ASSISTANT SOLICITOR I

Fulton County; Atlanta (GA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Fulton County Solicitor General’s Office in Atlanta seeks an attorney to review, prosecute, and resolve criminal cases on behalf of the citizens. The position involves assisting in bench and jury trials, pretrial hearings, and related courtroom proceedings.

Candidates must have a Juris Doctorate, Georgia Bar membership, and at least one year of related experience. A valid Georgia driver’s license is required.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree required, plus one year of experience in criminal justice, legal, or related field.
• Must be registered as a member of the Georgia State Bar Association and hold a valid Georgia driver’s license.

Responsibilities

• Assist in bench and jury trials, including motions and witness questioning.
• Investigate and prepare cases for trial, including evidence review and discovery.
• Draft briefs, charges, and court documents; assist in case strategy.
• Coordinate with victims, law enforcement, and defense counsel; provide status updates.
• Manage caseload and coordinate court appearances and schedules with judges.

Skills

Bar admission Georgia

Juris Doctorate

Criminal justice knowledge

Legal research

Education

Juris Doctorate

Tools

Westlaw LexisNexis

Job description

UNCLASSIFIEDPOSITION

THE ASSIGNMENT IS IN THE SOLICITOR GENERAL’S OFFICE

Minimum Qualifications: Juris Doctorate Degree required; supplemented by one year of experience in criminal justice, legal, or generally related field; or any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience which provides the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities for this job. A resume is required without photos.
Specific License or Certification Required: Must be registered as a member of the Georgia State Bar Association. Must possess and maintain a valid Georgia driver's license.

Specific Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities: Must be able to demonstrate proficiency in performance of the essential functions and learn, comprehend, and apply all county or departmental policies, practices, and procedures necessary to function effectively in the position. Requires knowledge of federal, state, and local criminal laws and codes; policies and procedures governing Fulton County State Court, Magistrate Court, or other courts as assigned; and methods and techniques related to area of assignment.

Veterans’ Preference: Qualifying veterans will be given preference in the form of a guaranteed invitation to interview for any position to which they applied and have been found to have met the minimum qualifications. Veterans’ preference provides for hiring preference on initial appointment only. To see the full Fulton County Veterans’ Preference Policy and Procedure, please

Purpose of Classification: The purpose of this classification is to review, investigate, accuse, and prosecute or resolve by plea misdemeanor criminal, lower-level felony, traffic offenses, and county code and ordinance violations cases on behalf of the citizens of Fulton County. This classification is distinguished from the series by closely supervised case assignments. Positions in this classification generally perform beginning level professional legal work and may assist in the prosecution of cases of routine complexity.

Essential Functions: The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification. Other duties may be required and assigned.

Assists in the conduct of bench and jury trials, preliminary and pretrial hearings, and related courtroom proceedings: prepares and argues motions; may assist with jury selection, opening and closing statements, evidence presentation, and witness questioning; makes bond and sentencing recommendations.

Investigates, evaluates, and prepares cases for trial: requests and inspects records and evidence; prepares graphics and exhibits; prepares and serves discovery; makes investigative requests; interviews victims, law enforcement, and witnesses; observes crime scenes; obtains and reviews scientific results and analysis; subpoenas witnesses and prepares them for trial; determines need for, procures, and interviews expert witnesses; anticipates legal issues; assists in the development of case strategies; presents cases to superiors.

Conducts case research and documentation: researches relevant case law and interprets in relation to the facts of the case; prepares briefs and motions and responses to same; writes case summaries; drafts complaints, accusations, discovery, and supporting documents.

Prepares cases for accusal and arraignment: reviews case file and analyze the facts and evidence of the case; reviews criminal histories of defendants; determines appropriateness of diversion, dismissal or charges; reviews accuracy of jurisdiction, venue, and scope of arrest powers; ensures sufficient probable cause; drafts formal charges; and requests bindovers.

Conducts pre-trial case resolution: conducts plea negotiations; mediates between adverse parties; pleads case in court; and completes restitution requests.

Communicates and serves as a liaison with victims, family, witnesses, and community partners: provides updates regarding case status; requests victim advocates and assists them as needed; and explains and advises regarding the investigative and judicial process.

Manages caseload: attends scheduled court appearances, including plea and arraignment, status, case management, final plea, motions, and trial calendar and schedules trial and hearing dates with judges and case managers.
Coordinates with community partners and the public to support and promote criminal justice, code enforcement, and crime prevention initiatives: educates and informs the community about the criminal justice system; and conducts and attends meetings with schools, government organizations, healthcare providers, interest groups, or other community partners.
Communicates with defense attorneys, judges, law enforcement, investigators, legal support staff, victims, witnesses, supervisor, media, government officials, other employees, interns, the public, and other individuals as needed to coordinate work activities, review status of work, present or exchange information, provide legal counsel and interpretation, or resolve problems.
Processes a variety of documentation associated with department/division operations, within designated timeframes and per established procedures: receives and reviews various documentation, including, police reports, witness statements, laboratory reports, criminal histories, defense motions, and case law updates; reviews, completes, processes, forwards or retains as appropriate; prepares or completes various forms, reports, correspondence, and other documentation, including charging documents, recidivist notices, probation revocations, sentencing recommendations, motions and legal briefs, trial summaries, and departmental reports; compiles data for further processing or for use in preparation of department reports; and maintains computerized and/or hardcopy records.

Additional Functions

Performs other related duties as required.

For Applicants With Prior Military Service

Leadership Under Pressure: Makes rapid, defensible decisions when facing urgent legal issues, courtroom surprises, or evolving case dynamics, maintaining composure and authority; Sorts competing demands (victim needs, court deadlines, law-enforcement inquiries) to keep cases moving without sacrificing quality; Maintains credibility and calm in adversarial settings, including contentious hearings and negotiations.

Operational Planning and Execution: Designs structured litigation plans, timelines, and evidence-gathering workflows; Coordinates multiple moving parts (witnesses, filings, discovery, law enforcement) to meet strict procedural deadlines; Aligns investigators, experts, and administrative staff to support case objective.

Adaptability and Rapid Problem Solving: Responds quickly to new evidence, witness changes, or courtroom developments; Adjusts arguments or questioning strategies on the fly while staying within legal boundaries; Finds alternative pathways to resolve case obstacles, negotiate outcomes, or secure cooperation.

Team Cohesion and Communication:Works seamlessly with police, victim advocates, court staff, and senior attorneys; Crafts compelling narratives for judges, juries, and opposing counsel; Ensures victims, investigators, and supervisors understand case status and expectations.

Safety and Risk Awareness:Evaluates legal, procedural, and public-safety risks tied to charging decisions or plea negotiations; Recognizes potential safety issues involving defendants, witnesses, or sensitive information; Designs strategies to reduce legal exposure, protect victims, and maintain case integrity.

Technical and Equipment Proficiency:Uses digital platforms for evidence tracking, filings, and workflow management; Proficient with Westlaw, LexisNexis, or equivalent research databases; Reviews body-cam footage, digital records, forensic reports, and electronic discovery.

Performance Aptitudes

Data Utilization: Requires the ability to coordinate, manage, and/or correlate data. Includes exercising judgment in determining time, place and/or sequence of operations, referencing data analyses to determine necessity for revision of organizational components, and in the formulation of operational strategy.

Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide formal instruction through explanation, demonstration, and/or examination in a structured setting.

Equipment, Machinery, Tools, and Materials Utilization: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or control the actions of equipment, machinery, tools, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize consulting and advisory data and information, as well as reference, descriptive and/or design data and information as applicable.

Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; the ability to calculate decimals and percentages; the ability to utilize principles of fractions; and the ability to interpret graphs.

Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of logical or synthesis functions; to deal with several concrete and abstract variables; and to analyze major problems that require complex planning for interrelated activities that can span one or several work units.

Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise judgment, decisiveness and creativity in situations involving broader aspects of organizational programs and operations, moderately unstable situations, or the direction, control and planning of an entire program or set of programs.

Itis the policy of Fulton County that there will be equal opportunity for every citizen, employee and applicant, based upon merit without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, genetics, disability or sexual orientation.