7672 - Attorney II - Unclassified (Public Defender)

Overall Job Objective

Position Description

OPEN TO CURRENT PIMA COUNTY EMPLOYEES WITH PREFERENCE TO PUBLIC DEFENDER DIVISION EMPLOYEES.

These three (3) positions are in the Pima County Public Defense Services Department.

OPEN UNTIL FILLED

Salary Grade: R2

Current positions available within the Public Defender Division. Persons taking these positions are limited to future promotional opportunities within PDS to the Public Defender Division only in order to avoid future conflicts. Current PDS employees within other Divisions will not be considered for the position due to the need to avoid conflicts.

Coordinates and conducts professional legal work in units within the Office of the Pima County Attorney and offices within the Public Defense Services Department. Incumbents perform advanced level legal work in the area assigned for either criminal or civil matters. Attorneys at this level regularly prepare, defend or prosecute, and resolve the most complex legal work involving serious and consequential matters demanding a higher degree of resourcefulness, skill and knowledge than that assigned to lower level attorneys. Work is performed with considerable latitude, independent judgment, and professional discretion. 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 online.

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 the most difficult and complex criminal or civil cases brought for and against the County, in State or Federal Courts;
Manages the most demanding criminal or civil cases in public sector law;
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:

• 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.

Minimum Qualifications

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.

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.