7670 - Attorney I - Unclassified (Public Defense Services)

Overall Job Objective

Position Description

THIS RECRUITMENT IS TO ESTABLISH A REGISTER for current and future ATTORNEY I UNCLASSIFIED vacancies which serves all levels/assignments of Attorney in the Pima County Public Defense Services Department (Public Defender; Parent's Dependency; Juvenile Delinquency; Legal Defender; Office of Children's Counsel; Mental Health Defender; Public Fiduciary, Legal Advocate).

Salary Grade: R1

For more information about the Public Defense Services Department, please visit their website at:
http://webcms.pima.gov/government/public_defense_services/

Coordinates and conducts professional legal work in units within the Public Defense Services Department. 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 or 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. This classification is appointed, unclassified and exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

Please note: Successful candidates offered employment with Pima County, including current employees who have applied for new positions, are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to their scheduled start date. If you are unable to become fully vaccinated due to a medical disability or religious observance/practice, you must request an accommodation - accommodation forms are located on-line.

Duties/Responsibilities

(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 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:

• 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.

Minimum Qualifications

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Juris Doctorate.

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.

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.

Supplemental Information

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 license at time of application or appointment and must be maintained as a condition of employment.

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.

Successful candidates offered employment with Pima County, including current employees who have applied for new positions, are required to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination prior to their scheduled start date. If you are unable to become fully vaccinated due to a medical disability or religious observance/practice, you must request an accommodation - accommodation forms are located on-line.