Deputy District Attorney 1

Benton County (OR); Corvallis (OR); On-site; USD 96,000 - 131,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

11 Paid Holidays

64 Personal Leave Hours

2 Floating Holidays

8 hours vacation accrual monthly

Health Insurance Premium

Job summary

The Benton County District Attorney's Office is seeking a Deputy District Attorney 1 to join our team in Oregon. As a DDA 1, you will protect victims’ rights, promote community safety, and ensure constitutional rights while handling cases from charging through trial.

You will learn the ins and outs of criminal law, participate in plea negotiations, and conduct trials as you gain experience. A strong mentorship culture and a clear path for advancement are emphasized.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law and an Oregon State Bar member in good standing by hire or within six months if reciprocity applicable.
• The ability to obtain a valid Oregon Driver’s License within 30 days and travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Appear in court and try cases to the court or jury.
• Review cases, decide charging, and determine appropriate plea offers.
• Negotiate pleas with defense counsel and pursue justice through the truth.
• Prepare for trials with witness prep, jury selection, and trial presentation.

Skills

Courtroom experience

Interest in criminal law

Education

Juris Doctorate degree

Tools

Outlook

Word

Prosecutor By Karpel (PBK)

Job description

The Benton County District Attorney's Office is seeking a Deputy District Attorney 1 to join our team.

If you wake up every morning with a desire to do the right thing for the right reason, the Benton County District Attorney’s office is where you should be. As a DDA 1, you will protect victims’ rights, promote community safety, hold offenders accountable, and ensure the constitutional rights of all in the system. You will have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of others. Working as a prosecutor is more of a calling than a job. Law school was only the beginning.

Pay:

• Annual salary range of $96,194.59 - $131,175.20


• You will receive a salary increase at 6 months, then again at 12 months, as long as your performance is in good standing! If, for example, your starting pay is $96,194.59, your first raise will be to $100,567.17 and your second to $104,939.74. See DDA 1 Salary Schedules - Benton County Human Resources, Oregon

What You will Learn:

You will quickly learn all the ins and outs of criminal law by taking on a variety of cases from the very beginning. In your first year, you will learn:

• How to navigate the court system: Some days you’ll be assigned the docket for all the cases coming before a judge that day. You will learn the nuances of working within the system efficiently and professionally as you represent the entire office.


• The influence of a prosecutor: You will review criminal cases, decide whether to charge and, if so, what charges are appropriate; decide what plea offer best serves the community and, when negotiations fail, how to win your case at trial.


• Plea negotiation with defense attorneys: You will become an expert in negotiation techniques, judgment, fairness and seeking “justice through the truth” (our motto!).


• The thrill of preparing for and conducting trials: You will experience firsthand the excitement and complexity of preparing for trial: witness preparation, jury selection and trial presentation, and helping the jury reach a just and appropriate verdict.

How We will Support You:

We will support you at every step. You’ll be mentored by some of the best, brightest and most seasoned prosecutors in the State of Oregon. You will have true and trusted mentors who will help you to be your best. We do not endorse a sink or swim environment. All of our DDAs and our elected have an open-door policy, and are there to teach, advise and cheer you on.

Our Prosecution Approach:

We use a vertical prosecution model, where each DDA handles their cases from review and charging through trial and sentencing. You will be encouraged to take on more challenging cases as you advance in skill and experience. We provide our DDAs with a broad range of case assignments, but we will encourage you to develop an expertise in your particular areas of interest. As a DDA, we will expect you to exercise a fair amount of autonomy regarding your cases, including making charging decisions, or in resolving or trying cases by “seeking justice through the truth” (our motto).

Click Here for a complete list of the duties, responsibilities and physical requirements of the District Attorney 1 position.

First review of applications will be on October 8 ,2026.

Applications submitted after this date may or may not be considered.

Please note that this recruitment may close at any time after the first review date.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Deputy District Attorney 1:

The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited school of law AND a licensed Oregon State Bar member in good standing by the time of hire OR within six months if the applicant is currently licensed in another state and would be seeking reciprocity.

Special Requirements

• A cover letter is required for the purposes of this application.


• Must have or obtain a valid Oregon Driver’s License within the first 30 days of hire (travel required). Must maintain a good driving record, and the use of a personal vehicle.


• Benton County residency is not required. However, due to the nature of the work, must live within a commute of 60 minutes from the Benton County Courthouse (a reasonable transition period will be allowed).


• Successful completion of a criminal background investigation.


• Ongoing compliance with all Federal, State and Local statutes.

The Ideal Candidate

• Will enjoy appearing in court and trying cases to the court or jury.

• Have a knowledge or interest in criminal law/prosecution.


• Have experience and competency using Outlook and Word.


• Have the ability to use, or quickly learn to use, the case management system, Prosecutor By Karpel (PBK).


• Enjoy working in a friendly, fun and hard-working group.

Salary Placement

Your application will be used to determine salary placement based on a pay equity assessment. Please ensure you have provided a thorough and updated application as it pertains to the position for which you are applying. For further information, please click on the link Oregon Pay Equity Law for more details.

BENEFITS

Please note: If beginning employment as a Certified Law Student, and working less than 40 hours/week, you will be eligible for benefits based on a prorated formula.

• 11 Paid Holidays + 64 Personal Leave Hours + 2 Floating Holidays + 8 hours of vacation accrual every month + sick leave! Vacation accrual increases with years of service.

$0 Health Insurance Premium!

• Medical, Dental and Vision - cover your whole family without paying a dime.


• In addition, the county contributes up to $1,400 per year to your Health Savings or Retirement account!
  
  
  
  • Apart from your deductible you can use this money for things that aren’t traditionally paid by insurance – i.e. Ibuprofen, Tylenol and other preventative type medications.
  
  
  
  


• You never lose your Health Savings Account funds as it rolls over from year to year.


• Dependents up to age 26 are covered!

Get ready for retirement. Generous employer paid contributions!

• After 6 months of employment:
  
  
  
  • The County makes a retirement contribution of 6% of your salary towards Oregon PERS!
    
    
    
    • Deputy District Attorneys fall under the enhanced PERS designation of Police and Fire.
    
    
    
    
  
  
  • The County makes a deferred compensation 457b plan contribution of 3% of your salary! You can add more if you wish.
  
  
  
  


• Loan Forgiveness eligibility


• The office covers your bar dues and continuing legal education expenses. We provide opportunities for specialized trainings that fit with the areas of prosecution in which you demonstrate an interest.

A free and