Prosecuting Attorney 3

Spokane County; Village of Fonda (NY); On-site; USD 108,000 - 151,000; Full time

Job summary

Spokane County is seeking an attorney for challenging civil or criminal work within the Prosecuting Attorney's Office. The role involves handling advanced legal matters, independent decision-making, and possible supervision of junior attorneys.

Successful candidates possess a J.D. and must be a member of the WA Bar, with consideration for out-of-state eligibility under APR 8. The position supports the Felony and Family Law teams and requires excellent courtroom skills.

Qualifications

• J.D. from an accredited law school.
• Four years of experience at Attorney 2 level or equivalent.
• Member of the Washington State Bar Association.
• Out-of-state admission may require APR 8 exception for indigent representation.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate investigations and decide charges or refer for further action.
• Prepare legal pleadings for charging and trial.
• Prepare cases for trial, including witness interviews and evidence review.
• Present the state's case in homicide and other felonies in court.
• Review and prepare appellate records, briefs, and arguments.
• Perform other related duties as required/assigned.

Skills

Criminal law

Civil law

Judicial procedures

Litigation experience

Oral communication

Written communication

Education

Juris Doctorate (J.D.)

Washington State Bar Association member

Bar admission pending WA approval

Job description

Employee Type

Regular

Department

Prosecuting Attorney

Salary

$107,978.98 - $151,121.88 Annually / $8,998.25 - $12,593.49 Monthly / $51.91 - $72.65 Hourly

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Overtime Eligible

No

Job Posting Date Range

10/01/2026 - Until Filled

Job Summary

The position allocated to this class is responsible for performing advanced professional civil or criminal legal work for the Prosecuting Attorney, Public Defender or Counsel for Defense. Positions in this class differ from positions at the Attorney 2 level by the expertise required, variety of legal matters encountered, number of cases assigned and supervisory responsibilities. Positions function with considerable professional independence, at times, assigning specific cases to lower level attorneys after making decisions to prosecute or provide defense services within established policy. Work is usually reviewed only at completion. Professional advice and consultation is provided by these positions to lower level attorney positions. A position at this level may head the legal activities of a section and provide performance analysis of lower level employees.

Job Description

The following documents are required to be submitted with your application. Applications that do not include all required documents may not be considered:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

As an Attorney on the Felony Team

• Evaluates the investigative results on alleged crimes and decides whether to charge and if so, with what crime or whether to refer the case back to the investigator for further investigation, or whether to decline criminal prosecution.
• Prepares legal pleading for charging.
• Prepares cases for trial, including interviewing witnesses; sorting evidence; conducting follow-up investigations; preparing issues and instruction; pretrial motions, opening statements, witness questions, trial strategies and final preparation of witnesses.
• Present the state’s case in court on homicide, negligent homicide, fraud, arson, robbery and other felonies.
• Reviews and prepares record on appeal, briefings and arguments in Court of Appeals, Supreme Court and US Supreme Court.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

As an Attorney on the Family Law Team

• Plans, assigns, and evaluates the work of the section, provides professional legal advice to and reviews the work of section attorneys.
• Consults with and advises the State Office of Support Enforcement (OSE) in matters concerning cases.
• Discusses legal theories, authorities and strategies of actions handled by department attorneys.
• Discusses and consults with department employees on matters of office policies and assignments; effectively recommends hiring, firing, promotion, and career moves of attorneys and other employees.
• Administers and effectively recommends administration of discipline.
• Performs other related duties as required/assigned.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

• Juris Doctorate (J.D.) from an accredited college or university school of law.
• Four (4) years of experience at a level equivalent to Attorney 2 or substituting advanced professional legal training in civil or criminal law and procedure as required by the position for up to one year of the experience.
• Member of the Washington State Bar Association.
• Public Defender and Counsel for Defense Departments only: if not licensed to practice law in WA State, must meet the requirements under APR 8- Exception for Indigent Representation.
• Candidate must be a member in good standing of the bar in another state and have applied and be pending approval by the WSBA under WA Supreme Court APR 3.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIE

• Knowledge of principles and practices of criminal or civil law as required by the position.
• Knowledge of judicial procedures and rules of evidence.
• Knowledge of effective techniques and the presentation of cases in court.
• Knowledge to include litigation experience in the examples of duties in which the attorney was the lead attorney.
• Skilled in communicating effectively both orally and in writing, sufficient to exchange or convey information and to give and receive work direction.
• Skilled in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with the general public and parties affected by the court and administration.
• Ability to analyze, evaluate and organize facts, evidence and legal procedures and to present information orally and in writing in a clear and logical form.
• Ability to analyze and prepare a variety of legal documents and instruments.

BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS

• Respect: Appreciating and valuing customers, other County employees and County leadership by showing courtesy, friendliness and fairness. Communicating in a productive and professional manner.
• Accountability: Honoring and delivering on commitments by taking responsibility for personal actions and results; being a responsible steward of public resources and the trust County residents have placed in each of us.
• Integrity: Modelling transparent and ethical behavior and demonstrating it with honest and trustworthy behaviors and actions; leading by example and performing work to the highest standards.
• Innovation: Striving for excellence by actively pursuing opportunities for new and improved methods, procedures or technologies; fostering an environment of engagement and empowerment and embracing continuous improvement.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• The work environment is primarily inside, where the noise and temperature levels are moderate.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. As every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may reasonably be considered incidental in the performing of their duties as though they were included in this job description.

Total Compensation

$138,213 - $193,436 Annually

Total compensation is an estimate based upon base compensation, median retirement fund contributions, and current employer-paid health and related benefit contribution rates (including medical, dental, life insurance, long term disability, and leave). The actual total will vary depending upon each employee’s enrollment choices.

Please select the link below to view Spokane County Benefits

• Benefits | Spokane County, WA