Assistant County Attorney I
DEFINITION AND DUTIES:
Under direction of the County Attorney, performs a variety of administrative, technical, and advanced professional legal work of moderate to considerable difficulty in representing the County in criminal, juvenile, and civil cases by either the Code of Iowa or the Johnson County Code.
Knowledge of:
- Code of Iowa and Iowa Administrative Code
- Iowa and Federal Rules of Civil and Criminal Procedure and Rules of Evidence
- Iowa Rules of Professional Conduct
- Code of Federal Regulations
- Advanced mathematical concepts
- English language to include grammar, spelling, sentence structure, vocabulary and proofreading skills
Ability to:
- Represent the State of Iowa and Johnson County in Iowa State Court proceedings
- Understand, interpret, apply and explain Code of Iowa/Iowa Administrative Code, federal laws and all rules, including the Rules of Professional Conduct, Evidence, and Criminal and Civil Procedure
- Conduct legal research and produce accurate legal arguments for briefs, memorandums and other documents as needed
- Present evidence in civil commitment hearings
- Exercise sound professional judgment and prosecutorial discretion concerning cases, taking into consideration laws, policies, standards, precedents and the interests of justice
- Work with minimum supervision in often difficult circumstances
- Maintain confidentiality and security of information as appropriate
- Represent Johnson County and perform duties in a professional, responsible and trustworthy manner
- Be detail oriented while performing duties
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, co-workers, victims and witnesses, judges, defense attorneys, law enforcement and members of the public
- Interact effectively with persons representing widely divergent backgrounds, interests and points of view
- Collect data, keep accurate records, and prepare reports
- Handle multiple tasks and competing priorities
- Use a computer for the purposes of word processing, data entry, legal filings, spreadsheets, presentations, e-mail, case management, scanning, e-filing and Internet
- Operate common office equipment such as calculators, fax and postage machines, photo copiers, multi-line telephones and scanners
- Handle moderate to high levels of stress, meet deadlines and solve problems appropriate to the position
- Follow complex oral and written instructions
- Organize and present facts, ideas, and opinions clearly and concisely, orally and in writing to groups and individuals in formal and informal situations
- Have clarity of speech and hearing which permits effective communication
- Have sufficient vision which permits moderate to heavy production and review of a wide variety of materials in both electronic and hardcopy forms
- Have sufficient manual dexterity to make handwritten notations and which permits moderate to heavy use of a keyboard and mouse
- Lift and/or move up to 20 pounds
- Sit, stand, walk, climb, squat, kneel, bend, twist and reach
- Have sufficient personal mobility to complete work at various facilities
- Work flexible schedule including nights, weekends and holidays, and additional time as needed
MINIMUM EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE:
Juris Doctor degree and admission to practice law in Iowa.
Special requirements: Valid driver’s license and insurable under county liability coverage. May require use of personal vehicle for official county business.
SPECIFIC DUTIES: to be performed satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodation
The following duties are normal for this position. These are not to be construed as exclusive or all inclusive. Other duties may be required and assigned.
- Prosecute State of Iowa and Johnson County charges in State court, including pre- and post-trial proceedings, probations revocations, forfeiture, and extradition hearings.
- Carry out duties relating to civil commitment proceedings.
- Assist law enforcement and other appropriate agencies on legal issues and investigations of criminal actions including taking calls after hours as assigned.
- Provide assistance to law enforcement at crime scenes as needed.
- Keep victims and witnesses informed about the status of cases and utilize advocacy programs to assist victims and witnesses.
- Represent the State of Iowa in post-conviction relief proceedings.
- Research issues as needed and as directed by the County Attorney.
- Represent the State of Iowa in other legal hearings and proceedings as needed.
- Assist with training law enforcement and the public as requested by the County Attorney.
- Participate in trainings/education opportunities, conferences, seminars and work-related meetings as requested. Represent the County Attorney in community meetings and organizations as requested by the County Attorney.
- Maintain records of continuing legal education training and file all required reports in a timely manner to maintain valid Iowa law license.
- Assist in carrying out duties of the County Attorney as directed by the County Attorney.
- Perform all work activities in accordance with County Attorney’s Office and County policies, procedures and safety practices.
- Attend work regularly.