The El Paso District Attorney’s Office is currently hiring both experienced and entry level attorneys.
We are seeking prosecutors with all levels of experience, from those who are recently licensed to those who have experience managing large felony dockets and have tried multiple murder cases to a verdict. The El Paso District Attorney’s Office offers competitive salaries and opportunities for advancement. We have openings for trial attorneys at all levels. We also have an opening for an attorney to be assigned to our conviction integrity review unit, an appellate attorney and screening attorneys, who follow the same pay scale as the regular trial attorneys. Also, promotion to a higher position is possible, depending on circumstances.
Highest Starting Salaries (depending on experience):
Trial Team Chief- $137,893.81 (to date, top pay is $171,905.20)
Principal Trial Attorney – $136,680.23 (to date, top pay is $166,333.04)
Senior Trial Attorney – $120,948.41 (to date, top pay is $154,456.77)
Trial Attorney – $92,172.13 (to date, top pay is $106,891.42)
The attorneys usually preform work in an office environment, but the mission of the organization may sometimes allow an attorney, especially intake/screening attorneys, to work in non-standard workplaces. Partial remote work is available, to the extent that it does not impact court appearances.
Who we are:
The District Attorney’s Office of the 34th Judicial District (El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties) prosecutes cases in the fifth largest metropolitan area in Texas. According to the 2020 US Census, El Paso County, Texas had a population of 865,657. El Paso is located in a beautiful arid region with low humidity and an average of 297 days of sunshine every year. Despite having a low cost of living, El Paso offers the same entertainment opportunities as any other metropolitan area. Unlike many others, though, El Paso also offers tons of outdoor activities, including year round biking, hiking, and climbing, with snow ski slopes approximately 140 miles away in Ruidoso, New Mexico. El Paso has an international airport, a Triple-A Baseball Team known as the Chihuahuas, and a horse race track called Sunland Park Race Track and Casino. El Paso is also home to the nationally recognized University of Texas at El Paso. Which boasts over 23,000 students.
Led by District Attorney Yvonne Rosales, our office is extremely diverse, challenging and focused on justice. We are dedicated to the integrity of criminal convictions, having established a Conviction Integrity Review Committee. Justice is our guiding principle. We encourage prosecutors to exercise good judgment in evaluating cases, as opposed to simply focusing on getting maximum sentences.
When hired as an entry-level trial attorney, a person is generally assigned to prosecute misdemeanor cases and, under close supervision, manages a trial docket in one of the misdemeanor courts in El Paso.
When hired in as either a Senior Trial Attorney or a Principal Trial Attorney, a person is generally assigned to prosecute felony cases with minimal supervision and is expected to do everything that is necessary to manage a full felony docket. This includes prosecuting all types of cases, ranging from minor felonies to sexual assault and murder cases.
Appellate attorneys will start in the appellate section, maintaining a full, deadline-driven appellate and post-conviction caseload, including evidentiary hearings and appellate arguments.
Trial Attorney Duties:
- Represents the State of Texas in the prosecution of adult felony, misdemeanor, including ancillary criminal and civil proceedings, filed in all relevant courts; Appears in court representing the State of Texas at all phases of the prosecution, and does everything that is necessary to represent the State of Texas in all such proceedings;
- Performs legal research and keeps abreast of changes in the law.
Appellate Attorney Duties:
- Represents the State in all types of post-conviction litigation, including direct appeals, post-conviction writs of habeas corpus, and other types of post-conviction litigation;
- Initiates State’s appeals or original mandamus proceedings challenging adverse trial-court rulings and responds to original mandamus proceedings filed by the defense;
- Drafts and files appellate briefs, prepares and presents oral arguments in the appellate courts, and participates in evidentiary hearings in the trial courts. Additionally, the attorney will advise and provide legal research assistance to attorneys in other divisions of the District Attorney’s Office.
Education and Experience:
All positions require both a J.D from an accredited law school and a Texas Bar certification.
Senior Trial Attorney requires a minimum of three (3) years of criminal trial experience; Appellate Attorney generally requires at least a minimum of three (3) years of appellate experience.
Principal Trial Attorney requires a minimum of Four (4) years of prosecutorial trial experience, including felony docket management with experience of trying complex first degree felony cases to a verdict. First chair prosecutorial experience trying murder cases to verdict is an extreme plus.
Trial Team Chief requires a minimum of Ten (10) years of prosecutorial trial experience, all of the requirements of a Principal Trial Attorney, as well as managerial experience.
Benefits:
El Paso County offers significant benefits, including multiple levels of comprehensive health care benefits –medical, dental and vision plans. It also maintains a pension plan through one of the best retirement systems in the country – i.e., the Texas District and County Retirement System. The generous pension program offers 2.5 times matching and by statute must grow by 7% each year. It offers life, long and short-term disability insurance, as well as health care reimbursement accounts and a 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Subject to county commissioner approval each year, step increases and costs of living adjustments are frequently available and typically approved for the average attorney. The attorney pay scale can be found at https://www.epcounty.com/hr/compensation/documents/2023/Attorney_Pay_Scale.pdf. Employees receive sixteen holidays, as well as earn generous vacation and sick time.
When applying, please first call Yvette Ruiz, at (915) 546-2059, extension 2062. Please be prepared to provide a cover letter, your resume, and a county application that can be found at www.epcounty.com/hr/careers/