Attorney 3 (Prosecuting Attorney)

This position is 37.5 hours per week.

This position performs advanced professional civil/criminal legal work for the County Prosecutor, Public Defender or Council for Defense. The position allocated to this class is responsible for performing advanced civil or criminal legal work with considerable professional independence and expertise. Positions in this class differ from positions at the Attorney 2 level by the expertise required, variety of legal matters encountered, number of cases assigned and supervisory responsibilities. Positions function with considerable professional independence, at times, assigning specific cases to lower level attorneys after making decisions to prosecute or provide defense services within established policy. Work is usually reviewed only at completion. Professional advice and consultation is provided by these positions to lower level attorney positions. A position at this level may head the legal activities of a section and provide performance analysis of lower level employees.

As an Attorney on the Civil Team:

• Serves as legal counsel for the County elected officials, appointed department heads and boards or commissions, including writing legal opinions.
• Provides oral interpretations of the County ordinances and, State and Federal laws, entering notices of appearance, providing discovery and trying all cases not handled by insurance carriers.
• Defends labor-management grievances.
• Prepares and negotiates land sales and acquisitions and prepares ordinances and resolutions.
• Advises and represents school districts regarding student and personnel matters.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

As an Attorney on the Civil Team:

• Serves as legal counsel for the Spokane County Safety/Loss Control Department, and is responsible for trying certain cases. In this position the attorney must have experience in employment law, environmental law, workers' compensation law, constitutional (State and federal) law, tort law, (including personal injury), land use law, construction law, contract law, and municipal law. The attorney in this position must have demonstrated experience in the development and implementation of safety/loss control policies and procedures.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

As an Attorney on the Juvenile Team:

• Screens and assigns juvenile offense cases to section attorneys.
• Implements and supervises office procedures and staff functions.
• Provides legal advice in juvenile offense cases.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

As an Attorney on the Felony Team:

• Evaluates the investigative results on alleged crimes and decides whether to charge and if so, with what crime or whether to refer the case back to the investigator for further investigation, or whether to decline criminal prosecution.
• Prepares legal pleading for charging.
• Prepares cases for trial, including interviewing witnesses; sorting evidence; conducting follow-up investigations; preparing issues and instruction; pretrial motions, opening statements, witness questions, trial strategies and final preparation of witnesses.
• Presents the state's case in court on homicide, negligent homicide, fraud, arson, robbery and other felonies.
• Reviews and prepares record on appeal, briefings and arguments in Court of Appeals, Supreme Court and US Supreme Court.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

As an Attorney on the Family Law Team:

• Plans, assigns, and evaluates the work of the section, provides professional legal advice to and reviews the work of section attorneys.
• Consults with and advises the State Office of Support Enforcement (OSE) in matters concerning cases.
• Discusses legal theories, authorities and strategies of actions handled by department attorneys.
• Discusses and consults with department employees on matters of office policies and assignments; effectively recommends hiring, firing, promotion, and career moves of attorneys and other employees.
• Administers and effectively recommends administration of discipline.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

As an Attorney in the Public Defender or Council for Defense Department:

• Provides advanced and professional defense services to indigent adults and juveniles charged with a crime.
• Supervises and mentors new lawyers with case analysis, covering cases, and assists with issues regarding client care.
• Evaluates and investigates felony case assignments, which includes interviewing witnesses, reviewing police reports, and preparing for trial.
• Prepares legal memorandums, motions and notes.
• Maintains contact with clients whether in or out of custody, by meeting with them in the jail, at the office, and by phone.
• Attends all required court hearings, arraignments, pleas, and trials
• Negotiates and communicates with prosecutors and witnesses in order to reach resolution in assigned matters.
• Provides coverage and case assistance when needed.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

• Juris Doctorates degree from an accredited college or university school of law.
• Four (4) years of experience at a level equivalent to Attorney 2 or substituting advanced professional legal training in civil or criminal law and procedure as required by the position for up to one year of the experience.
• Member of the Washington State Bar Association.

• Knowledge of principles and practices of criminal or civil law as required by the position.
• Knowledge of judicial procedures and rules of evidence.
• Knowledge of effective techniques and the presentation of cases in court.
• Knowledge to include litigation experience in the examples of duties in which the attorney was the lead attorney.
• Skilled in communicating effectively both orally and in writing, sufficient to exchange or convey information and to give and receive work direction.
• Skilled in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with the general public and parties affected by the court and administration.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate and organize facts, evidence and legal procedures and to present information orally and in writing in a clear and logical form.
• Ability to analyze and prepare a variety of legal documents and instruments.