Assistant City Attorney-Prosecutor's Officer

City of Coeur d'Alene; Coeur d'Alene (ID); On-site; USD 95,000 - 116,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Coeur d'Alene Legal Department seeks an Assistant City Attorney in the Criminal Division to prosecute misdemeanors and infractions and manage an active case load. The role involves frequent court appearances—arraignments, pre-trial conferences, trials, and sentencings—and may include providing advisory support to the Mayor, City Council, and departments on municipal law topics.

In addition to courtroom work, the attorney will collaborate with law enforcement, offer legal training,

Qualifications

• JD from ABA-accredited law school required.
• Active Idaho State Bar membership required.
• CJIS and ILETS security background check ability required.

Responsibilities

• Appear in court at all stages of proceedings including arraignments, pre-trial conferences, trials and hearings.
• Represent the City in negotiations with opposing counsel and exercise discretion in case resolutions.
• Draft and defend briefs and memoranda for presentation to the courts.
• Present probable cause to the court supporting criminal charges.
• Conduct independent legal research and analysis for motions, briefs, memoranda and trials.
• Prepare and write search warrants and arrest warrants for court presentation after hours.
• Conduct witness and victim interviews; provide legal advice to police.
• Perform legal research in case law, rules of evidence and trial techniques.
• Attend treatment and diversion courts as the City representative.

Skills

Court appearances

Litigation

Legal research

Negotiation

Legal writing

Attention to detail

Public speaking

Education

Juris Doctorate

Idaho State Bar membership

Tools

Microsoft Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

The City of Coeur d'Alene Legal Department is looking for a qualified individual to join its team as an Assistant City Attorney in the Criminal Division! The Assistant City Attorney prosecutes criminal misdemeanors and infractions on behalf of the City, handling an active and varied criminal case load. The position involves the opportunity for frequent court appearances for everything from arraignments to jury trials and sentencings, with the ability to exercise independent discretion and judgment. As time allows, the Assistant City Attorney may assist the Civil Division in providing advice to the Mayor, City Council, and City Departments on a wide range of municipal law topics.. The position works closely with law enforcement to provide regular training, legal advice, and assistance with obtaining arrest and search warrants. The successful applicant will be detail-oriented, eager to learn, and highly motivated to gain valuable criminal trial experience. Pay is DOE up to $105,650 with exceptional benefits.

Examples of Duties:

(illustrative only and may vary by assignment)

• Appears in court at all stages of a proceeding including arraignment, pre-trial conferences, trials and all other hearings;

• Represents the City in negotiations with opposing counsel and uses discretion when determining case resolutions;

• Prepares, drafts and defends legal briefs and memoranda to be presented to the courts;

• Presents probable cause to the court that supports criminal charges;

• Conducts independent legal research and analysis for legal motions, briefs, memoranda and trials;

• Prepares and writes search warrants and arrest warrants, including presenting to the court after working hours;

• Conducts witness and victim interviews;

• Responds to law enforcement questions and provides legal advice and counsel to police officers and the police department;

• Performs legal research in case law, rules of evidence and trial techniques;

• Attends treatment and diversion courts as the City representative;

• Reviews court pleadings, including discoveries for accuracy and completeness;

• Reviews public records requests for release of information;

• Represents city departments, commissioners, boards, committees as assigned and provide legal advice as needed;

• Responds to management's, supervisor's, co-workers' and citizens' questions and comments in a courteous, thorough and timely manner;

• Performs time management and scheduling functions, meets deadlines, and sets project priorities;

• Maintains strict confidentiality of all matters;

• Assists other department and City employees as needed or requested.

• Performs all work duties and activities in accordance with City policies, procedures, and safety practices.

Secondary Duties and Responsibilities

• Reviews alleged violations of municipal code for civil and/or criminal enforcement;

• Drafts enforcement letters, negotiations and decisions and/or recommendations for civil or criminal action;

• Attends staff, city committee and court committee meetings as assigned;

• Provides legal training to the police department and Idaho POST Academy;

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements:

• Graduation from a school of law, accredited by the American Bar Association, with a Juris Doctorate Degree; and

• Member in good standing with the Idaho State Bar; and

• Ability to pass CJIS and ILETS security background check is required.

Supplemental Information:

The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required for an individual to satisfactorily perform each essential duty satisfactorily and be successful in the position.
Knowledge of:

• General municipal, State and Federal laws affective city government;

• Idaho criminal law, criminal procedure, trial procedure, laws of arrest, search and seizure, use of force,rules of evidence, and legal ethics;

• Advanced legal research and writing techniques;

• Interview techniques, methods and strategies used for case preparation; pleadings and effective practices and techniques in the presentation of court cases;

Skill and Ability to:

• Prosecute misdemeanor cases and infractions, including regularly attending court hearings and procedures;

• Use good time management skills and strong interpersonal skills;

• Speak effectively in public;

• Exhibit proficiency in legal research and writing;

• Interpret various statutes and codes;

• Understand relevant case law,

• Research and organize facts; interpret and make deductions from varying facts or circumstances;

• Quickly understand an issue and respond timely, accurately and appropriately,

• Communicate effectively with diverse persons and interests;

• Conduct effective negotiations;

• Consistently exercise discretion and judgment within general policy guidelines and legal parameters;

• Evaluate alternatives and develop sound conclusions and recommendations;

• Present statements of fact, law and argument clearly, logically and persuasively;

• Develop sound litigation strategy and represent the City effectively in hearings, courts of law and meetings;

• Use a high degree of tact, discretion and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive situations and concerned or upset individuals;

• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with city managers, employees, and outside agencies;

• Proficiently operate computers, software programs, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or similar office software to create documents and other materials, maintain information, and generate reports;

• Use English and speak clearly for understanding;

• Listen carefully to, understand, and effectively communicate through verbal, written, and electronic communication channels;

• Maintain a professional demeanor at all times;

• Perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines;

• Demonstrate integrity and ingenuity the performance of assigned tasks and solving problems;

• Perform all duties in accordance with City policies and procedures with regard for personal safety and that of other employees and the public.

Physical Demands & Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this classification. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.
While performing the duties of this classification, the employee is frequently required to stand, walk, sit, use hands to keyboard or type, handle materials, or manipulate tools used in performing the essential functions of the classification, and reach with hands and arms. The employee must (occasionally or frequently) lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this classification include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and ability to adjust focus. Sufficient clarity of speech and hearing abilities required by this classification includes those which permit the employee to discern verbal instructions and communicate effectively in person, by telephone. While performing the duties of this classification, the employee works in an office or courtroom setting where the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.