Assistant Prosecuting Attorney

Pursue the interests of justice by representing the people in criminal, quasi-criminal and civil matters to protect the safety and welfare of the community by holding violators justly accountable for their acts.

St. Clair County prides itself as a beautiful place to live and work. Located right on the St. Clair River and Lake Huron in Port Huron with a fun and up and coming downtown. Only an hour drive to the metropolis of Detroit and all a big city has to offer without the higher cost of living.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Will prepare appellate briefs and oral arguments on constitutional, statutory, evidentiary, and procedural matters.
• Conduct legal research and analysis to support appellate cases
• Prepare persuasive legal briefs and arguments for appellate court proceedings
• Collaborate with other attorneys to develop case strategies and assess potential outcomes.
• Maintain a strong grasp of changing legal precedents and provide insights on their impact on cases.
• Will attend court hearings and proceedings as needed.
• Prepare and present misdemeanor, delinquency and some felony cases to ensure that defendants are justly held accountable for their actions.
• Review investigation reports and authorize/deny legal proceedings.
• Negotiate case dispositions in order to reach a just resolution prior to trial, complying with office policy.
• Prepare motions, briefs, pleadings and memoranda to inform courts of the office's position on specific issues.
• Handle special legal assignments, including research and writing, special prosecutions, civil forfeiture actions and public speaking.
• Advise and train other APA's and investigative personnel to ensure the appropriate handling of cases.
• Be responsible for on-call duty.
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED:
Work is performed under the general supervision of the Prosecuting Attorney and direct supervision of the Chief Assistant Prosecutor.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:
This position may provide advice and guidance to other APA's and supervision to law student interns.

EXPERIENCE, SKILLS, EDUCATION:

• License to practice law in the State of Michigan.
• One to three years' experience in the criminal justice legal system.
• A basic knowledge of evidence, criminal law and court rules.
• The ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Applicant must have superior oral and written advocacy skills; strong interpersonal skills; good judgment; and the capacity to function in demanding environment
• A willingness to follow office policies.
• High ethical standards personally and professionally.
• Position involves working regularly with victims, witnesses and police officers to present and resolve cases in court, routinely coordinating a large number of people involved in a typical court schedule.
• May be assigned to other specialized duties in addition to basic courtroom caseload assignment.
• Writing, reading, mathematical principles; proficient computer skills-Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook; exercise sound judgement and decision making in accordance with policies and procedures; ability to research and problem solve independently; knowledge of County operations and functions; ability to prioritize and time manage; handle stressful situations, provide effective and friendly customer service; support the County's mission and values; ability to think critically where necessary.
• Knowledge or understanding of basic administrative tasks: operate standard office equipment; document management; prepare and maintain records, various correspondences and reports; answer general inquiries and refer as necessary; answer telephone calls, process mail, order supplies/equipment; prepare meeting agendas, attend meetings, record/transcribe/distribute minutes; entering, transcribing, recording, storing or maintaining information in written or electronic form with speed and accuracy; maintain calendars, arrange meetings, schedule rooms and equipment as necessary.
• Ability to communicate effectively and efficiently with management, co-workers and clients; obtain and communicate accurate information; apply common sense understanding to complex instructions and respond accordingly; communicate complex ideas through graphs, charts, presentations, reports or other professional correspondence.

ESSENTIAL ABILITIES FOR ALL ST. CLAIR COUNTY JOB CLASSIFICATIONS:

• Ability to demonstrate predictable, reliable, and timely attendance.
• Ability to read, write & communicate in English; follow written and verbal instruction and understand basic mathematics and figure checking.
• Ability to interpret and apply procedures, rules, technical information, instructions, manuals to complete tasks accurately and on schedule.
• Ability to learn from directions, observations, and mistakes; and apply procedures using good judgement.
• Ability to use discretion and maintain sensitive and confidential information.
• Ability to work independently or part of a team; ability to interact appropriately with others such as County officials, employees, vendors and the general public.
• Ability to work under supervision, receiving instructions/feedback, coaching/counseling and/or action/discipline.
• Adaptability to change in the work environment, managing competing demands and ability to deal with frequent changes, delays or unexpected events.
• Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services including customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction
• Proficient skills using Microsoft Office programs including, but not limited to: Word, Excel, Access, and Outlook required. Proficiency may be tested.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

• Prior to starting employment, the candidate must complete a satisfactory background check. The background check is understood to encompass all forms of pre-employment screening, including but not limited to: drug screen, physical, criminal background, driving record, sex offender registry, education, training and licensing verification, employment history, credit check, and professional and personal references.
• Must possess a valid State of Michigan operator license and maintain this license throughout employment in this position.
• License to practice Law in the State of Michigan.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS AND WORKING CONDITIONS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job with or without accommodations. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to:

• Speak to others to convey information effectively.
• Read, interpret and understand procedures, rules, technical information, instructions and manuals.
• Hear and understand information presented through spoken words and sentences.
• Specific vision requirement includes close vision, distance vision, color and depth perception.
• Use hands to operate a computer, handle materials and operate equipment.
• Push or pull carts, reach with hands and arms forward, above and below shoulder level.
• Lift, move or carry objects, equipment and supplies weighing up to 25 pounds.
• Sit, bend, stoop, crouch, crawl and kneel in an ergonomically correct manner.
• Stand and walk, climb stairs.
• Normal office hours are from 8:00 a.m. through 4:30 p.m.
• Generally works in a normal office environment.
• The noise level in the work environment is moderate with many interruptions.

Disclaimer: The statements contained in this job description are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job requirements or duties performed. The job description does not constitute an employment agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change by the employer as the needs of the employer and requirements of the job change.

AN EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER: It is the policy of St. Clair County not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, disability that does not prevent performing essential job functions or because he or she is a protected veteran.