Attorney

The Montana Public Service Commission (Commission) seeks an attorney to aid our agency in exercising regulatory oversight of some of the largest essential industries in Montana. The Commission works to ensure fair prices, responsible business practices, and reliable services for Montana customers. The successful candidate will join our team of attorneys who find the work to be interesting, meaningful, and critical to our agency’s goal of serving the citizens of Montana extraordinarily well.

The Commission is the head of the Montana Department of Public Service Regulation, a small state agency with a big impact.  The Commission is composed of 5 selected Commissioners representing every region of beautiful Montana.  Commonly referred to as the PSC, our agency is staffed by a team of approximately 33 professionals in the Legal, Regulatory, and Centralized Services Divisions.  The PSC is responsible for supervising monopolistic industries within Montana to ensure fair prices, responsible business practices, and sustainable, reliable service for the Montana customers who rely upon them. Regulated industries currently include privately held power, water, sewer, telecommunications, sanitation, and certain commercial transportation providers.  The PSC also plays a vital role in railway and pipeline safety.  The agency has a clear and well-defined strategic plan to enhance our operations, work environment, and value to the public.  Our team includes seasoned leaders with expertise and institutional knowledge coupled with newly elected commissioners with innovative ideas for the agency.

Duties:

• Draft and review legal documents, including orders, notices, and staff memoranda.
• Reviews party briefs, Commission casefiles, and transcripts.
• Review, study, and research laws, court decisions, and related legal authorities.
• Advise the Commission and its staff on complex contested case and investigatory proceedings across multiple fields within the Commission's jurisdiction.

• In coordination with staff work teams, manage administrative dockets, rulemakings, and responses to public records requests.

   

• Present staff recommendations to the Commission during public business meetings.
• Occasionally travel to Commission hearings and other proceedings to advise the presiding officer.
• When appointed to act as a hearing examiner in contested case proceedings,  prepare appropriate findings of fact, conclusions of law, and proposed orders for the Commission's review.

• Represents the Commission in a variety of litigation matters.  Prepare motions, briefs, and other litigation documents.

   

Required Application Materials:

Please submit the following:

1. A cover letter describing your interest in the position and how your experiences, and education have prepared you to perform the duties and meet the competencies of this position.
2. A two-page resume detailing all relevant work experience, including employer and duties;
3. A legal writing sample of 3,000 words or less (e.g., a brief, legal memo, order, similar work product, or portion thereof) that you prepared within the last three years at the time of application .  Please include a cover sheet as the first page of the file explaining the extent of any editing by someone else and any other details about the writing sample that you believe the agency will find helpful; and if applicable.
4. An official or unofficial copy of your law school transcript if you graduated from law school within the last two years.

Please Note:  You do not need to complete the "work experience" or the "education & certifications" portion of the application process in our recruiting system.  You only need to upload the requested documentation.

Successful applicants will be subject to background checks relevant to the position and must pass reference checks before an offer is extended.

This position may be eligible for a statutory base pay increase effective on July 1, 2026.

Special Information:
The Commission presently has two vacancies. One of the positions may be filled with a Law Clerk or Attorney, depending on the successful candid