Attorney II (Criminal Assignment) - County Attorney

Williamson County; Georgetown (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Williamson County in Georgetown, Texas, seeks a dedicated attorney to join its team in prosecuting adult misdemeanors. The role involves representing victims in court, conducting hearings, and managing criminal cases from start to finish. Applicants should have a Juris Doctor degree and at least one year of criminal law experience.

This position requires strong legal research skills, effective communication ability, and familiarity with legal technology tools. The attorney will also be involved in preparing legal documents, interviewing witnesses, and advocating for victims of crimes. A commitment to public service and justice is essential.

Qualifications

• Doctor of Jurisprudence and one year of criminal law experience required.
• Knowledge of Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and Rules of Evidence is essential.
• Experience with case management systems and digital evidence tools preferred.

Responsibilities

• Represent the State in adult misdemeanor prosecutions.
• Prepare and conduct contested court hearings.
• Draft legal documents including motions and pleadings.
• Communicate with victims, witnesses, and other legal personnel.

Skills

Prosecutorial experience

Legal research

Victim advocacy

Communication skills

Trial preparation

Education

Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school

Criminal law experience

Tools

LexisNexis

Westlaw

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Reporting directly to a Lead Attorney or Director, responsible for adult misdemeanor prosecutions from intake through the appeal process. Represents the State on behalf of victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, and human trafficking in applications for protective orders. Screens new cases, makes charging and filing decisions, and represents the State of Texas in all court proceedings (arraignment dockets, announcement dockets, bench trials, jury trials, pretrial hearings, probation revocation hearings and appeals), plea negotiations, evidence review, trial preparation, and witness interviews.

Responsibility Highlights

• Prepares and conducts contested court hearings including reviewing evidence, interviewing witnesses, preparing trial motions, responding to defense motions, preparing trial exhibits, and conducting the hearing (jury selection, opening statements, witness examination, and closing arguments).
• Performs legal research by reading statutes and codes, analytical books, online case research, and specialized practice guides.
• Interviews and communicates with victims and witnesses, and answers questions regarding the criminal justice system.
• Drafts legal documents such as motions, pleadings, orders, plea paperwork, legal memos, search warrants, and administrative documents.
• Communicates with county personnel, elected officials, judges, defense attorneys, victims and witnesses of crime, law enforcement agencies, and the general public.
• Attends all meetings and trainings as required.
• Performs special duties as assigned.

Criminal Assignment Duties

• Handles announcement and plea dockets, working with defense attorneys and Adult Probation Officers, filing court documents and responding to the Judge’s questions and requests.
• Performs case intake, screens, and follows up on investigations, reviewing police reports and evidence from law enforcement agencies.
• Drafts investigative requests for additional evidence, makes charging decisions, and files charging instruments.
• Conducts plea negotiations and correspondence with defense attorneys, reviews evidence, reads criminal histories and police reports, submits plea offers, negotiates specific terms and conditions, and responds to discovery requests.
• Conducts hearings during open court for motions to revoke probation, motions to amend bond conditions, and motions to increase bond.
• Prepares pretrials, announcement dockets, and first appearance dockets.
• Represents the State in Justice Peace Courts, traveling weekly to process criminal cases set for pre‑trial or trial hearings, negotiating with defense attorneys and pro‑se defendants, and conducting bench and jury trials.

Organization Relationships

• Reports directly to a Lead Attorney or Director.
• No direct reports.

Physical Demands

Position involves prolonged sitting at a workstation, visual examination of documents, reaching, walking, twisting, bending, standing and occasional lifting/carrying.

Environmental Factors

• Work is primarily indoors in an air‑conditioned environment.
• Some travel between work sites as required.

Irregular Hours

• Work outside of normal office hours (Monday‑Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) may be required.
• May be deemed essential personnel in the event of an emergency.
• Regular attendance is required.

Licenses and Certifications

• State Bar of Texas.
• Valid driver’s license within thirty (30) days of employment.
• Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) certification within six (6) months of employment.
• Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) certification within six (6) months of employment.

Educational and Experience Requirements

• Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school and one (1) year of criminal law experience, including the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure and the Texas Rules of Evidence.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, LexisNexis, and Westlaw.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two (2) years of experience as a criminal attorney, preferably with a Criminal District or County Attorney’s Office as a prosecutor.
• Working knowledge of Odyssey and Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS).

Employment Testing

• Criminal background check: Yes.
• Motor Vehicle Record check: Yes.
• Drug screening: No.
• Physical exam: No.
• Psychological exam: No.
• Additional: N/A.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Williamson County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). If you require an accommodation to apply for a position, please request assistance from the Human Resources Department.

Tobacco-Free Workplace Policy

Williamson County is a tobacco‑free workplace. The use of tobacco products (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, snuff, chew, etc.) and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) (vapor, e‑cigarettes, etc.) is prohibited on all Williamson County premises. Employees who violate this policy may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.