What are the responsibilities and job description for the Assistant Commonwealth Attorney position at Bedford County, Virginia?
Position Summary
Performs difficult professional work serving as prosecutor for the County and State; prepares and presents cases for prosecution; trying cases in General District, Juvenile and Domestic Relations and Circuit Courts. Does related work as required. Supervision is exercised over clerical staff. Work is performed under general supervision of the Commonwealth Attorney with latitude for independent judgement and action.
Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Substitutes for the Commonwealth’s Attorney’s General District and Circuit Court as required.
- Tries criminal and civil offenses brought under County and State Statutes.
- Reviews cases and charges with law enforcement personnel.
- Interviews police officers, victims, witnesses, and other individuals in preparing cases.
- Prepares legal research and writing for issues anticipated in criminal trials; prepares discovery responses and bill of particular responses.
- Provides assistance to citizens and law enforcement officers.
- Negotiates with opposing counsel; assists colleagues.
- Accomplishes all tasks as appropriately assigned or requested by management.
- Participates in employee meetings and training as needed.
- Performs special projects as assigned.
- Meets attendance requirements and maintains the highest level of dependability.
- Consistently demonstrates ability to respond to changing situations in a flexible manner in order to meet current needs, and reprioritizes work as necessary.
Qualifications
Education / Experience
Any combination of education and experience equivalent to graduation from an accredited law school and considerable experience as a practicing attorney.
Knowledge / Skills / Abilities
Thorough knowledge of modern principles and practices of law and of the state laws and court decisions applicable to criminal prosecution; thorough knowledge of legal research and the investigation, preparation and presentation of cases for trial; thorough knowledge of legal office procedures, practices and methods; ability to plan and direct the work of others; ability to communicate complex ideas effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to handle difficult trial and appellate litigation; ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County and state officials, court officials, members of the Bar and the general public.
Certifications / Licenses
Eligibility to practice law in the Commonwealth of Virginia and possession of any other qualifications as prescribed by state statute.
Must possess a valid Commonwealth of Virginia driver’s license, proof of insurance required to drive on County business, and acceptable driving record.
Physical Requirements
This is sedentary work requiring the exertion of up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to move objects; work requires fingering, grasping, and repetitive motions; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels; visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operation of machines, determining the accuracy and thoroughness of work, and observing general surroundings and activities.
Environmental Factors
While performing the essential duties of this job, the employee is in an office environment and is not normally exposed to adverse environmental conditions. The noise level is usually low.
Special / Additional Requirements
Subject to a complete criminal history background search and drug screening with acceptable results.
Disclaimer
This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee. This is not an employment contract and does not alter any employee at-will status.
Bedford County maintains a safe, drug-free workplace for its employees. Drug screening, driving record check, a criminal background check, and previous employer references are required for all positions as conditions of pre-employment.
Bedford County, VA is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Bedford County is a certified Virginia Values Veterans (V3) employer. We are committed to implementing nationally recognized best practices in recruiting, hiring, and retaining highly skilled and dependable Veterans. The V3 Program is an official Commonwealth of Virginia Program, authorized under the Code of Virginia (§ 2.2-2001.2)
