DEPUTY PUBLIC ADVOCATE 1
Career Family: DEPUTY PUBLIC ADVOCATE
In the unclassified service, Deputy Public Advocate 1 is appointed rather than examined for, and its pay is often negotiated case by case.
This is the senior rung of the Deputy Public Advocate series, the level you reach after Deputy Public Advocate 2. The requirements come down to 5 years of relevant experience and a professional license. Pay on the FY2026 schedule runs $141,099 to $209,169, and state payroll lists a single employee in the title, at Division of Rate Counsel.
How to get hired
- Deputy Public Advocate 1 is an unclassified title. It is filled by appointment rather than by examination, and it sits outside civil service tenure protection.
- Openings are made directly by the appointing authority, usually a department head, board, or elected official.
- Salary for unclassified roles is often set individually, so the published range is a guide rather than a fixed grade.
Read the official specification at NJ Civil Service Commission.
Pay ladder: Deputy Public Advocate series
- Deputy Public Advocate 2 — $122,565 – $181,344
- Deputy Public Advocate 1 — $141,099 – $209,169 (this title)
Its top salary lands around the 99th percentile of all NJ civil service titles that publish a range.
Rungs are ordered by FY2026 pay. NJ level numbers are not always sequential, so ordering follows salary rather than the title number.
Who employs this title
State payroll records show 1 person working under this title. The median actual salary is $170,000. The agencies employing the most are:
- Division of Rate Counsel (1)
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.
Definition
Under the jurisdiction of a Division Director in the Department of the Public Advocate, assists in the performance of all professional duties necessary to the adequate representation and protection of the public interest in proceedings concerning the division; does related work as required.
Examples of work
- General duties:
- Does research and analysis on questions of law, procedure and evidence.
- Performs investigation and interviewing of clients and witnesses, including consultation with all other governmental agencies involved.
- Prepares legal pleadings, motions, briefs and related documents.
- Administratively assists in the referral of matters coming within the division's jurisdiction and, when directed, assists with matters referred to counsel on a contract basis.
- Assists in the training and supervision of division personnel.
- Prepares Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, exceptions to the Initial Decision, and appeals from rulings by administrative agencies.
- Analyzes exhibits and testimony adduced by or on behalf of the accused and prepares cross-examination and rebuttal evidence.
- Is responsible for preparing the affirmative case of the trial staff and for requests to produce evidence.
- As a senior attorney in the division, is responsible for the development of detailed factual basis for probative evidence in the form of exhibits, testimony, and matters to be elicited under cross-examination.
- Prepares clear, technically sound, accurate and informative legal statistical, progress and other reports containing findings, conclusions and/or recommendations.
- Prepares official correspondence.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
- In the Division of Rate Counsel:
- Takes the lead in studying, planning and advising on the complex legal issues relating to operating expenses of businesses, industries, utilities or State regulatory agencies.
- Collaborates with division accountants, economists, engineers and other specialists, advising them as to the legal soundness of their studies, analyses or recommendations.
- Performs the more complex legal research to determine precedents handed down by various courts and practices, and the scope of the regulatory agency's jurisdiction over particular services.
- Handles the more complex litigation and federal courts and State administrative agencies involving rates or toll charges and services performed by regulated businesses, industries and utilities.
- In the Division of Public Interest Advocacy:
- Takes the lead in studying, planning and advising on the complex issues relating to representing the public interest in administrative and court proceedings.
- Conducts the more complex litigation involving the public interest.
- In the Division of Mental Health Advocacy:
- Takes the lead in studying, planning and advising on the complex legal issues relating to representing indigent mental hospital admittees concerning the admittee's admissions, retention in, or release from confinement in a hospital, institution or facility, or concerning a class ction on behalf of mental hospital admittees.
- Supervises the investigation of the financial status of clients as the circumstances warrant.
- Conducts the more complex litigation in representing mental hospital admittees as individuals or as a class.
- Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
Education
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a law degree.
Experience
Five (5) years of experience as a practicing attorney.
License
Appointee must be eligible to practice as an Attorney-At-Law in the State of New Jersey. Appointees must possess a current Certificate or Good Standing issued by the New Jersey Board of Bar Examiners, or other license to practice law issued by any State in the United States.
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
- General
- Knowledge of relevant State and Federal administrative law and practice and of federal court procedure and practice.
- Ability to investigate and interview clients and witnesses and to consult with key members of governmental agencies involved.
- Ability to prepare legal proceedings, motions, briefs and related documents.
- Ability t o administratively assist the division director and to assist counsel on a contract basis.
- Ability to assist with the training and supervision of division personnel.
- Ability to prepare Proposed Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law, Exceptions to the Initial Decision, and to prepare appeals from rulings by administrative agencies.
- Ability to analyze exhibits and testimony adduced on or on behalf of the accused and to prepare cross-examination and rebuttal evidence.
- Ability to prepare the affirmative case of the trial staff and to prepare requests to produce evidence.
- Ability to develop detailed factual basis for probative evidence in the form of exhibits, testimony and matters to be elicited under cross-examination.
- Ability to prepare clear, technically sound, accurate and informative legal, statistical, statistical, progress and other reports containing findings, conclusions and/or recommendations.
- Ability to prepare official correspondence
- In the Division of Rate Counsel:
- Knowledge of the operations, responsibilities and policies of State regulatory agencies and of the businesses, industries and utilities subject to their regulation or control.
- Ability to take the lead in studying, planning and advising on the more complex legal issues relating to operating expenses of business, industries, utilities or of State regulatory agencies.
- Ability to work harmoniously and effectively with division accountants, economists, engineers, and other specialist in advising them as to the legal soundness of their studies, analyses or recommendations.
- Ability to prepare the more complex legal research needed to determine precedent handed down by various courts and commissions bearing rate structure questions, service regulations and practices, and on scope of the regulatory agency's jurisdiction over particular services
- Ability to handle the more complex litigation in State and Federal courts and State administrative agencies involving rates or tolls charged and services performed by regulated businesses, industries and utilities.
- In the Division of Public Interest Advocacy:
- Ability to take the lead in studying, planning and advising on the more complex legal issues relating to representing the public interest in administrative and court proceedings.
- Ability to conduct the more complex litigation involving the public interest.
- In the Division of Mental Health Advocacy:
- Ability to take the lead in studying, planning and advising on the more complex legal issues to representing indigent mental hospital admittees concerning the admittee's admission to, retention in, or release from confinement in a hospital institution or facility; or concerning a class action on behalf of mental hospital admittees.
- Ability to supervise the investigation of the financial status of clients as the circumstances warrant.
- Ability to conduct the more complex litigation in representing mental hospital admittees as individuals or as a class.
- 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 cannotbe 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.