Leave Judge - Attorney

Position: Paid Leave Judge - Compensation Attorney
*
* Working Title:

Paid Leave Judge*
* ** Job Class:
Compensation Attorney*
* ** Agency:
Department of Employment and Economic Development*
* +  
** Job ** : 97307

+  
** Location** :
St. Paul

+  
** Telework Eligible** :
Yes, may be eligible for some telework

+  
** Full/Part Time** :
Full-Time

+  
** Regular/Temporary** :
Limited

+  
** Who May Apply** :
Open to all qualified job seekers

+  
** Date Posted** : 09/26/2026

+  
** Closing Date** : 11/09/2026

+  
** Hiring Agency/Seniority Unit** :
Department of Employment and Economic Development / MAPE

+  
** Division/Unit** :
Paid Family and Medical Leave

+  
** Work Shift/Work Hours** :
Day Shift, 7:30am - 4:00pm

+  
** Days of Work** :
Monday - Friday

+  
** Travel Required** :
No

+  
** Salary Range:**  $35.30 - $52.35 / hourly; $73,706 - $109,306 / annually

+  
** Classified Status** :
Unclassified

+  
** Bargaining Unit/Union** : 214 - Minnesota Association of Professional Employees / MAPE

+  
** End Date** :
Up to three (3) years

+  
** FLSA Status** :
Exempt - Professional

+ Designated in Connect 700 Program for Applicants with Disabilities ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./connect
700/) :
No

** The work you'll do is more than just a job.*
* At the State of Minnesota, employees play a critical role in developing policies, providing essential services, and working to improve the well-being and quality of life for all Minnesotans. The State of Minnesota is committed to equity and inclusion, and invests in employees by providing benefits, support resources, and training and development opportunities.

** About the Paid Leave Division:*
* The Paid Leave program launched on January 1, 2026. The program provides partial wage replacement to Minnesota workers who are out of work due to a qualifying condition, such as a severe health condition that prevents them from working, or when they need time to care for a family member or a new child. We are building and implementing a program that will be easy for every Minnesotan to use.

The Paid Leave team has high standards and an unrelenting commitment to serving Minnesotans. It is a start-up environment without legacy systems or preconceived ways of working, so we have a unique opportunity to create human-centric processes and systems to deliver this new benefit to Minnesotans.

** Position

Purpose:

*
* This posting will be used to fill multiple positions for compensation attorneys to act as Paid Leave Judges. Paid Leave Judges will hold critical roles in our organization. Paid Leave Judges hold de novo, due process evidentiary hearings for Paid Leave applicants and employers and deliver timely decisions that include making findings of fact and reasons for decision. Most importantly, you will ensure participants in the program receive a fair hearing experience.

Paid Leave Judges also support Paid Leave's appellate work before the Minnesota Court of Appeals and the Minnesota Supreme Court, as well as perform case intake and analysis.

As the first judges in the Paid Leave program, your decisions will be matters of first impression that are the final agency decision which is appealable to the Minnesota Court of Appeals. This is an exciting opportunity to join a legal team making a difference for Minnesotans!

Reporting to the Paid Leave Appeals Manager, you're key to the overall success of our division.

*
* Key Responsibilities:

*
* + Holding Hearings:
Preside over and conduct de novo single and multi-party party Paid Leave administrative evidentiary hearings, under Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 268B.

+ Writing Decisions:
Writing cogent, legally correct decisions announcing findings of fact, reasons for decision, and decision.

+ Reconsideration Requests:
Ruling on requests for reconsideration which become the final agency decisions that may be appealed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals.

+ Timely Execution of Duties:
Must hold multiple hearings in a day, and issue written decisions according to expectations. This is a position requiring efficiency and expeditiousness.

+ Intake Appeals:
Review newly filed appeals, properly set up the case file, and determine necessary procedure for each case.

+ Start-up Spirit:
We're a start-up within state government; you are excited to play a key role in continuing to develop the organization, processes, and systems required to deliver the appeals capabilities for Paid Leave.

This is a temporary unclassified appointment anticipated to last up to three (3) years.

This position will be open on a continuous basis until…