Staff Attorney/Senior Staff Attorney

The Public Health Law Center, a dynamic, public interest affiliate of Mitchell Hamline School of Law in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is seeking to hire a full-time staff attorney or senior staff attorney who has a passion for public health and who shares our commitment to ongoing learning about the social and economic factors that shape health equity and influence health outcomes. The position is with our nationally renowned Commercial Tobacco Control program, focused on providing legal technical assistance, litigation support, and training on the full spectrum of commercial tobacco control and prevention issues to advocates, community groups, and local, state, and Tribal governments.

The prospective employee must have experience working with federal, Tribal, state, or municipal laws and policies; excellent legal research and writing skills; strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex issues using language appropriate to audiences of specialists or non-specialists; commitment to advancing health equity; and demonstrated interest in public health law. Candidates must also be able to work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues and external partners of many backgrounds and disciplines.

Prerequisite:

To be eligible for this position, applicants must have a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree and an active license to practice law in any state or Tribe within the United States. The applicant's licensure must be in good standing with the applicable licensing authority. The applicant should have a minimum of three years of relevant work experience.

Preference will be given to candidates who have relevant experience in one or more of the following areas: public health law, administrative law, environmental law, civil rights law, consumer protection law, Tribal law, federal Indian law, community planning (including land use policies), constitutional law, and municipal law.

Knowledge/Skill/Ability:

• Demonstrated commitment to advancing health equity and public health experience.
• Excellent legal research, analysis, and writing skills.
• Able to work both independently and collaboratively with colleagues and external partners with diverse backgrounds and disciplines.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, including a demonstrated ability to explain complex legal issues or ideas using language appropriate for diverse audiences of specialists or non-specialists.
• Excellent public speaking/presentation skills, including the ability to articulate the mission and purpose of our work to funders and other audiences.
• Experience in developing written legal and policy educational materials for a wide range of audiences and educational levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work in partnership with diverse populations and social identities, and with those most affected by systemic health problems.

Please note that to be considered for a Senior Staff Attorney position, the candidate must: have at least five years of relevant legal work experience; have a demonstrated ability to work with substantial independence in furtherance of the Center's mission; be able to provide mentorship and support to less experienced colleagues; and successfully initiate project development work. For both the Staff Attorney and Senior Staff Attorney, compensation will be commensurate with experience.

Other Information:

• Occasional travel is required.

Employee Benefits

Our benefits program is designed to provide you flexibility and security in selecting coverage that best meets your needs. The School offers high-quality benefits that provide you and your family the protection and assurance you need right now and for your future. We continually work to balance many competing considerations while staying true to the following benefit philosophies:

• Providing benefit options that recognize the diverse needs of our employee population;
• Maintaining competitiveness with benefits offered by other employers in the marketplace so that we can recruit and retain talent;
• Offering financial protection in planning for retirement;
• Sharing responsibility between the School and employees for the cost of medical, dental and retirement benefits.

All benefits are effective on the employee's first day of the month following employment. The benefit program includes:

• Employer-paid basic life insurance, including optional voluntary life available
• Employer-paid short-term and long-term disability
• Healthcare coverage, including optional dental and vision
• 403(b) retirement
• Employer matching after one year of service
• Tuition assistance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Paid Time Off (PTO)
• Annual holiday and winter break package

For more information regarding the School's benefits package, contact Human Resources at [email protected].

Pay Range

The anticipated salary range for this position is $99,000 - $115,000 per year, depending on qualifications.

For best consideration, please submit applications on or before Monday, July 20, 2026. To be considered for this position, please submit the following application documentation:

1. Resume
2. Cover Letter stating interest in the position and relevant background, including salary requirements
3. Writing sample demonstrating legal analysis

Mitchell Hamline School of Law does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service or other non-merit factor.

Notice of Nondiscrimination re: Title IX Sex Discrimination

Mitchell Hamline School of Law prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions about sex discrimination or harassment to the Title IX Coordinator. The notice of nondiscrimination and information about reporting concerns is located on our website (https://mitchellhamline.edu/students/title-ix/).