Executive Director And General Counsel

Introduction

The State of Connecticut, Freedom of Information Commission (FOIC) is seeking an Executive Director and General Counsel for a full-time, in-person position working from its office at 165 Capitol Ave. in Hartford, Connecticut.

The executive director and general counsel serves as the public face of the agency, frequently speaking with media representatives about important Freedom of Information issues. The executive director also prepares and recommends the FOIC’s annual legislative package, meets with key legislators about it and testifies at the legislature about bills of significance.

The executive director also coordinates, plans and manages all of the administrative and legal activities of the Commission, including fiscal, budgetary, legislative and education functions. As general counsel, the executive director also renders primary legal advice to the Commission and supervises and directs the legal staff in representing the Commission in all court matters affecting the Commission.

• Visit our State Employee Benefits Overview page!
• Professional growth and development opportunities.
• A healthy work/life balance to all employees

• Full-Time, 40 hours per week
• Monday through Friday
• Location:
  
  165 Capital Avenue, Hartford, CT

• You have substantial, hands‑on experience with administrative and Freedom of Information law and are prepared to take primary responsibility for the legal accuracy and defensibility of Commission decisions and advice.
• You are comfortable managing both legal work and Commission operations, including supervising attorneys and staff, overseeing budgets and processes, and ensuring the Commission meets its statutory and procedural obligations.
• You can represent the Commission in practical, sometimes constrained settings by clearly explaining complex legal issues without advocating beyond the Commission’s role.
• You prefer steady, detail-oriented public service work and are willing to handle a high volume of legally technical matters that require careful judgment, consistency, and independence.

• Serve as the Commission’s primary spokesperson on significant Freedom of Information matters, including responding to media inquiries and communicating Commission positions on legally and policy‑sensitive issues;
• Develop, recommend, and oversee the Commission’s annual legislative agenda;
• Serve as the primary legislative liaison by coordinating with key legislators and providing expert testimony on the legal and policy implications of proposed legislation;
• Direct and manage all administrative and legal operations of the Commission, including fiscal and budgetary oversight, legislative coordination, and statewide Freedom of Information education and outreach initiatives;
• Provide primary and authoritative legal counsel to the Commission on Freedom of Information law, administrative procedure, constitutional issues, and regulatory matters, ensuring compliance with applicable statutes and regulations;
• Supervise and direct legal staff in the representation of the Commission in all litigation and appeals, including oversight of legal strategy, pleadings, briefs, and oral arguments in matters affecting the Commission.

The Freedom of Information Commission hears complaints from persons who have been denied access to the records or meetings of public agencies in Connecticut. Any person denied the right to inspect, or to get a copy of a public record, or denied access to a meeting of a public agency, may file a complaint against the public agency within 30 days of the denial.

The FOI Commission’s legal staff is authorized to represent the Commission in all matters affecting the Commission, and to defend Commission decisions that are appealed, in the superior and appellate courts.

• Administers staff and operations of the State Freedom of Information Commission;
• Coordinates, plans and manages administrative and legal activities of Commission including fiscal, budgetary, legislative and educational functions;
• Trains Commission members and staff;
• Supervises and/or drafts responses to correspondence and…