Ethics Attorney
Section: Opinions, Appeals, & Ethics
Location: Anchorage, Fairbanks, or Juneau (other locations considered)
Job Number: 26-OAE-02
Closing Date: 10/30/2026
Job description
The Opinions, Appeals & Ethics Section of the Alaska Department of Law is looking for a talented, bright, and collegial attorney to serve as the Department of Law’s ethics attorney. If you enjoy advising public officials, helping clients work through sensitive questions of public trust and accountability, and investigating and enforcing ethics standards, and you would also welcome the chance to do legal writing and appellate advocacy, we hope you will consider joining us. You’ll be part of a hard-working team in a friendly, supportive, and professionally fulfilling workplace.
The ethics attorney enforces and provides counsel about the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act (AS 39.52), which applies to all executive branch agencies and employees. The attorney advises public officers—including the governor, lieutenant governor, commissioners, state employees, and board and commission members—on issues such as conflicts of interest, post-state employment restrictions, receipt of gifts, outside employment, outside service, misuse of official position, notices of potential ethics violations, and ethics complaints. The attorney presents training programs to agencies, provides oral and written advisory opinions, conducts investigations on ethics complaints, and prepares and prosecutes formal ethics accusations.
Currently, approximately 75% of the attorney’s time is devoted to ethics matters, and the remainder offers the attorney an opportunity to take part in the full range of the section’s appellate work, including civil appeals. The section’s attorneys litigate some of the State’s most high-profile and complex cases in both the Alaska Supreme Court and the federal courts of appeal. Attorneys in the section represent the Office of Children’s Services in all child welfare appeals, including appeals involving the Indian Child Welfare Act. They assist with critical motion practice and strategic decision-making at the trial court level and often partner with special litigation attorneys on expedited, elections, and other complex cases. Attorneys from the section are often tasked with complex research projects, providing internal advice to State agencies, coordinating the State’s work on amicus curiae briefs, and drafting published Attorney General Opinions on matters of great public significance.
This is an excellent position for attorneys who excel at providing aid-to-agency advice, like working with others, enjoy developing good client relationships, and seek a chance to exercise their independent judgment to provide high-level legal advice on interesting legal issues.
Qualifications
Applicants must have graduated from an accredited law school and have at least two years of post-graduation experience practicing law as a licensed attorney and/or clerk for a trial or appellate judge. Applicants must have excellent interpersonal skills and possess excellent judgment, confidence in their work product, the ability to work well under pressure, and strong writing and communication skills.
Applicants should be comfortable working independently and should expect to:
- Provide timely, practical oral and written advice to public officers, state employees, and board and commission members on the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act (AS 39.52);
- Investigate ethics complaints, and prepare and prosecute formal ethics accusations;
- Develop and present ethics training programs for agencies, boards, and commissions;
- Exercise sound judgment and discretion on sensitive matters involving high-level officials;
- Prepare clear, cogent, and well-researched memos and advisory opinions analyzing complex legal questions;
- Independently write high-quality appellate briefs and present oral argument as part of the section’s appellate work; and
- Regularly give and receive constructive feedback on legal work.
Contact
Individuals who would like additional information about the position may contact Charles Gartland at (907) 269-5100 or by e-mail at Charles.Gartland@alaska.gov.
Benefits & Compensation
State Benefits Package
- Health benefits (including dental and vision), life insurance and voluntary supplemental benefits
- Generous leave accrual, starting at 21 days a year
- 12 paid holidays
- A variety of retirement plans
- Potential eligibility for student loan forgiveness through the Public Loan Forgiveness Program.
- 37.5-hour workweek
- Eligibility for part-time teleworking, alternate workweek, or a flex schedule after an initial training period.
Estimated Compensation
The table below gives an estimate of compensation based on a combination of judicial clerking and licensed legal experience. The compensation listed in the table represents the base pay. Several locations around Alaska have geographical pay differences. Upon a job offer, you would receive a firm salary quote based on location of position and qualifying experience. Attorneys are eligible to promote from Attorney 1 through 4 with service and acceptable job performance.
| Attorney level | Experience level | Pay range and step | Base pay* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney 1 | Unlicensed attorney | 18 D or E | $92,137.50 or $95,023.50 |
| Attorney 2 | Less than two years of licensed experience | 20 C or D | $101,712.00 or $105,417.00 |
| Attorney 3 | More than 2 but less than 4 years of licensed experience | 22 B or C | $112,632.00 or $116,083.50 |
| Attorney 4 | More than 4 years | 24 B through F | $128,622.00 – $147,322.50 |
*Summary of Geographical Pay Rate Differences.
| Location | Base pay + geographical difference |
|---|---|
| Anchorage, Kenai, Palmer, Ketchikan | Base pay / no geo dif |
| Fairbanks | Base pay + 3% |
| Juneau, Sitka | Base pay + 5% |
| Kodiak | Base pay + 11% |
| Nome, Dillingham | Base pay + 37% |
| Bethel, Utqiagvik | Base pay + 50% |
| Kotzebue | Base pay + 60% |
Application Instructions
You may submit individual applications for each position you’re applying for, or you may submit one application and list all respective position numbers for which you want to be considered. Multi-position applications may address our office as “Civil Division Recruitment.”
Email your complete application to civil.recruit@alaska.gov.
Include the following documents:
- Cover Letter: List the position number(s) you are applying for
- Resume: Include a complete history of education; professional work experience with dates (MM/YYYY); and the states and admission dates (MM/YYYY) for each bar license you have
- 3 Professional References
- 1 Professional Writing Sample
- If you are a current or recent State of Alaska employee, please also submit your most recent performance evaluation.
