Senior Assistant Commonwealth Attorney
Company: Fairfax County Government
Location: Fairfax
Posted on: November 14, 2024
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Job Description:
Job Announcement
This is an exciting time to join the Fairfax Commonwealth's
Attorney's Office, as the office embarks on the ambitious criminal
justice reform agenda amidst the ongoing national conversation on
race and the legacy of racism in the criminal justice system. After
taking office in January 2020, Commonwealth's Attorney Descano's
initiatives have included restructuring the office to produce
accountability around reforms, issuing a comprehensive policy to
address mass incarceration, and the formulation of a Justice
Advisory Council, among others. His passion for reform and creating
an atmosphere of diversity and fairness within the office has
prompted the offices to seek team members with a passion for
criminal justice reform and working to address racial and
socioeconomic disparities in the local justice system. The office
seeks to foster a culture of inclusion and diversity, with team
members who are eager to take meaningful action to spearhead and
institutionalize equity initiatives.The Senior Assistant
Commonwealth Attorney will be a member of the office's leadership
team and will be responsible for helping transform the office's
culture to orient around criminal justice reform and addressing
racial disparities in the justice system. They will provide overall
direction as first-line supervisors. They will also help implement
policy directives set by the Commonwealth's Attorney. In addition,
they will prosecute criminal cases, and serve as a liaison to the
other agencies involved in the criminal justice system. Will
prepare and prosecute misdemeanor cases and felony cases, conduct
legal research and argument for hearings, compose appellate briefs,
advise local law enforcement agencies, and work closely with
victim/witness advocates. Assigned a combination of cases,
including misdemeanor offense at the General District Court level
and more serious felony cases at the Circuit Court level. Depending
on the level of experience, assignments generally include the
prosecution of misdemeanor cases in General District Court (DUI,
traffic offenses, and simple drug possession), and the prosecution
of felony cases to include violent crimes (murder, rape, abduction,
robbery, etc).HOW TO APPLY: Interested applicants should submit a
resume directly to support@talentfront.net.Note: This job
advertisement is open until the closing date OR until the position
is filled, and may close prior to the advertised closing date.
Interested applicants are advised to submit their resume as soon as
possible. Resumes will be reviewed, and qualified applicants
interviewed on a continuous basis. Interviews may be conducted on a
regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose
qualifications best fit our needs. If your resume is received later
in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered.
The resume review process will close when the position(s) have been
filled or when a sufficient number of qualified candidates have
been reviewed.
Illustrative Duties
Represents the Commonwealth of Virginia in prosecutions of
violations of criminal law;Prosecutes major felony cases in Circuit
Court jury and bench trials, specializing in the most serious
cases;Acts as a subject matter expert for other attorneys and law
enforcement personnel on a specialized area of law;Attends training
in area of specialization;Conducts training for lower level
attorneys in area of specialization;Conducts legal research and
composes briefs in opposition to constitutional motions and
petitions for appeal;Advises and supervises lower level attorneys
in case preparation and trial performance;Advises County and State
law enforcement officials concerning the investigation of criminal
violations and trial preparation;Reviews search warrants,
affidavits, and court orders submitted by law enforcement for
obtaining of evidence related to criminal cases;Advises citizens of
Fairfax County on issues relating to criminal law violations in the
community and court procedure.
Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of the principles of law and their application;Knowledge
of trial procedure and the rules of evidence;Thorough knowledge of
all facets of criminal law; including trial practice, motion
practice, and appellate practice;Knowledge of the criminal laws
under the Code of Virginia and Fairfax County Code and the court
decisions affecting the prosecution of those laws;Knowledge of
legal research methods;Ability to effectively and efficiently
prosecute all major felonies;Thorough knowledge of a specialized
area of criminal prosecution;Ability to train and advise lower
level attorneys and law enforcement personnel in a specialized area
of criminal prosecution;Ability to supervise and instruct lower
level attorneys in general aspects of case preparation and trial
performance;Ability to present statements of fact, law and argument
clearly and logically;Ability to interview victims, witnesses and
law enforcement to obtain the necessary information to prosecute
criminal cases;Ability to maintain an effective working relations
hip with associates, law enforcement officials, the judiciary and
the general public.
Employment Standards
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State
Bar.
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent
to the following: (Click on the aforementioned link to learn how
Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination,
experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited law school; plus three years of
experience as a practicing attorney.
CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
License to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
The ability to communicate effectively and professionally with law
enforcement personnel, expert and lay witnesses; effectively
address, with sensitivity, the needs of victims of crime; work
proficiently in a collaborative, team environment, engage people of
various social, economic, cultural, ideological, racial and ethnic
backgrounds; maintain a fast-paced workload/docket while keeping
case files and workplace organized; prepare and present cases
before a trial court in a short period; and establish and maintain
constructive, effective and professional relationships with fellow
attorneys, public officials, judicial officers, and the public.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Duties are generally sedentary, performed in a normal office
environment. All duties performed with or without reasonable
accommodations.
SELECTION PROCEDURE:
May include a panel interview and a practical exercise. This job
advertisement is open until the closing date OR until the position
is filled and may close prior to the advertised closing date.
Interested applicants are advised to submit their resume as soon as
possible. Resumes will be reviewed, and qualified applicants
interviewed on a continuous basis. Interviews may be conducted on a
regular basis throughout the recruitment with candidates whose
qualifications best fit our needs. If your resume is received later
in the recruitment process, it may not be reviewed or considered.
The resume review process will close when the position(s) have been
filled or when a sufficient number of qualified candidates have
been reviewed.
The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of
residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish,
Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage
candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to
this opportunity.
Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of
race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth
or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability,
sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political
affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and
hiring of its workforce.
Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with
disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the
Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for
assistance. TTY 703-222-7314.DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov.
EEO/AA/TTY.
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Keywords: Fairfax County Government, Potomac , Senior Assistant Commonwealth Attorney, Legal , Fairfax, Maryland
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