Assistant County Attorney I - Civil

Job Summary

Wage Scale for 2024: $47.12 to $62.04

The attorney will be responsible for representing the interests of Chisago County in matters in which the county may be involved, including child protection (CHIPS and Permanency); child support enforcement; adult protection civil commitment and guardianship matters; licensing appeals; tax appeals, contracts; and condemnation actions. The successful applicant will have strong writing and oral communication skills.

The attorney will administer and enforce the laws of the State of Minnesota and Chisago County by performing legal work involving drafting of legal documents; performing legal research; writing; consulting with County staff; negotiating with opposing parties; proposing solutions to issues or enforcement of applicable statutes; rules or procedure; appearing at jury and court trials, drafting appellate briefs, and arguing appeals; and other contested cases.

The attorney is expected to manage a full case load by reviewing reports; drafting pleadings, petitions, and other legal documents; and appearing on behalf of the County/State at preliminary hearings, trials, and other contested hearings. Duties may include providing training for law enforcement, county departments, and staff.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Assistant County Attorney must understand current laws and regulations as may be applied to the extremely varied facts and situations presented daily. The attorney must have the ability to direct appropriate legal action or provide advice to staff. This employee routinely analyzes complicated factual scenarios and directs immediate appropriate responses, which may impact individual rights; property rights; financial interests or contractual obligations. The workload requires knowledge in many areas of practice.

1. Review and analyze information and data provided by Chisago County staff and/or law enforcement. Determine appropriate course of action including, but not limited to, composing the appropriate complaints, petitions, pleadings, and orders. Provide legal advice and direction to county staff.
2. Research legal issues; prepare memoranda and legal briefs or opinions. Analyze and interpret statutes/legislation, case law and other relevant literature to maintain current, accurate information on legal developments and changes that may affect current caseload. Analyze information in relation to established office policy, ethical considerations, and standards, limited resources, and the social, legal, and ethical objectives to be obtained.
3. Provide legal counsel to Chisago County Health and Human Services in juvenile protection, guardianships, conservatorships, welfare fraud, child support and enforcement, and paternity actions proceedings and related subject areas. Review, interpret and analyze data, as well as medical, social, and psychological reports to determine if the subject meets the statutory criteria necessary for child protection, guardianship, conservatorships or commitments, while considering a variety of legal options and less intrusive alternatives. Ensure that all statutory duties are performed within required time limits.
4. Prepare and present cases in district court regarding child protection, guardianships, conservatorships, welfare fraud, child support and enforcement, and paternity actions. Appear at and represent Chisago County Human Services at appeal hearings, both at the administrative level and at the Minnesota Court of Appeals.
5. Advise, provide legal counsel, and furnish written legal opinion to county boards, county administrator, elected officials, other county officials, department heads, law enforcement officers and/or and other county personnel.
6. Provide for the defense of the county and its agencies as counsel or co-counsel in lawsuits brought against the county, its agents, officials, and employees. Apply legal principles combined with a working knowledge of all functions of the various county departments to identify, define, and evaluate problems facing county officials, agencies, department heads and employees. Monitor the operations of county officers, agencies, department heads, and employees to ensure compliance with law and to aid in the county's overall risk management regime.
7. Provide direction to support staff to assist attorney in carrying out responsibilities of the position.
8. Develop and implement training sessions for various departments and agencies which rely on the County Attorney's Office for legal direction.
9. Review and, if requested, draft proposed changes to ordinances, administrative procedures, and county policies to comply with state or federal law, regulations and/or upon request of county staff.
10. Review and/or draft various legal forms for bids, contracts, and bonds for county work.
11. Present and argue cases before the Minnesota Court of Appeals and Minnesota Supreme Court when called upon.
12. Draft proposed legislation and respond to inquiries in relation to proposed legislation.
13. Perform related duties as required or assigned.

Desired Minimum Qualifications

1. Education and Experience:
   a. Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree and admission to the Bar of the State of Minnesota
   b. One to three years' experience as a practicing attorney, preferably in civil practice or in the public sector.
2. Special Requirements:
   a. A license to practice law in the State of Minnesota
   b. Member in good standing of the State Bar
   c. Admission to practice in federal bar, desirable

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

1. Considerable knowledge of State and Federal laws and county ordinances including accepted legal or court interpretations and Minnesota Court decisions.
2. Working knowledge of principles of juvenile law, civil law, and applicable rules of civil procedure.
3. Knowledge of principles of criminal law and the problems of criminal law enforcement, procedure, and evidence.
4. Knowledge of what can be accomplished by legal approaches or administrative approaches, and how the two must be balanced to achieve the intent of county departments/to protect the public interest.
5. Ability to determine the limits of action available to opponents and the probable courses of action of opponents in court cases.
6. Ability to present and argue cases in court, having the ability to address situations as they arise.
7. Ability to appear in front of the public.

Physical Demands

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Assigned tasks are generally carried out while seated at a desk or counsel table. May be occasional periods of prolonged standing at public hearings and meetings and during speaking engagements.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

The employee is frequently working under pressure caused by time constraints.

Additional Information

WORK ENVIRONMENT: The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Work is primarily performed in an office setting with moderate amounts of noise and activity. Other work is performed in the Courtroom and other settings where hearings may be scheduled. Occasional trips to view county property or crime scenes expose the employee to physical hazards such as unsafe buildings, dump sites, rough terrain, dangerous circumstances or angry people. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

There is a great deal of stress involved in this position which comes from working with a large and varied group of people, a large variety of responsibilities, to include little or no control over events which impact the workload, frequent interruptions and limited time to perform the necessary work. The manner in which an assistant county attorney performs his or her job impacts people's lives directly in terms of restrictions on liberty or other rights, fines, financial obligations, children's safety, victim's concerns for justice and criminal records. The stress level may be compounded by the urgency of some decisions or the result of a midnight phone call. The mental and emotional stress of this position does not end at 4:30 p.m. The Assistant County Attorney is on-call all day, every day.

Trial practice requires unique expenditures of mental and physical effort. The Assistant County Attorney becomes immersed in preparing and presenting witnesses and physical evidence in court before a jury trial of citizens, or a court trial before the judge. Extended trials require long days of public performance and long nights of preparation for the next day. Mental and physical strain combined with an emotionally charged atmosphere, creating very unpleasant working conditions at times.

The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.

TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT USED: Requires use of telephone, copy machine, facsimile machine, calculator, and proficient use of personal computer, including research, word processing and audio-visual aids (for trial preparation and trainings).

Disclaimer

GENERAL STATEMENT: Applicants for appointment to this position will be required to submit a formal application and may be subject to rating of education and experience, oral interview and/or reference check, background check and psychological testing. Job related tests may be required of any applicant.

The duties listed above are intended only as illustrations of the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related or a logical assignment to the position.

This 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.