Career Center

Background

Founded in 1907, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) serves as the national forum for attorneys general and their staff to collaboratively address issues important to their work and provides resources to support the work of the offices of attorneys general in protecting the Rule of Law and the United States Constitution. NAAG fosters an environment of “cooperative leadership,” helping attorneys general respond effectively – individually and collectively – to emerging state and federal issues.

The NAAG Center for Tobacco and Public Health (Tobacco Center) provides legal advice and representation to the signatory states (known as the “Settling States”) to the landmark tobacco Master Settlement Agreement of 1998 (“the MSA”), to assist the attorneys general to interpret, implement, enforce, and defend the agreement.  The Center’s work includes representing or supporting Settling States in MSA-related litigation; providing legal advice on matters related to the MSA or tobacco or nicotine regulation; acting as liaison counsel between tobacco companies and the Settling States and between federal agencies and the Settling States; and monitoring and corroborating settlement payments to the states under the MSA.

Position

Counsel is responsible for providing legal advice and support to the 52 Settling States on issues involving the MSA, tobacco statutes, and any related regulatory issues. Counsel must possess strong critical thinking and legal writing skills, exercise sound judgment, communicate clearly with client states on complex legal issues, and be able to build consensus and lead discussions among the 52 client states.   Counsel must be able to handle novel legal issues, analyze complex problems (both legal and economic), prioritize on-going client requests, complete work quickly even in the absence of deadlines, exercise leadership on matters as needed, and work as a team member to accomplish the overall goals and responsibilities of the Tobacco Center.  This position reports directly to the Chief Counsel and works closely with all counsel in the Tobacco Center.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice to the Settling States on matters related to the MSA and other regulatory matters dealing with tobacco and nicotine issues.
• Legal research and analysis of issues, drafting of briefs and memoranda, and communication with the 52 Settling States regarding public health or payment issues under the MSA and litigation in which the validity of the MSA or any related statute is at issue.
• Participation in negotiations with tobacco companies that are parties to the MSA regarding issues arising under the MSA or related statutes.
• Participation in negotiations with companies seeking to settle with the Settling States and become parties to the MSA (“Participating Manufacturers”) and preparation for review by states of documents necessary for such settlements.
• Participation in development and enactment of state and federal legislation necessary to implement the MSA’s provisions.
• Planning for and participation in (i) meetings mandated by the MSA between tobacco companies and the Settling States, (ii) NAAG meetings, and (iii) Tobacco Center seminars and trainings for state personnel.
• Communication with public health groups, investment community, press and other stakeholders in matters regarding the MSA and related legislation.
• Participation in training programs for state attorneys general personnel.
• Work in support of state public health enforcement analyses and claims.
• Provide legal advice and review of Participating Manufacturer compliance with MSA and associated agreements.
• Oversight of MSA payment administration—verification of sales and shipment volumes as reported by Participating Manufacturers, updating notice parties, brand listings, analysis of payments.
• Communicate with states through the Tobacco Center wiki portal including providing new materials and monitoring on-going matters.
• Work with other NAAG attorneys and staff.
• Comply with NAAG Policies and Procedures as stated in the Employee Handbook.
• Perform other tasks, based on the needs of the Association.

To Apply
Please submit cover letter, resume, and writing sample here. Applications received prior to March 7, 2022, will be given priority review. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Education

• 4-Year undergraduate degree.
• Law degree from an accredited law school.
• Bar membership in a U.S. jurisdiction.

Experience

• Minimum of three years of experience as an attorney handling complex litigation or high-level transactional matters.
• Preferable, but not required:
  • Experience working in an attorney general’s office or comparable government agency;
  • Ability to work with spreadsheets and computations on data sets.
  • Experience with public health issues.
  • Experience planning and delivering courses for attorneys or other persons in the legal field.

Skills

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Exceptional, demonstrable legal research and writing skills.
• Must have the ability to understand and analyze complex factual and legal situations.
• Capable of working independently with minimal administrative support and as part of a team on special projects or programs.
• The ability to work with and consistently get along well with others.
• Technological savviness and a willingness to learn new software and platforms.