Assistant County Attorney
Employer: Williamson County Attorney’s Office
Location: Georgetown, Texas
POSITION: Assistant County Attorney – Civil Attorney
SALARY: $109,610.54
JOB SUMMARY:
Reporting directly to the Civil Division Chief, responsible for representing the State in a broad range of civil matters, such as mental health civil commitment cases, Adult Protective Services matters, state guardianship matters, and bond forfeiture proceedings. Reviews responsive information in Public Information Act requests from responsive departments and provides legal redactions as necessary. Prepares information for submission in exhibits submitted to the Attorney General’s Office for a ruling.
General Duties:
Provides support and assistance to the Civil Division Chief in performing all duties related to defense representation of the County or County officials in civil litigation, tort claims, civil rights claims/Section 1983 litigation, employment claims, and other civil issues, including discovery, mediations, trials, and appeals
Provides in-depth research briefs on a wide variety of topics pertaining to civil law
Provides legal advice and counsel to county officials on legal inquiries and requests for opinions related to varied areas of law and the official’s duties pursuant to law
Executes responsibilities for communication with claimants or attorneys representing claimants regarding conclusions
Drafts pleadings and response motions to include but not limited to Motions to Quash, plea to the Jurisdiction, Motions to Transfer, and Application for Appointment of Guardian
Responds to or provides advice on Rule 12 and Public Information Act (PIA) requests and, when necessary, prepares requests for rulings with legal briefs for submission to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
Consults regularly with the OAG regarding specialized questions on complex PIA requests
Conducts legal research and analysis in preparation for legal opinions to County officials, briefs in litigation, or OAG Opinion requests
Reviews OAG rulings on brief submissions for PIA requests and provides redactions necessary on responsive information per OAG rulings
Reviews all responsive information in PIA requests from responsive departments and provides legal redactions as necessary; prepares information for submission in exhibits for OAG ruling requests
Regularly organizes and filters various documents of responsive information and provides necessary redactions for public information requested
Prepares and presents trainings on cost-estimates and how to properly calculate the labor hours, overhead costs, copies, scanned documents, and inspection costs under the PIA
Provides representation and assistance to the Bail Bond Board
Conducts legal research and analysis in preparation for legal briefs, pleadings, and motions to be filed and argued in court regarding litigation pending against the County and/or County officials and employees
Performs contract or document review, or preparation of contracts and other legal documents
Prepares training materials and provides training and counsel to local law enforcement agencies on legal matters pertaining to the investigation and processing of criminal and civil matters
Communicates with outside agencies and county personnel, including department heads, law enforcement, elected officials, county employees, attorneys, and opposing attorneys
Interfaces with other law enforcement agencies and governmental departments for interagency transfers
Provides back-up duties and responsibilities as needed for all other attorneys within the Civil Division (i.e., Juvenile, Public Information Requests, Mental Health, Civil Litigation, Family Justice Division) and represents county departments, cross trains to basic proficiency in each of these areas
Periodically attends Commissioner’s Court open and executive sessions to offer legal advice and counsel
Attends all meetings and trainings, as required
Performs special duties as assigned
REQUIREMENTS:
Doctorate in Jurisprudence from an accredited law school. Must be currently licensed by the State Bar to practice law and in good standing. Must pass a criminal background check. Ability to work in an office environment and interact effectively with others.
Candidates should be proficient in electronic legal research. Candidates should possess superior communications skills.
Minimum of five (5) years of experience as an assistant county or district attorney, city attorney or other governmental attorney with experience in areas related to the job duties; or six (6) years of civil litigation experience as an attorney in the relevant areas of civil litigation/claims
Knowledge of Civil Procedure and discovery rules and deadlines. Civil jury trial experience. Abilities to manage a considerable docket of active cases and consistently satisfy deadlines in the face of competing time demands are essential functions of the position. The selected candidate must be able to demonstrate these skills and perform these functions with minimal direction from the County Attorney.
ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS: Mainly indoor activity. Significant contact with the public, crime victims, witnesses, persons accused/convicted of crimes, police officers, and other law enforcement /courthouse personnel.
About This Office
Williamson County is a medium size office serving approximately 28 law enforcement agencies including the City of Austin, Round Rock, Cedar Park and Georgetown. We are looking for a highly self-motivated, hardworking, compassionate individual who has experience with Public Information requests, mental health and Civil Litigation. Health and retirement benefits provided through Williamson County. State Bar dues, CLE and membership in TDCAA for the selected candidate will be paid by the County Attorney’s Office.
APPLICATIONS
To be considered, interested candidates must submit an Employment Application online only thru Williamson County Human Resources at
https://agency.governmentjobs.com/williamsonco/default.cfm
Not every applicant will be interviewed. No phone calls. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Employment is ALWAYS AT WILL of the County Attorney.