Deputy District Attorney I, II, or III

Larimer County; Laporte (CO); On-site; USD 89,000 - 107,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, Dental, Vision benefits

Wellness clinic and health services

Paid time off and holidays

Work-from-home options after probation

Job summary

The Larimer County District Attorney’s Office in Colorado is hiring Deputy District Attorneys I–III to prosecute county and potentially district court matters. Fort Collins and Loveland offices; public safety-focused environment; requires Colorado license within two months of hire.

Roles range from entry-level DDA I with no experience to DDA III with felony prosecution experience. Competitive salaries and strong benefits accompany a mission-driven team.

Qualifications

• Dependable individual with consistent court attendance and punctuality.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Knowledge of criminal law and court procedures.

Responsibilities

• Represent the DA's office in criminal proceedings, including scheduling, negotiations, hearings and sentencing.
• Review summonses or tickets filed by arresting officers.
• Examine evidence, including witness statements and physical evidence.
• Determine whether a crime has been committed and assess the nature of the crime.
• Evaluate whether the evidence justifies prosecution.

Skills

Communication skills

Criminal law knowledge

Public speaking

Team collaboration

Education

Juris Doctorate (JD)

Job description

The District Attorney's Office is hiring!

Our office is accepting applications for Deputy District Attorney I or II prosecutors who are either already licensed or have recently passed the July Colorado Bar exam to work on county court cases. The District Attorney's Office also seeks an experienced attorney to apply for a Deputy District Attorney III position. An attorney in this position may handle district court cases and may move between the Juvenile, District Court, and SVU units. An experienced prosecutor with multiple years of prosecution experience will be best suited for this position. A Deputy District Attorney III is generally responsible for prosecuting all felony criminal matters. The ideal candidate will have prior experience handling felony-level matters.

Our primary office is in Fort Collins, with our second office in Loveland. In our district, we have Cache La Poudre and Big Thompson rivers, Horsetooth Reservoir, and Rocky Mountain National Park. Staff are encouraged to take 2 long lunches a week to exercise and enjoy our community, whether running on one of our many local trails, biking (Fort Collins is a Platinum-rated bicycle-friendly community with miles of dedicated bike lanes), or taking a yoga class in Old Town. Fort Collins is home to more than 20 craft breweries, Colorado State University, and family-friendly community events. Our staff has recently won awards for innovations to improve efficiencies and forward-thinking projects.

In addition to great benefits (medical, dental, vision) Larimer County provides a wellness clinic to staff for preventative health screening and coaching, primary care services, and physical therapy. Staff can use clinic leave for these services as well as acupuncture. In addition to paid holidays, sick and vacation leave, staff may also have work-from-home options after a probationary period. We value staff well-being and offer a resiliency program with 13 clinicians readily available to all employees (appointments available as soon as the next day), plus trained peer support specialists in our office for anyone who needs to decompress. If you could see yourself fitting into our office and community, we hope you apply.

The starting salary is as follows: DDA I - $89,000, DDA II - $98,000, and DDA III - $107,000.

The typical schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with some after-hours work required. On-call work may be required after 1 year.

The District Attorney’s Office follows a blind hiring process. During the initial screening, hiring managers will only see your application, with your name and other identifying personal information redacted. Resumes and cover letters will be reviewed later, so please ensure your application is fully completed.

It is REQUIRED that candidates upload a cover letter addressed to Matt Maillaro, Assistant District Attorney, and indicate whether you want to be considered for the DDA I or II, or the DDA III position.

What you'll be doing:

• Representing the DA's office in criminal proceedings, including scheduling of cases, plea negotiations, probation revocation hearings, motions, and sentencing.
• Receiving and reviewing summons or tickets filed by arresting officers.
• Reviewing and examining the evidence, including witness statements and physical evidence.
• Determining whether a crime has been committed.
• Assessing the nature of the crime.
• Evaluating whether the evidence justifies prosecution.

What we're looking for:

• A dependable individual with consistent court attendance and punctuality.
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Ability to establish and maintain positive working relationships with colleagues and community members.
• In-depth knowledge of legal principles and practices, particularly in criminal law.
• A solid understanding of court procedures and rules of evidence.A proactive problem-solver capable of using independent judgment in legal matters.

A current Colorado Deputy District Attorney I may be considered for a Deputy District Attorney II position. Please review both job descriptions to understand the differences between the two levels. Full job descriptions are available at https://www.larimer.gov/hr/careers/job-descriptions

To move forward in the hiring process, candidates must meet the required minimum qualifications. That said, we encourage you to think about your unique background and skills before applying. People often underestimate how their experiences match up with a role’s needs. We encourage you to apply if you meet the minimum qualifications and believe your skills and perspective can add value to this position.

The starting salary for a DDA I in 2026 is $88,406 and the starting salary for a DDA II in 2026 is $97,247.

• Deputy District Attorney I
  • No experience is required.
  • Equivalent to a Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school required.
  • Current license to practice law in Colorado, or obtain it within two (2) months of hire required.
• Deputy District Attorney II
  • Deputy District Attorney II positions are generally filled by advancement from the Deputy District Attorney I level.
  • Equivalent to a Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school required.
  • Current license to practice law in Colorado, or obtain it within two (2) months of hire required.
• Deputy District Attorney III
  • Three years of experience in criminal prosecution, with demonstrated experience handling felony cases.
  • Current license to practice law in Colorado or obtain it within two (2) months of hire required.

Benefits

Here's what Larimer County offers for all Regular, Limited Term, and Appointed positions:

• Medical, Dental, and Vision benefits FSA or HSA (depending on the medical plan)
• Short and Long-Term Disability
• Employee Assistance Program
• Basic Life/AD&D Insurance
• Accident and Critical Illness Insurance
• Retirement Plan 401(a) with employer match
• 457(b) Deferred Compensation
• Generous paid time off, including vacation, sick leave, and holidays.

Want to dive into the details? Check out Larimer County's Benefits. https://www.larimer.org/hr/benefits.

This is an appointed position. Appointed employees are at will and may be separated from employment at any time with or without cause.

An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a pre-employment drug screen and background check. As marijuana is an illegal substance under federal law, testing positive for marijuana (medical or otherwise) or any other substance for which the county tests will result in the contingent offer of employment being revoked. Successful completion of the drug screen is defined as obtaining a negative result.

All application components must be submitted by 11:59 PM MT on the closing date listed.

Larimer County is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment in all employment practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity or expression, and sexual orientation), national origin, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, military status, or any other characteristic protected by law or regulation.