities consistent with Executive Order No. 6 (1990).
- Prepares correspondence in the course of official duties.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information system used by the agency, office, or related units.
Education
Graduation from an accredited law school with Juris Doctor (J.D.) or a Bachelor of Laws (L.L.B.) degree.
-OR-
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor's degree.
Experience
Three (3) years of experience involving legal or legislative research, drafting of rules, regulations, legislation, amendments, and/or the interpretation of statutes.
License
Appointee 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 the essential duties of the position.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Knowledge of modern research sources, techniques, and methods and their effective utilization in research studies.
- Knowledge of statistical methods and procedures and their use in the presentation of factual data.
- Ability to organize and carry through research studies and projects concerned with legislative developments and submit reports suitable for the use of the department administrative staff.
- Ability to comprehend and analyze laws, regulations, and procedures.
- Ability to locate court decisions, precedents, opinions, legal citations, and other legal material.
- Ability to prepare drafts of proposed legislation, rules, regulations, and opinions.
- Ability to determine the compliance of existing department rules, regulations, and procedures with legislation.
- Ability to prepare materials for hearings, reviews, and executive determinations.
- Ability to establish and maintain liaison with department officers, employees, the representatives of state and local government units and with the Office of the Attorney General.
- Ability to collect, tabulate, arrange, and interpret data and to present information in an understandable manner.
- Ability to work with department staff, the Office of the Attorney General, and with state officials and members of the legislature in order to clarify points which may be in dispute by reference to original source materials.
- Ability to write reports of a high professional order containing findings and conclusions.
- Ability to draft technical correspondence.
- Ability to prepare clear, sound, accurate, and informative reports to department matters containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
- Ability to maintain essential records and files.
- Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and 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.
- CODES: X98- JMR 3/4/95
Note
Appointees currently matriculating in an accredited law school as an LL.B or J.D. candidate may substitute such enrollment for the three (3) years of required experience on a year-for-year basis.
The legal specialist may be a fulltime law school student working for the state on a limited parttime basis or during periods when law school is not in session.