3002 - Attorney II - Public Defense Services

THIS RECRUITMENT IS TO ESTABLISH A REGISTER for current and future ATTORNEY II vacancies which serves all levels / assignments of Attorney in the Pima County Public Defense Services Department (Public Defender;

Legal Defender; Legal Advocate; Office of Children's Counsel; Mental Health Defender; Public Fiduciary).

Read the overview of this opportunity to understand what skills, including and relevant soft skills and software package proficiencies, are required.

Salary Grade : A3

Pay Range

Full Range : $91,201 - $173,282 Annually

Salary offers are based on the candidate's equivalent experience and internal equity with other employees within the same job classification.

Pima County Public Defense Services represents indigent individuals upon appointment by the Court in felony cases, misdemeanor cases, juvenile delinquency matters, dependency and severance proceedings, Title 36 proceedings, guardianship cases, and appeals in Pima County.

Attorneys provide direct client representation and handle diverse caseloads of various offenses, allegations, and degrees of seriousness.

Attorneys work collaboratively and holistically with paralegals and / or secretaries, social workers, and investigators to understand the circumstances and priorities of each client and advocate for their desired outcomes through strategic and personalized litigation, negotiation, and mitigation.

This classifi cation is appointed, unclassified, and exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

For more information about the Public Defense Services Department, please visit their website at : https : / / www.pima.

gov / 2622 / Public-Defense-Services or www.pima.gov / pds

Work assignments may vary depending on the department's needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.)

• Prosecutes or defends the most difficult and complex criminal or civil cases, or voluminous caseloads requiring specialized experience and training, brought for and against the County, in State or Federal Courts;
• Manages the most demanding criminal or civil cases in public sector law or manages caseloads requiring specialized skills and experience;
• Represents County departments, boards, and commissions in civil litigation and administrative matters;
• Prepares ordinances, resolutions, contracts, and leases for consideration by county officials;
• Prepares legal opinions and advises county officials on a variety of legal matters;
• Engages in negotiations for compromise and settlement of cases and complies with Victims’ Rights;
• Engages in pretrial, trial, post-trial, and appellate practice as required by cases;
• Prepares litigation, deposes witnesses, provides witness notification, and conducts complex bench and jury trials;
• Develops, refines, and presents legal strategies, reviews legal documents, extracts relevant information, evaluates legal issues and legal system variables and negotiates agreements;
• Conduct research and provide consultation involving complex and difficult legal issues;
• Researches and drafts legal motions, pleadings, briefs, and other legal documents;
• Reviews, evaluates, and participates in investigations;
• Complies with all rules regulating professional responsibility;
• Upholds the values and goals of the assigned Department and County;

Performs other related duties as assigned.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS : Knowledge of :

Knowledge of :

• civil, criminal, constitutional, or administrative law;
• laws, court decisions, rules of civil and criminal evidence and procedure;
• presenting and arguing cases in court and ability to handle unanticipated problems;
• legal research;
• legal and professional ethics.

Skill in :

• working independently on exceptionally complex assignments;
• working cooperatively with others, often under stressful conditions;
• performing difficult and complex legal research;
• effectively preparing, presenting, and conducting extremely complex cases of law;
• applying legal analysis, research, and writing techniques to draft clear, concise, and organized legal correspondence, memoranda, documents, and pleadings;
• developing and acting on sound legal strategies;
• analyzing, appraising, and organizing facts, evidence, and precedents to ascertain the determining aspects of cases and presenting material in a clear and logical form;
• effectively and efficiently negotiating the just resolution of assigned cases;
• developing and maintaining professional relationships with victims, witnesses, law enforcement agencies, and members of the community;
• communicating effectively with victims, witnesses, judges, other agencies, and members of the public;
• communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS :

Juris Doctorate. Five (5) years of relevant prosecution, defense, or civil experience.

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application.

Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.

Preferred Qualifications : (Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.) :

• Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience.
• Experience handling serious cases or voluminous caseloads requiring specialized experience / training.
• Experience with little to no supervision on serious case types handled.

Selection Procedure :

Pima County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the selection process only those candidates that meet the minimum / desired qualifications.

All applications will be assessed based on an evaluation of the listed education and experience. Candidates meeting the minimum / desired qualifications may be further evaluated / scored against any advertised Preferred Qualifications.

Additional assessments / testing may be required as part of the selection process.

Licenses and Certificates : Admission to the Arizona State Bar at time of appointment which must be maintained in good standing .

Some positions require a valid Arizona Class D driver's license at the time of application. Failure to maintain the required licensure shall be grounds for termination.

Special Notice Items : The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education, and criminal conviction history.

A prior criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify a candidate from employment with the County.

EEO Information : Pima County Government is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to an inclusive and diverse workforce and will not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, kinship, political interest, or any other characteristic protected by law.

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