Assistant County Attorney II/III

JOB SPECIFICS

The Assistant County Attorney II/ Assistant County Attorney III in the Juvenile Division will evaluate and review child protection and juvenile delinquency cases. This position must review evidence to make charging decisions, prepare cases for trial by interviewing victims and witnesses, investigating and analyzing facts, researching law, subpoenaing witnesses and writing legal memoranda and briefs.

Depending on qualifications, candidate could be hired as an Assistant County Attorney III

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE:

• Prior experience in child protection cases either as an assistant county attorney or an attorney representing a parent, child or other party
• Prior experience in juvenile delinquency cases as an assistant county attorney or defense attorney
• Prior experience in a public law office, including county attorney, public defense, or other state agency

SELECTION TECHNIQUE: Your training and experience will be rated based on the required application material submitted and the top-scoring candidates will be forwarded to the hiring department for further consideration.

HOURS / DAYS: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. This position may require work hours outside the traditional office schedule and may include evening and weekend hours including, but not limited to, periodically being on call for two week periods of time. Work schedules (hours and days) and location are subject to change based on department needs.

Assistant County Attorney II – $95,596 to $130,540
Assistant County Attorney III – $119,246 to $162,011

Anticipated Hiring Rate if hired in 2025:

Assistant County Attorney II – $99,174 to $135,449
Assistant County Attorney III – $123,718 to $168,084

E-Verify Participation: Washington County participates in the federal E-Verify program. This means that Washington County will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each new employee’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. If the Government cannot confirm that you are authorized to work, Washington County is required to give you written instructions and an opportunity to contact DHS and/or the SSA before taking adverse action against you, including terminating your employment. Employers may not use E-Verify to pre-screen job applicants and may not limit or influence the choice of documents you present for use on the Form I-9.
E- Verify Participation Poster  (Download PDF reader)
Right to work Poster  (Download PDF reader)

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Division Chief, the Assistant County Attorney II performs professional legal services for the Washington County Board of Commissioners and other Washington County boards, commissions and departments; prosecutes criminal and delinquency cases; provides legal representation in civil suits; and provides legal services for child support enforcement and paternity proceedings. The Assistant County Attorney II trains, advises and counsels Assistant County Attorney Is as well as paralegal staff. An Assistant County Attorney II is and experienced level in the Assistant County Attorney classification series and is expected to work on difficult, complex and important cases with minimal oversight.

EMPLOYMENT CRITERIA

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: The Assistant County Attorney II position requires a post-graduate degree of Juris Doctor from an accredited law school preceded by a Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited educational institution and two or more years of relevant experience, or equivalent. In addition, the position requires admission to practice before the Minnesota Supreme Court and less courts of the State and Federal District Court. The Assistant County Attorney II must complete at least fifteen additional credit hours of coursework annually to meet the requirements of the Rules of the State Board of Continuing Legal Education.

CORE COMPETENCIES, JOB SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES REQUIRED FOR SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE

Core Competencies outline essential business and professional traits necessary to perform this job.
• Support and prioritize a welcoming and respectful workplace that fosters diversity and encourages contributions from all individuals;
• Provide inclusive and equitable service to all members of the community with dignity and respect;
• Demonstrate support for the County’s diversity, equity and inclusion program;
• Demonstrates knowledge of legal principles and practices;
• Demonstrates skills in group presentation;
• Demonstrates skills in writing clearly and informatively;
• Demonstrates ability to work well under pressure;
• Demonstrates ability to share knowledge of and experience with the justice system;
• Demonstrates ability to allocate time for professional development;
• Demonstrates ability to remain current on legislative changes;
• Demonstrates ability to plan and present court cases effectively;
• Demonstrates ability to conduct legal research;
• Demonstrates ability to speak clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations;
• Demonstrates ability to read and interpret written information;
• Demonstrates ability to accept responsibility for own actions; and
• Demonstrates ability to follow through on commitments.

DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Please note that Attorney II’s may perform some or all of the following tasks depending on their areas of expertise.

Review charges and try cases:
• Evaluate and review evidence and analyze facts to determine whether to sue, charge, dismiss, or negotiate
• Prepare cases for judicial and administrative proceedings by interviewing clients and witnesses, investigating facts, researching law, subpoenaing witnesses, analyzing the opposition’s cases, and writing legal memoranda and briefs
• Draft petitions, complaints, briefs, memorandums, court orders, judgments, findings of fact, stipulations, or other legal, civil or criminal documents and pleadings
• Try assigned criminal, civil or juvenile cases
• Represent the County at judicial hearings by presenting facts, analyzing evidence and information as it is conveyed during proceedings, adjust the County’s case as necessary
• Handle appellate matters by recommending whether or not to appeal a case, analyzing issues, reviewing transcripts, conducting legal research, drafting briefs, and making an oral argument to appellate courts

Provide legal services for County business:
• Research, advise, counsel, and prepare legal opinions for County employees, officials, the County Board, or department heads regarding legal matters
• Negotiate contracts, leases, law suit settlements or similar legal matters by assessing the client’s needs, evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the client’s and opponent’s bargaining positions and meeting with the opponent’s representatives so that the client’s objectives can be reached at minimal cost
• Draft and review contracts, bids, ordinances, and similar legal agreements to ensure they meet legal requirements
• Prepare legal opinions and plans for litigation in order to resolve immediate issues and to establish a basis for resolving future matters of a similar nature

Train and advise staff and others involved in County legal proceedings:
• Assist, train, advise, and counsel Assistant County Attorney Is, Assistant County Attorney IIs, paralegals, and clerks
• Train and provide advice to law enforcement officers, attorneys, corrections workers, social workers, and other relevant parties in areas of investigation, trial techniques, criminal law, civil law, juvenile law, strategy, and pertinent legal issues

Represent the County Attorney in meetings of boards, advisory committees, task forces, and similar organizations.

Perform other duties as assigned

WORK ENVIRONMENT 

Work performed by the Assistant County Attorney II may require extended use of a keyboard, standing to make presentations to the court, expressing ideas and giving directions orally, receiving detailed information through oral communication, and lifting boxes up to 25 pounds. There is pressure associated with appearing in court and public speaking.

The Assistant County Attorney II frequently works in a normal climate controlled office with adequate lighting and a moderate noise level or in a court room. There are occasional evening and weekend meetings or events that require the Assistant County Attorney II’s presence.

Additional physical/mental requirements that occur may not be listed above, but are inherent in performing the position’s essential functions.

This job description is intended to describe the kinds of tasks and level of work difficulty being performed by people assigned to this classification. The list of responsibilities is not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. The County retains the discretion to add or change the contents of this job description at any time.