Attorney IV, Special Prosecutions And Law Enforcement (60010447)

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Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply. 

Primary Purpose of the Position:

The primary purpose of a Special Prosecutions attorney is to prepare and try criminal cases of every nature and complexity. The attorney assigned to a particular case must independently prepare and conduct the trial with a high level of expertise.

In addition to criminal jury trials, the attorneys in this section handle motions for appropriate relief of every nature and complexity. The most frequent types of cases generally arise from situations where the local District Attorney has a conflict. These cases often involve a lawyer, police officer, elected political official or former client of the District Attorney or member of his/her staff.

Special Prosecutions also handles cases that local District Attorneys might refer due to complexity, or resource issues. Cases in this category include murder, sex offenses and assaults, white collar crimes such as embezzlement and false pretense, large multi-jurisdiction investigations, major drug trafficking, and wiretap prosecutions.

Attorney IVs in the Special Prosecutions Section are expected to be able to take on complex cases and carry a heavy case load. The Attorney IV should be able to adequately manage litigation from start to finish, be a self-starter, and triage the many duties of the Section, as needed. Also, all attorneys in the section are assigned criminal appeals and, because of the primary purpose of Special Prosecutions, attorneys in the section often handle criminal appeals involving serious felony offenses.

Because the attorneys in Special Prosecutions are considered subject matter experts in several fields, there are a large number of speaking or teaching engagement requests, and opinion requests (formal and informal), from district attorneys, judges and law enforcement. Special Prosecutions responds to all criminal law questions from these agencies, as well as the General Assembly members and staff and citizens.

Increased awareness of the availability of the Special Prosecution Section on the part of the District Attorneys has resulted in a consistent and increasing case load in which attorneys of this section are requested to actively participate in the trial of often complex, unusual or politically sensitive cases.

The Special Prosecutions and Law Enforcement Section also provides legal advice and technical assistance to police departments, sheriffs' departments, state law enforcement agencies, city and county attorneys, city and county managers, various other city and county personnel, district attorneys, police legal advisors, and members of the General Assembly.

Note to Current State Employees:

The salary grade for this position is LG09. State employees are encouraged to apply for positions of interest even if the salary grade is the same as, or lower than, their current position.

 Please detail ALL work history including non-state service experience.  If selected for this position, a new salary will be recalculated taking into consideration the quantity of relevant education and experience, funding availability, and internal equity. Based upon these factors, a pay increase MAY or MAY NOT result.

THE STARTING SALARY FOR A NEW HIRE TO THIS POSITION IS LIMITED TO $89,775 to $118,188. Salary offers for the selected candidate are based on the candidate's education and experience related to the position, as well as our agency budget and equity.

The State of North Carolina offers employer-paid health insurance plus twelve paid holidays, generous vacation and sick leave accrual, dental, vision, and other insurance options, and retirement benefits. You can view our benefits information at Employee Benefits.

Hybrid telework opportunities are available for this position. The attorney must have the knowledge, skills and abilities of general case, statutory and common law with particular emphasis on criminal law and procedure, evidence, constitutional law and appellate procedure.

Ability to independently handle criminal and civil cases in the trial and appellate courts, and represent the State of North Carolina in litigation in the State and Federal courts.

Ability to independently prepare and prosecute criminal cases of all types and complexities.

Ability to organize and digest complicated factual situations.

Ability to coordinate and direct complicated criminal investigations.

Ability to be sensitive to the feelings and needs of victims and victims' families.

Ability to use primary and secondary legal research and materials in technical and complex situations.

Ability to speak authoritatively and to inspire confidence in stated judgments in the areas of criminal law and procedure, civil law and procedure, constitutional law, search and seizure, evidence and the exclusionary rule.

Thorough knowledge of general case, statutory and common law.

Ability to interpret and apply laws and court decisions.

Ability to analyze evidence and apply the relevant law to the applicable facts.

Ability to express conclusions and arguments clearly and logically, in oral and written form. Some state job postings say you can qualify by an "equivalent combination of education and experience." If that language appears below, then you may qualify through EITHER years of education OR years of directly related experience, OR a combination of both. See oshr.nc.gov/experience-guide for details. 

Licensed to practice law by the North Carolina State Bar and four years of progressively responsible professional legal experience. NOTE: GS 114-2 and 114-6 make it the duty of the Attorney General of NC to represent the State of North Carolina in all litigation unless another statute specifically states otherwise.

Management has requested that a writing sample be submitted with your application. The NC Department of Justice accomplishes our goals through our DOJ Organizational Values of Public Service, Integrity, Excellence, Teamwork, Diversity, and Innovation. We encourage all qualified candidates who are committed to these values and want to make a difference in the lives of our citizens to apply for this opportunity.

Please be sure to complete the application in full.

Note the following: If multiple applications are submitted to an individual posting, only the most recent application received prior to the closing date will be accepted. Applications must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the closing date.

Resumes and cover letters:   To receive credit for your work history and credentials, you must list the information on the online application form. This information is used to determine if you meet the requirements of the position, and if you are selected, it is used to determine a salary offer.

Using the terms "See Resume" or "See Attachment" will not be accepted and your application will be rejected as incomplete.  Cover letters are highly encouraged but not required.  

Transcripts:  Degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Credit for foreign degrees will only be given if verification of degree certification is attached to your application.  Transcripts for foreign degrees have to be evaluated by an organization like World Education Services to determine US equivalency.

Any licenses or certificates must be included in the appropriate section of the application form.

Veterans Preference: Applicants seeking Veteran's Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 or discharge orders.

Applicants seeking National Guard Preference must attach a NGB 23A (RPAS) if you are a current member of the NC National Guard in good standing.  If you are a former member of the NC National Guard who served for at least 6 years and was discharged under honorable conditions, you must attach either a DD256 or NGB 22.

Application status: To check the status of your application, please log in to your account.

Upon the closing date, applications are "Under Review" and will be screened by Human Resources for the qualified applicants. The hiring process may take an average of 6 - 8 weeks.  All applicants will be notified by email once a position is filled.

NeoGov Help Line: If you are having technical issues submitting your application, please call the NeoGov Help Line at 855-524-5627. If there are any questions about this posting, other than your application status, please contact the NC DOJ Human Resources office.

The NC Department of Justice is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The NC Department of Justice uses Merit-Based Recruitment to select from among the most qualified applicants to fill positions subject to the State Human Resources Act.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

NC Department of Justice

Human Resources Office

114 W. Edenton Street

Raleigh, NC 27603

919-716-6490