Senior Or Assistant County Attorney

Senior or Assistant County Attorney

Employment Type: 0 - Full-time Regular

Pay Range: $80,084.00 - 165,592.00

Location: Castle Rock, CO

Overtime Exempt: Y

Elected Office / Department: COUNTY ATTORNEY

This is highly responsible complex legal work assisting the County Attorney in providing legal advice and representation to the Board of County Commissioners and to various departments and officials of Douglas County Government.

Classification (level) and compensation is based on qualifications and experience as it relates to the position.

Assistant County Attorney: Generally, the hiring range is $80,084 to $100,106 annually.

Sr. Assistant County Attorney: Generally, the hiring range is $107,702-$134,628 annually.

Douglas County offers an excellent comprehensive benefit package including but not limited to: Medical/Dental/Vision. For a more detailed overview please view the full Employee Benefit Guide.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: (The following examples are illustrative only and are not intended to be all inclusive.)

• Represents the County in legal matters concerning the Board of County Commissioners, elected officials, and County departments in administrative hearings and court proceedings.

• Conducts legal research, interviews County Officers, employees, and witnesses, and handles other matters in preparation for trial and/or hearings of any type.

• Prepares legal briefs, develops strategy, arguments, and testimony in preparation for presentation of cases.

• May conduct trials in cases in state and federal court. Briefs and argues appellate cases in state and federal court.

• Explains and interprets statutes, regulations, and status of cases to County officials and employees.

• Provides legal advice and memoranda on legal questions to elected officials, department and division heads, and employees.

• Assists elected officials, commissioners, and other County personnel in preparing contracts, leases, deeds, easements, license agreements, resolutions, regulations, and other legal documents.

• Negotiates contracts, leases, deeds, easements, license agreement, and other legal documents.

• Available on an as needed basis for any legal issue on any topic affecting the County.

• Must maintain a degree of skill in the practice of law that allows for competent and detailed legal advice in a variety of areas of law with minimal or no immediate oversight.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Minimal supervision. Incumbent is given latitude to make decisions within scope of responsibilities.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Assistant County Attorney: This position has no supervisory responsibility.

Senior Assistant County Attorney: This position has supervisory responsibility over work performed by paralegals and the Legal Assistant.

INDEPENDENT JUDGMENT: Work involves a high degree of independent judgment based on knowledge of the law and experience.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE:

Assistant County Attorney:

• Graduation from an accredited law school with an LL.B./J.D. degree.

• A minimum of one year as a practicing attorney.

• Prior government experience is highly desirable.

• A combination of education and experience may be considered.

Senior Assistant County Attorney:

• Requires an LL.B./J.D. degree.

• At least eight years of law practice.

• A combination of education and experience may be considered.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge:

• Thorough knowledge of civil and criminal law, court procedures, and rules of evidence.

• Considerable knowledge of state statutes and appellate decisions.

• Considerable knowledge of principles, methods, practices, and materials utilized in legal research and writing.

Skills:

• Skill in the preparation and trial of lawsuits and/or legal transactional work.

• Ability to read statutes, analyze and interpret court decisions, legal procedures, documents, statutes, and regulations.

• Ability to prepare complex legal documents, opinions, pleadings, and briefs.

• Ability to communicate effectively in both oral and written form.

Abilities:

• Must be able to work effectively, creatively, and cooperatively with a variety of personality types and on a variety of different issues.

• Ability to gather, analyze, and evaluate facts and law.

• Must be able to balance and prioritize issues in an environment where interruptions are not constant but can occur with some regularity.

CERTIFICATIONS, LICENSES, & REGISTRATIONS:

• Must be admitted by the Colorado Supreme Court to practice law in the State of Colorado.

• Must possess a valid Colorado Driver's License upon hire, with complying insurance. Review of motor vehicle record is required at time of hire and periodically throughout employment.

• This position requires successful completion of a criminal background check including fingerprinting through a national database.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Physical Work Environment: Work is generally performed in a typical but often fast paced office or courtroom environment. Work may involve travel outside of Douglas County and includes evening and weekend work.

Physical Demands: Primarily sedentary position with heavy computer use. Must have the mental and physical stamina for litigation in a court room setting.

Material and Equipment Directly Used: Computer, iPad or similar device, laptop, smartphone, desk phone, fax machine, copy machine, audio/visual equipment, County vehicle.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Closing Date: 6/21/2024 5:59PM MST. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until a suitable candidate is selected.

The job details outlined in this posting may represent a modified summary of the full job description. For a full copy of the job description CLICK HERE to view our job classifications.

In the event of an emergency/disaster in or near the County, all County employees are expected to make every effort to be available to assist the County Manager, Elected/Appointed Officials and Department Directors to ensure the continued operation of any and all necessary County functions. This may mean being available to perform additional duties and hours beyond what is normally required. In the event that an exempt employee does work more than 40 hours a week in support of County operations during an emergency, such employee may receive overtime or other appropriate wage compensation in accordance with existing County policies or at the discretion of the County.