Law Clerk

The Montana Public Service Commission (Commission) seeks a law clerk 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 legal team who finds 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.
• Confer with Department personnel concerning draft legal documents.
• Reviews party briefs, Commission casefiles, and transcripts.
• Assist with docket administration, hearing preparation, and rulemaking.
• Verify all legal citations as authoritative and current.
• Review, study, and research laws, court decisions, and related legal authorities.
• Edit orders and other legal documents for grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
• Review legal documents filed with the Commission for compliance with applicable rules.
• Monitor and report on state and federal legislative enactments.
• Assist in responding to public records requests.
• Occasionally travel to assist with Commission hearings and other proceedings.

Required Application Materials:

Please submit the following:

• A cover letter describing your interest in the position and how your experiences and education prepared you to perform the duties and meet the competencies of this position;
• A two-page resume detailing all relevant work experiences, including employer, and duties;
• 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 . For the writing sample, 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.
• 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 and 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 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 candidate's preferred position. Please apply for the position that interests you the most and provide all the required application materials.

Please note that the Law Clerk position is a non-litigating position.

Applications received by June 14, 2026, will be given priority consideration. Qualified candidates are encouraged to apply early as interviews may be conducted on a rolling basis.

Benefits Provided:

On the first day of employment, employees and eligible dependents receive health coverage with medical, dental, vision, and prescriptions including free health care provided by the Montana Health Care Center. Wellness programs, life insurance, and retirement plan choices are offered.

New employees also receive prorated 15 vacation days, 12 sick days, and paid holidays including a floating holiday. Flexible schedules may be considered as work/life balance is healthy and encouraged.

Competencies:

• Excellent legal writing skills.
• Excellent organization, prioritization, multitasking and time management skills.
• Excellent legal research skills, including working knowledge of electronic legal research platforms (e.g. Lexis/Westlaw) and printed research materials. Ability to research complex legal problems or questions and apply legal principles.
• Strong digital literacy skills, including intermediate-to-advanced skills in Microsoft Office 365 and common technologies (e.g. personal computers and office machines).
• Knowledge of legal terminology and concepts.
• Ability to learn, understand, and consistently utilize the agency's online docket management system.
• Strong sense of discretion, integrity, and professional responsibility in handling confidential and/or sensitive material.
• Strong sense of the chain of command, decorum, and professionalism.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, with diverse groups of people.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Ability to work effectively as a member of a team and individually.
• Ability to maintain professionalism when critiqued.

Qualifications:

• Juris Doctor from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Admission to practice law in Montana or admission within one year from the date of hire.