CA Attorney IV

RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA

CLASS DESCRIPTION

2024

CLASS TITLE: Attorney IV (Deputy County Attorney)

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

An Attorney IV is a senior staff attorney responsible for providing comprehensive legal services to Richland County, its elected and appointed officials, department heads and personnel.

ESSENTIAL TASKS

The tasks listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this class. Management may assign additional tasks related to the type of work of the class as necessary.

Duties include counseling, litigating, representing County entities and personnel in administrative, judicial and appellate proceedings, drafting pleadings, opinions, memoranda, briefs, motions, ordinances, resolutions, proclamations, deeds, contracts, leases and other instruments. An Attorney IV should expect to handle all of the duties and functions of an Attorney III, with an increasing level of responsibility consistent with the lawyer's experience and development.

Depending on experience, ability and leadership, an Attorney IV should expect to have some responsibility for planning, directing, implementing and supervising the legal affairs of the County, and will be expected to closely interact with its top officials. This requires not only subject matter expertise but the ability to recognize and assess the importance of the distinction between legal and policy issues. An Attorney IV will regularly participate in administrative and judicial proceedings on behalf of the County, and may be assigned special projects and duties.

The position has supervisory authority as delegated by the County Attorney over staff and assistant attorneys, law clerks, clerical and office staff with respect to research and other matters, and the budgetary and financial expenditure authority as may be assigned to it by the County Attorney. An Attorney IV must communicate well, understand, interpret and apply local, state and federal law impacting upon the County. This position is complex with little structure. Flexibility, timeliness, professionalism and sound legal advice are critical to the proper performance of duties.

All other duties as assigned.

INVOLVEMENT WITH DATA, PEOPLE, AND THINGS

DATA INVOLVEMENT:

Regularly assesses, researches and prepares legal opinions for County departments, officials and employees as appropriate, including opinions interpreting the Richland County Code of Ordinances.

PEOPLE INVOLVEMENT:

This position is under the general direction of and reports directly to the County Attorney. An Attorney IV should expect daily interaction with County elected and appointed officials, department heads and personnel, as well as citizens, attorneys, other government officials and private parties with regard to pending and anticipated matters.

INVOLVEMENT WITH THINGS:

Requires handling or using machines, tools or equipment requiring brief instruction or experience, such as computers for data entry, document scanners, copiers, fax machines, telephones or similar equipment; may service office machines, including adding paper and changing toner.

COGNITIVE REQUIREMENTS

REASONING REQUIREMENTS:

Depending on experience, ability and leadership, an Attorney IV should expect to have some responsibility for planning, directing, implementing and supervising the legal affairs of the County, and will be expected to closely interact with its top officials. This requires not only subject matter expertise but the ability to recognize and assess the importance of the distinction between legal and policy issues.

MATHEMATICAL REQUIREMENTS:

Requires performing addition and subtraction, multiplication and division and/or calculating ratios, rates and percents. Requires use of a calculator.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:

Requires reading journals, manuals and professional publications; speaking informally to groups of co-workers, staff in other organizational agencies, the general public, people in other organizations; presenting training; composing original reports, training and other written materials using proper language, punctuation, grammar and style.

MENTAL REQUIREMENTS:

Requires doing clerical, manual or technical tasks requiring a wide range of procedures and requiring intensive understanding of a restricted field or complete familiarity with the functions of a unit or small division of an operating agency; requires normal attention with short periods of concentration for accurate results or occasional exposure to unusual pressure.

VOCATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL AND EXPERIENCE PREPARATION

VOCATIONAL/EDUCATIONAL PREPARATION:

Requires a Juris Doctorate from an accredited college or university, current admission to practice law in State Courts and ability to obtain admission to practice law in Federal Courts in South Carolina, and at least Six (6) years of experience in litigation, government, regulatory law or its equivalent. Management experience of other attorneys or law office personnel is preferred but not required.

SPECIAL CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES:

Requires a Juris Doctorate from an accredited college or university, current admission to practice law in State Courts and ability to obtain admission to practice law in Federal Courts in South Carolina.

Must possess or be able to obtain Notary Public certification; may be required to obtain additional certifications as deemed necessary by supervisor.

Must possess a valid state driver's license.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS:

Requires up to and including Six years of experience in litigation, government, regulatory law or its equivalent. Management experience of other attorneys or law office personnel is preferred but not required.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT REQUIREMENTS

PHYSICAL AND DEXTERITY REQUIREMENTS:

Expect simple movements typically associated with work in an office environment, especially while performing basic computer functions, and travel to and from administrative and judicial proceedings.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS:

Most work will be performed under general office conditions and indoors at administrative and judicial proceedings. Employees may be exposed to weather conditions that may be uncomfortable and may travel by automobile which could be dangerous depending on conditions.

SENSORY REQUIREMENTS:

The job requires normal visual acuity and field of vision, hearing and speaking abilities.

JUDGMENTS AND DECISIONS

JUDGMENTS AND DECISIONS:

Decision-making is a significant part of the job, affecting a large segment of the organization and the general public; works in a dynamic environment; responsible to assist in developing policy and practices.

ADA COMPLIANCE

Richland County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires the County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

JOB DESCRIPTION APPROVAL

This proposed job description reflects the essential functions, duties, responsibilities, and minimum requirements accurately and completely to the best of my knowledge. I have made the necessary and appropriate considerations for the various and many uses of the job description that include, but are not limited to: recruiting for vacancies, screening candidates, interviewing candidates, selection of candidates, promotion, discipline, Workers Compensation, returning from leave, performance management, training, job classification, job reclassification, employee communication, reasonable accommodation interactive process, new employee orientation, communication of organizational structure, and to provide organized and defensible basis for personnel decisions to mitigate liability.

The minimum requirements have neither been inflated nor deflated and correlate appropriately to the essential functions in this document. I have complied with applicable County policies and County guidelines in drafting this job description. In addition, I have given appropriate consideration and have added content to this job description, as needed, to document compliance related to federal regulations, such as but not limited to ADA, FLSA, FMLA, HIPAA, and Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection.

Department Head Signature: _______________________________ Date: _________

Approvals

1.Reviewed by: Human Resources

Signature and Date: ______________________________________________

Signature and Date: ______________________________________________

HRD Comments:

2.Approved by: Administration

Signature and Date: ______________________________________________

DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC TASKS AND REQUIREMENTS

Essential Duties

1.Responsible as assigned for some level of the daily management and direction of the County Attorney's Office. May be called upon to serve as the County's acting chief legal advisor if the County Attorney is unavailable in times of exigency.

2.Regularly assesses, researches and prepares legal opinions for County departments, officials and employees as appropriate, including opinions interpreting the Richland County Code of Ordinances.

3.Regularly handles litigation involving the County and its interests in administrative and judicial proceedings.

4.Regularly reviews for legal sufficiency and form contracts, easements, rights of way, deeds, leases, ordinances, pleadings, Freedom of Information Act requests, citizen inquiries, responses thereto and the like.

5.Regularly attends meetings of Council, committees, boards and commissions, representing County entities as appropriate.

6.Regularly meets with Council members, department heads and personnel, officials and employees of the Federal government, the State of South Carolina and its political subdivisions as appropriate on legal matters affecting the County.

Compensation Range: $96,972.39 - $155,024.93