Assistant District Attorney - Level 3

Tompkins County; New York (NY); On-site; USD 65,000 - 71,000; Full time

Job summary

Tompkins County, through the District Attorney's Office, seeks an attorney to prosecute offenses from misdemeanors to felonies. The role involves case preparation, coordination with law enforcement, and presenting matters before courts.

Strong writing and advocacy skills are essential, with a focus on autonomy under supervision and public service commitments. The position offers full-time employment in Ithaca, NY, with residency waived for qualified candidates and an initial starting rate

Qualifications

• Admission to the Bar in New York State; verification of NYS Bar exam, and current Good Standing certificate.
• Minimum of three years of experience as a licensed attorney in New York State.
• Residency waived for this role; US citizenship required.

Responsibilities

• Manage cases on intake, examine files and determine facts vs legal issues.
• Coordinate with law enforcement, provide legal advice, and assist in investigations.
• Handle violations and misdemeanors, advise magistrates, and prepare for hearings and bail recommendations.
• Prepare cases for Grand Jury presentment, evaluate evidence and draft indictments or findings.
• Prepare for trial, develop trial strategy, and conduct openings and closings.
• Handle post-judgment motions, appeals, and respond to defense motions; support trial teams.
• Instruct at Police Training Academy if requested and respond to inquiries from citizens and agencies.

Skills

Licensed attorney experience

Legal writing

Oral advocacy

Education

Bar admission in New York State

Certificate of Good Standing (NYS Supreme Court Appellate Division)

Job description

TOMPKINS COUNTY CIVIL SERVICEVACANCY

Inclusion Through Diversity

OPEN TO THE PUBLICTompkins County Department of Human Resources Office

125 E. Court StreetIthaca, NY 14850

[phone]Tompkins County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply

SALARY: $47.31/hr

TYPE OF EMPLOYMENT: Full Time

ISSUE DATE: 10/19/26

THE FINAL DATE TO FILE APPLICATIONS: 11/30/26

DATE THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD BE REMOVED FROM POSTING: 12/01/26

RESIDENCY WAIVED

Hire Rate to increase to $48.73/hr in 2027. Working Rate: $51.29/hr after nine months of service. This position is with Tompkins County District Attorney's Office.

SUGGESTED OR PREFERRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Admission to the Bar in New York State. Applicants must provide verification that they have passed the NYS Bar exam and provide a current Certificate of Good Standing from the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division. An employee is required to maintain the certificate of good standing for the duration of his or her career. Minimum of three (3) years of experience as a licensed attorney in New York State.

NOTE: Assistant District Attorneys are Public Officers and as such would normally be required to reside in Tompkins County.However, on June 21, 2016, Tompkins County adopted Local Law No. 2 of 2016, which waives the requirement of Public Officer law and states that individuals holding said positions within the County of Tompkins shall be permitted to reside either within the County of Tompkins or any other county in New York State. As a public officer, candidates for this position must be a citizen of the United States (either natural born or naturalized).

NOTE: Please attach a cover letter with your application.

Tompkins County is Committed to Equity and Inclusion. We encourage those with similar values to apply.

DISTINGUISHING FEATURES OF THE CLASS:

This position involves responsibility for representing the People of the State of New York in the criminal prosecution of offenses.This involves all phases of case preparation and presentation of matters ranging from vehicle and traffic infractions to felonies.Work is performed in close conjunction with and under the supervision of the District Attorney. The incumbent will perform all related duties as required. This position includes a moderately high level of autonomy, under the supervision of the District Attorney, Deputy District Attorney and ADA4 positions.

TYPICAL WORK ACTIVITIES:

• Manages assigned cases on intake by examining case file, including complaint and report form, and determining facts versus legal issues;
• Works with law enforcement agencies by rendering legal advice, assisting in investigation, coordinating activities on particular cases and preparing search warrants;
• Works with local criminal courts by handling violations and misdemeanors, rendering legal advice to magistrates, preparing for preliminary felony hearings and making bail recommendations;
• Prepares cases for Grand Jury presentment, including marshalling and evaluating evidence, statements, photographs, sketches and reports (including scientific tests); Researches law to determine legal requirements versus evidence; Secures indictment, prosecutors information or finding of dismissal from Grand Jury; After indictment prepares cases for trial by responding to motions, preparing for hearings, evaluating cases, plea-bargaining and discussing cases with District Attorney;
• Prepares for trial by researching points of law and rules of evidence, preparing trial file of evidence, checks on prospective jurors, checks on changes by judge and develops trial strategy;
• Tries cases at the felony and misdemeanor level, including jury selection, presentment of cases, preparing opening statements and preparing closing summations;
• Handles post judgment motions, including receiving motions to vacate judgment, preparing response and brief and arguing motion in superior court;
• Handles appeals by preparing brief, appendix and trial record, preparing response to defendants brief, arguing appeal in Appellate Division and seeking permission to appeal to Court of Appeals if not a matter of right;
• Instructs at Police Training Academy if requested;
• Responds to telephone calls from citizens, agencies and law enforcement agencies;
• Researches new law and prepares memorandum.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS:

• Thorough knowledge of criminal law and court proceedings;
• Ability to interpret and work with New York State and Federal criminal code;
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing;
• Ability to reason quickly and logically in stressful situations;
• Ability to analyze and organize effectively;
• Ability to establish and maintain good interpersonal working relations;
• Ability to make logical, on the spot decisions regarding office policy;
• Ability to maintain high levels of confidentiality on controversial cases;
• Willingness to be available on a 24-hour basis to the District Attorney, law enforcement agencies and local magistrates;
• Integrity; excellent judgment;
• The employee's physical and mental condition shall be commensurate with the demands of the position, either with or without reasonable accommodations.

Originally created 04/2018

A107.docx

FURTHER INFORMATION AND INSTRUCTIONS

Falsification of any part of the "Application for Employment" will result in disqualification.

Accepted candidates will be notified when and where to appear for the examination. If you do not receive your notice to appear at least three days before the date of the written examination, call Tompkins County Department of Human Resources at 274-5526. If an application is disapproved, due notice will be sent. This department does not make formal acknowledgment of the receipt of an application or take responsibility for non-delivery or postal delay.

Applicants must answer every question on the application form and make sure that the application is complete in all respects. Incomplete applications will be disapproved.

ACTIVE MILITARY PERSONNEL, VETERANS OR DISABLED VETERANS desiring to claim additional credit will request the Veterans Credits application form, at any time between the date of application for examination(s) and the date of the establishment of the resulting eligible list. You must meet the requirements set by NYS for these credits and they may be used only once. YOU MAY NOT CLAIM ADDITIONAL CREDITS AFTER THE ELIGIBLE LIST HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED. IT IS THE CANDIDATE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO REQUEST THE VETERANS CREDITESTABLISHED.Tompkins County's written examinations are prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of Civil Service Law. The provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations, which deal with the rating and review of the examinations apply.

The duration of the eligible lists may be fixed for a minimum of one and a maximum of four years and may be extended beyond four years if there has been a restriction against the filling of vacancies in that title.The candidates must complete a separate "Application for Employment" for each open-competitive and/or promotional examination that the candidate is eligible to take.

All experience required meeting the acceptable training and experience is full-time experience. (Part-time experience will be credited on a prorated basis).

Appointment from an eligible list must be made from the top three candidates willing to accept the appointment.

Tompkins County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. As part of its efforts to provide employment opportunities to the physically handicapped, Tompkins County Civil Service has adopted a rule permitting the employment of qualified physically handicapped persons without competitive examination (pursuant to Section 55 of Civil Service Law). If you meet the minimum qualifications for this position and wish to know more about this rule, please contact the Tompkins County Department of Human Resources Office.

Unless otherwise notified, candidates are permitted to use quiet, hand-held, and solar or battery powered calculators. Devices with Typewriter Keyboards, Spell Checkers, Personal Digital Assistants, Address Books, Language Translators, Dictionaries or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring books or other reference materials.

CROSS-FILING - APPLYING FOR CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATIONS IN MULTIPLE JURISDICTIONS WHEN EXAMINATIONS ARESCHEDULED ON THE SAME DATE: When applying for examinations across multiple jurisdictions - all of which are scheduled on the same day - you must submit a Tompkins County Cross-Filing Form. This form must be submitted no later than 4:30 PM on the final filing date of the examination. On this form, list each examination that you are taking and then tell us where you would like to sit. The purpose is to ensure that all of the test materials for the various examinations that you are taking will be available in one location. If you do not provide the cross-filing form to us by the final filing date, we cannot ensure that we can accommodate your desire to cross-file. If any of the examinations are State level examinations, you must sit at the State test center. You will still need to complete the Tompkins County cross-filing form. If sitting at the State site, the State will notify you of when and where to report for your examination(s) and you should bring all admittance letters to the State site. If you are not taking a State examination, bring all admittance letters to your chosen testing site. If you have any question please call Tompkins County Department of Human Resources Department [phone]. The Cross File form is located at http://www.tompkins-co.org/personnel/CivilSrvForms/index.html

FOR RELIGIOUS ACCOMMODATION AND HANDICAPPED PERSONS: If special arrangements for testing are required, please indicate this on your application.

ALL CANDIDATES FOR EMPLOYMENT FOR POSITIONS IN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND BOCES GOVERNED BY TOMPKINS COUNTYCIVIL SERVICE MAY HAVE THE FOLLOWING SPECIAL REQUIREMENT. PER CHAPTER 180 OF THE LAWS OF 2000, AND BYREGULATIONS OF THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION, TO BE EMPLOYED IN A POSITION DESIGNATED BY A SCHOOLDISTRICT OR BOCES AS INVOLVING DIRECT CONTACT WITH STUDENTS, A CLEARANCE FOR EMPLOYMENT FROM THESTATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT IS REQUIRED.IN conformance with Section 85-a of the Civil Service Law, children of firefighters and police officers killed in the line of duties shall be entitled to receive an additional ten points in a competitive examination for original appointment in the same municipality in which his or her parent has served. If you are qualified to participate in this examination and are a child of firefighter or police officer killed in the line of duties in this municipality, please inform this office of this matter when you submit your application for examination. A candidate claiming such credit has a minimum of two months from the application deadline to provide the necessary documentation to verify additional credit eligibility. However, no credit may be added after the eligible list has been established.â’

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION: Applicants may be required to undergo a State and national criminal history background investigation, which will include a fingerprint check, to determine suitability for appointment. Failure to meet the standards for the background investigation may result in disqualification.

TOMPKINS COUNTY PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, 125 EAST COURT STREET, ITHACA, NY 14850