Assistant Commonwealth's Attorney II

The preferred hiring amount for this position is between$90,438.40 - $115,856.00 Annually.Starting offer is based on applicable education, experience, and internal equity. This full-time, exemptposition offers a comprehensive benefits package, including 13 paid holidays plus one floating holiday, vacation and sick leave, health insurance with employer contribution, employer-paid life insurance, gym membership reimbursement, tuition assistance, and professional development opportunities. This position is also eligible for the following benefits:

• Choice of retirement plan:
  • Defined Benefit Pension Plan:Provides a monthly benefit upon retirement, calculated using a defined formula based on earnings history, years of service, and age. The plan includes a 5-year vesting period and requires an employee contribution of 5% of salary.
  • Defined Contribution 401a Plan:Employer makes fixed contributions to an individual account, which are invested, and returns are credited to the account. The account balance is used to provide retirement benefits. Vesting occurs at 33% after one year, 67% after two years, and 100% after three years of service. No salary contribution is required.
• Voluntary 457 Deferred Compensation Plan
• Eligibility to purchase prior service credit under the Defined Benefit Plan

• Prosecutes complex, serious, and/or sensitive criminal felony and misdemeanor cases, occasionally presenting high-profile matters to special grand juries.
• Prepares and argues pre-trial and post-trial motions, prepares exhibits and evidence for trial, examines and cross-examines witnesses, delivers opening and closing arguments and argues admissibility of evidence, chooses and prepares jury instructions, determines trial tactics, and argues sentencing in cases.
• Determines the method of prosecution including potential case negotiations, plea agreements, and sentencing requests.
• Prepares legal memorandum, indictments, search warrant affidavits, plea bargain agreements, extradition requests, property forfeiture and property release papers, and other court papers.
• Researches legal issues and maintains familiarity with local, state, and federal laws.
• Maintains contact with the public, with victims and witnesses, and with law enforcement officers; consults with police, victims, witnesses, and concerned citizens about the disposition of criminal cases and trial testimony.
• Addresses media on significant and/or high-profile cases receiving substantial public attention.
• Implements the policies set by the Commonwealth’s Attorney, case assignments, and court scheduling.
• Directs and coordinates the work of police officers in the investigation of matters being prepared for prosecution, providing guidance on search and seizure issues, the constitutionality of police actions, and planning and conducing regular police trainings on a variety of issues.
• Visits crime scenes; studies scientific analyses and other investigative reports and memoranda.
• Develops and implements a community prosecution program where attorneys work with specific and targeted neighborhoods to solve public safety problems, prevent crime, and receives, analyzes and appropriately implements feedback into the local justice system.
• Serves as legal advisor to specialized units within the Police Department such as JADE (firearms and narcotics), ICAC (internet crimes against children), Elder Abuse and Fraud, and the Major Case Division of Investigations (rape, robbery, and homicide).
• Provides technical legal guidance and mentoring to new attorneys, reviewing and editing court pleadings and appellate briefs.
• Trains and assists support staff and victim witness advocates with victim interviews and preparation of court testimony.
• May be assigned to a one of the legal specializations:
  • Serve as a Drug Treatment Court prosecutor screening applicants, assisting with admissions and terminations, and attending and participating in graduations, responsible for regular EBDM supported updates and revisions to Drug Court manual; or
  • Participate as a member of a Sexual Assault Resource Team and a Child Abuse and Neglect Multi-Disciplinary Team, leading investigations and prosecuting charged individuals.
• Responsible for appropriate use and maintenance of City equipment, tools and other resources, including work time.
• Regular and reliable attendance.

• May be assigned to administering a specialized program; providing primary liaison to a particular County, State or Federal program/agency; or being assigned to a specialized area of law.
• May serve as a Special Prosecutor throughout the Commonwealth in significant and/or high-profile matters.
• Performs additional duties to support operational requirements as apparent or assigned.

• Completion of the requirements for graduation with a JD in law from an accredited college or university.

• Minimum 10 years of experience as a criminal trial attorney OR 5 years as a prosecutor.

• Licensed to practice law within the Commonwealth of Virginia (or eligible to be admitted to practice).
• Ability to qualify and serve as aSpecial Assistant United StatesAttorney (SAUSA)in federal court.
• Required to successfully pass a pre-employment background check and pre-employment drug screen.

• Extensive knowledge of Virginia law, including knowledge needed for and membership to the Virginia State Bar.
• Thorough knowledge of legal research methods.
• Thorough knowledge of the Code of Professional Responsibility for attorneys.
• Thorough understanding of the criminal justice system and related community agencies.

• Advanced: ability to read, understand, and interpret complex regulations, codes, laws, police reports, reviews, scientific or technical journals, abstracts, financial reports, and/or legal documents.

• Advanced: ability to research and prepare legal documents with proper documentation, reporting, record keeping and compliance with federal, state, and local laws, regulations, policies, and procedures. The ability to write editorials, journals, speeches, manuals, or critiques, and to tailor writing to specific audiences and explain complex thoughts and ideas in writing.

• Intermediate: ability to deal with number systems; simple formulas, practical application of fractions, percentages, ratios/proportions and measurement.

• Advanced: Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with city and state officials, City administration and staff, court officials, members of the bar, and the public. Contact may involve support of controversial positions or the negotiation of sensitive issues or important presentations. Evaluates customer satisfaction, develops cooperative associations, and utilizes resources to continuously improve customer satisfaction.Provide oral and written presentations in public. Ability to analyze, distill, and present to a jury complex data collected, including data from cellphone or electronic devices, during criminal investigations.

• Requires Limited Direction: normally completes work according to their own judgment, requesting supervisory assistance occasionally. Special projects are managed with little oversight and assignments may be reviewed upon completion. Performance reviewed periodically.

• Basic: uses standard technical skills appropriate to the assigned and apparent job responsibilities. Skill in computer applications such as word processing and spreadsheets, maintain records and generate reports; uses of computer technology for legal research.

• No budgetary/fiscal responsibilities.

• May occasionally direct helpers, assistants, seasonal employees, interns or temps.

• Exercise the highest degree of confidentiality and professionalism at all times.
• Excellent organization and time management, sometimes under strict time constraints.
• Coordinate, prioritize and work on multiple activities simultaneously under often stressful and busy conditions.
• Frequent change of tasks.
• Working closely with others as part of a team.
• Must work effectively with sensitive and confidential materials and issues.
• May require dealing with angry, frustrated and/or upset individuals.
• May be required to work additional hours such as evenings, nights, weekends, standby, and/or emergency on-call.

• Sedentary Work: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Remains in stationary position most of the time.
• Must occasionally move about inside the office to access file cabinets, office machinery, etc. Must constantly position self to maintain files in file cabinet.
• Must be able to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.
• Ability to observe at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

• Typically requires use of standard office equipment and telephone, and related software and hardware; and any other equipment as appropriate or as assigned.

• Work is performed in anoffice environment where there may be exposure to computer screen for extended periods of time, monitor glare and dust.
• The noise level is typically moderate.