8177-Assistant District Attorney (Civil/Criminal)

Appointment Type:   Permanent-Exempt (PEX) Appointment.  Pursuant to the City & County of San Francisco Charter, Section 10.104.13. Any person occupying a position under exempt appointment shall not be subject to civil service selection, appointment, and removal procedures. Exempt employees shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing officer.

The San Francisco District Attorney's Office is one of the premier law enforcement organizations in the United States.  Our mission is to collaborate with the City’s diverse communities and law enforcement agencies to make San Francisco one of the safest cities in America.  Our office engages in public education and crime prevention efforts while maintaining the traditional role of investigating, charging, and prosecuting all criminal violations occurring within the City and County of San Francisco.  The unparalleled opportunities for challenging, meaningful, and sophisticated work have consistently drawn top candidates to our office over the years.

Assistant District Attorneys assume significant responsibility early in their careers, typically beginning in the Criminal Division and managing a wide range of cases. As they gain experience, they are entrusted with increasingly serious and complex matters. The Department welcomes both entry‑level and lateral/experienced attorneys for placement across any of the Criminal Division units, including Misdemeanors, Preliminary Hearings, General Felonies, Intake, Juvenile, Homicide, Child Abuse & Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Major Crimes, Alternative/Collaborative Courts,  and Vulnerable Victims. Placement is determined at the discretion of the Office, with applicant experience serving as primary consideration, along with available vacancies and operational needs.

With the diverse nature of our community, the ability to work with people of different backgrounds is critical in the work we do. The Office of the District Attorney proactively seeks to recruit, retain and promote legal staff that reflects the diversity of the community served.

Essential functions include but are not limited to:

• Tries jury and bench criminal cases and litigates evidentiary and other hearings in the San Francisco Superior Court;
• Represents the People of the State of California in person via court appearances and in written petitions, motions, appeals, and/or other court documents.  Includes the preparation (word processing/database management) of such court documents. May require being placed in a high-stress environment and/or exposure to complex and challenging cases;
• Dedicates role to the pursuit of justice by exercising fair and ethical prosecution practices and respecting the humanity and dignity of everyone involved in a criminal case—whether a victim, witness, or defendant;
• Interviews witnesses; conducts and or supervises investigations and writes legal briefs in conjunction with assigned cases and trials. 
• Prepares daily court calendar and maintains various records of warrants and citations issued. 
• Maintains files, including, but not limited to: accurate recording of the status of work product, filing of memos on the disposition of cases, running law enforcement database checks on criminal backgrounds such as rap sheets, and transporting relevant files and/or file materials to court for appearances. 
• Receives and investigates complaints from the general public and representatives of the police department to determine the necessity for issuing of citations or warrants; interviews witnesses and issues citations; conducts citation hearings and determines the necessity for issuing warrants.
• Able to effectively research  legal issues for the purpose of performing all other duties related to the prosecution of criminal cases.
• May represent the District Attorney to other law enforcement agencies, community-based organizations, neighborhood/citizen meetings.
• Performs related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

License or certificate:

Requires membership in the CA State Bar Association and license to practice in all state courts.

Desired Qualifications:

The candidate should have a comprehensive knowledge of state and federal and municipal codes, laws, and ordinances, particularly as applied to civil and criminal laws; legal processes and techniques of courtroom and jury trial work; administrative techniques and methods, particularly as they relate to the activities of the District Attorney's Office.

The candidate should have the ability to: speak and write effectively in the preparation and presentation of assigned legal cases; exercise considerable judgment and tact in dealing with court officials, juries, law enforcement agencies, and other governmental agencies in connection with legal assignments.

How to apply:

All applicants are required to submit the following supplemental materials in a single Word or PDF file along with their application:

• Cover Letter
• Resume
• Official or Unofficial Law School Transcript
• Writing Sample
  • Your writing sample should show substantial legal research and analysis and should be limited to no more than 12 pages. It need not be on a criminal law subject and there is no specific length requirement. Please submit what you consider to be the best example of your writing. The sample should be accompanied by a cover page explaining (a) the sample’s original purpose (e.g., class assignment, moot court brief, internal memorandum for employer); (b) when and for whom the sample was written; (c) the extent of editing by any third party; (d) if the writing sample is an excerpt from a larger document, the nature of such larger document; and (e) if the sample is a collaborative work, which portion of the sample was written by the applicant. You may submit additional samples while your application is pending if you desire.
• References
  • We require at least three professional references from former or current employers who have firsthand knowledge of your performance in a legal position. References from former or current employers in a legal setting are preferable to academic references. Personal references are not desired, nor are letters of recommendation. Please include a full name, current telephone number, and e-mail address for each reference provided.

Applications will be screened for relevant qualifying experience.  Additional screening mechanisms may be implemented in order to determine candidates’ qualifications.  Only those applicants who most closely meet the needs of the Agency will be invited to participate in the selection process.  Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement in the process.  Additional supplemental materials may be requested during the recruitment process. 

This is a continuous recruitment.

Contact: Shavaun Tolliver, Principal Human Resources Analyst (628) 652-4040 or Shavaun.Tolliver@sfgov.org

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.