HOW TO APPLY. The Human Resources Division (HRD) of the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is located at 300 W. 15th Street in Austin. HRD posts all job vacancies and makes all job offers. The OAG Job Line is (512) 463-2024. The Job Line is available 24 hours a day and lists vacancies in the Austin area. OAG job postings may be viewed electronically on our website, or on the Texas Workforce Commission’s (TWC) website. Hard copies of all OAG job postings may be viewed throughout the State at OAG Child Support regional offices and local TWC offices.

Effective October 1, 2004, paper applications will not be accepted at any OAG office. The OAG application process is completely automated and unable to process paper applications. Paper applications are considered incomplete and will not be forwarded to the hiring unit.

Don't have a computer?
Computers are available in the Human Resources Division for applicants to access WorkInTexas to register as job seekers and fill out electronic applications. Applicants will also find computers in some Child Support regional offices located in El Paso, Lubbock, Arlington, Houston, Tyler, San Antonio and McAllen. Local TWC offices and public libraries also have computers available to the public.

If you have any questions about these procedures, please call the OAG Application Desk at 512-475-4326 or send an e-mail to applicationdesk@oag.state.tx.us. Hearing impaired individuals may contact our office via Relay Texas at 1-800-735-2989(TTY/TDD).

Application Process

Attorneys and non-attorneys follow the same application process. The application process is located at www.WorkInTexas.com. An applicant registers as a job seeker and establishes a User ID and a password. The automated process then allows the applicant to provide information on career objectives, education, training, licensing, certification, work history and references. This information populates a resume and a State of Texas application. An applicant also provides information about the types of positions, the area of the state, salary and working hours in which he or she is interested. The applicant can then match his or her profile against all postings on WorkInTexas or follow instructions to apply only for state jobs.

To find postings for the OAG, the job seeker clicks on ‘Find State Jobs.’ The job seeker then selects ‘Attorney General of Texas’ from the list of state agencies. A list of OAG job postings will appear on the computer screen. The job seeker clicks on the desired posting to view the duties, minimum qualifications and salary for the posting.

To apply for a position, the job seeker will log on and click the ‘Match Jobs’ tab. The job seeker needs to be certain that the WorkInTexas job matches specific to each position are listed under the job seekers’ occupations and industries. The occupation and industry for each position is listed in the header on each OAG job posting. Now the job seeker should click on the ‘Run Match’ tab at the bottom of this page. This compiles a list of positions for which the job seeker meets the minimum qualifications. The job seeker will then look for the job for which he or she wants to apply and can click ‘View Posting’ to access it. At the bottom of the page is a ‘How To Apply’ button. When the job seeker clicks on the ‘How To Apply’ button, an ‘Apply Now’ button will appear. Clicking on this ‘Apply Now’ button submits the job seeker’s application for that position. If the job seeker does not see an ‘Apply Now’ button, please see paragraph below. The OAG will see the job seeker’s resume and application on a list of job seekers who have applied for the position. The hiring unit for the OAG posting will evaluate the information on the job seeker to determine whether to include the individual in the interview pool. If the job seeker is included in the interview pool, the hiring division will contact the individual to schedule an interview.

If the ‘Apply Now’ button does not appear at the bottom of the posting, the job seeker will click on the blue link ‘Compare Yourself to this Posting’ at the bottom left of the posting. This screen shows the job seeker what is preventing their application from matching up to the requirements in the job posting. The information entered on the ‘Match Jobs’ page must correspond to the details in the job posting, including salary, location, shift, occupation and industry. The ‘Yes’ column indicates that the information entered on the ‘Match Jobs’ page matches the job posting’s requirements. The ‘No’ column indicates that the information entered on the ‘Match Jobs’ page does not match the job posting’s requirements.

Custom Questions

Many job postings will have Custom Questions that job seekers are required to answer after viewing a job posting and then clicking on ‘Apply Now.’ The Custom Questions address issues in areas such as Experience/Skills, Licensing/Certification and Work Conditions/ Requirements. The Custom Questions help provide the hiring unit with a snapshot of the job seekers’ more pertinent qualifications. The Custom Questions are often a restatement of many of the minimum job qualifications. Many applicants often disregard minimum job qualifications and apply for positions regardless of qualifications. The WorkInTexas ‘Must Match’ function and the Custom Questions combine to eliminate these job seekers from the electronic files the hiring units review.

The Custom Questions for attorneys are very detailed. The Custom Questions attempt to establish the extent of work experience an attorney has outside of general education and years of licensure. The questions inquire into areas of practice, e.g., contract law, litigation, appellate, etc., and actual experience, e.g., number of depositions, jury trials, appeals, etc. Information is also solicited on authorship of legal articles and participation in professional associations.

Special Requirements

Some positions require a writing sample as part of the application. The requirement will be stated in the job posting. The job seeker will be directed to e-mail an electronic copy of a writing sample to the OAG Application Desk at applicationdesk@oag.state.tx.us. The e-mail subject line and document title must follow this order: employer posting number_job seeker ID_firstname_lastname_WS. The writing sample will be forwarded electronically to the hiring division. An electronic application without an accompanying writing sample, if required, will be considered an incomplete application.

Other special requirements that may be listed in a job posting include proof of typing speed, college and law school transcripts, and proof of certification. Applicants selected for interviews will be required to bring this information to the interview.

Attorney applicants should list all bar memberships and license numbers in the Occupational License/Certification section of the state application. The Summary of Qualifications section of the WorkInTexas resume is available to provide information on professional activities and associations, authorship or articles/books and participation as a CLE presenter or panelist.

Interviews

If the job seeker is included in the interview pool, the hiring division will contact the individual to schedule an interview. Only those applicants interviewed will be notified of final selection or non-selection in writing by the hiring unit.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The Office of the Attorney General is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or disability. The OAG is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need any special accommodations during the employment process, please contact the Human Resources Division for assistance at (512) 463-2009.

Veterans Preference

The Office of the Attorney General adheres to the Texas Veterans Preference Act. Any complaints about failure to comply with the act should be reported to the Director of the Human Resources Division at (512) 463-2009.