3001 - Attorney I (Public Defense Services)

THIS RECRUITMENT IS TO ESTABLISH A REGISTER for current and future ATTORNEY I 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).

Salary Grade : A2

Pay Range

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Full Range : $78,500 - $149,150 Annually

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

Coordinates and conducts professional legal work in Public Defense Services Department offices. Incumbents perform entry-level and / or intermediate-level legal work in the area assigned for either criminal or civil cases.

Attorneys at this level prepare, defend prosecute, and resolve entry-level to advanced-level licensed professional legal work.

Attorneys at this level receive close supervision from higher-level attorney personnel in the performance of their duties.

More experienced attorneys in this classification work more independently under the general supervision of higher-level attorney personnel.

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 classification is appointed, unclassified, and exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

• Prosecutes or defends a variety of criminal or civil cases in Justice Court, Juvenile Court, Superior Court, Federal Court, and Appellate Courts which may include misdemeanor, felony, dependency, delinquency, mental health, guardianship, conservatorship, probate administration, contract, tort, environmental, real estate, tax issues, child support, or appellate cases;
• Represents County departments, boards, and commissions in civil litigation and administrative 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 bench and jury trials;
• Researches legal questions;
• 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, and rules of evidence and procedure;
• presenting and arguing cases in court and ability to handle unanticipated problems;
• principles, methods, materials, practices, and references in utilizing legal research;
• legal and professional ethics.

Skill in :

• applying legal analysis, research, and writing techniques to draft clear, concise, and organized legal correspondence, memoranda, documents, and pleadings;
• interviewing of witnesses to obtain facts;
• researching and analyzing legal documents and instruments;
• developing and acting on sound legal strategies;
• presenting and arguing cases in court;
• effectively and efficiently negotiating the just resolution of assigned cases;
• developing and maintaining effective working relationships with others;
• communicating effectively, both orally and in writing.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS :

Juris Doctorate.

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.) :

Knowledge and appropriate application of systems, policies, and procedures of Pima County (additional assessments of current and previous Pima County employees may be conducted).

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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