Attorney I, II, III or IV

The Cochise County Offices of Legal Advocate, Legal Defender, and Public Defender have collectively been assisting and defending the Accused in Cochise County for well over twenty years.

The three separate office model was created in order to assist the Cochise County community in order to provide full representation of those individuals needing and qualifying for appointed assistance of counsel, in the most efficient way.

Attorneys from the Cochise County Office of Legal Advocate, Cochise County Legal Defender, and Cochise County Public Defender are appointed by the Court to represent indigent persons in need of representation for a wide array of services, including criminal charges, probation matters, juvenile delinquency, and dependency matters, as well as mental health commitments, extradition cases, criminal appeals, and post-conviction relief.

If you have a passion to help others, enjoy being intellectually challenged, and want to be part of a robust, vibrant, tight-knit legal community, please apply to join one of our defense teams!

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: As defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by incumbents of this class. 

ATTORNEY I: Initiates, engages, and defends litigation; performs legal research; reviews and prepares legal documents; ren­ders legal advice to clients; performs factual investigations. 

ATTORNEY II (in addition to Attorney I Duties): May supervise junior staff; handles appeals.

ATTORNEY III (in addition to Attorney I and II): Supervises and reviews work of staff attorneys; performs organization and administrative duties.

ATTORNEY IV: Under general supervision, supervises professional legal services of unusual difficulty; performs other legal services as assigned. Supervises and reviews the work of staff attorneys serving as Attorney I, II and III.   


ATTORNEY I:  Graduation from an accredited law school and admission to the State Bar of Arizona.  Must possess and maintain a valid Arizona driver's license and ability to be covered by county insurance. 

ATTORNEY II:  Graduation from an accredited law school, admission to the State Bar of Arizona, and a minimum of two (2) years of relevant legal experience.  Must possess and maintain a valid Arizona driver's license and ability to be covered by county insurance. 
 
ATTORNEY III:  Graduation from an accredited law school, admission to the State Bar of Arizona, and a minimum of four (4) years of relevant legal experience.  Must possess and maintain a valid Arizona driver's license and ability to be covered by county insurance. 
 
ATTORNEY IV: Graduation from an accredited law school; admission to the State Bar of Arizona; ten (10) years of relevant legal experience; significant trial or litigation experience required; must possess and maintain a valid Arizona driver's license and the ability to be covered by county insurance.
 
An equivalent combination of education and/or experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities have been achieved may be considered.
 
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Preference may be given to individuals who speak Spanish and/or with governmental experience and/or experience in criminal, appellate, and/or dependency case law. .  
 Attorney I / Working knowledge of: 

• principles and practices of law;
• legal procedures and administrative proceedings;
• methods and practices of pleadings;
• judicial procedures and the rules of evidence;
• principles, methods, materials, practices and references uti­lized in legal research.

Attorney II / Considerable knowledge of:

• principles and practices of law;
• legal procedures and administrative proceedings;
• methods and practices of pleadings;
• judicial procedures and the rules of evidence;
• principles, methods, materials, practices and references uti­lized in legal research.

Attorney III / Thorough knowledge of:

• principles and practices of law;
• legal procedures and administrative proceedings;
• methods and practices of pleadings;
• judicial procedures and the rules of evidence;
• principles, methods, materials, practices and references uti­lized in legal research.

Attorney IV / Exceptional knowledge of: 

• principles and practices of law;
• legal procedures and administrative proceedings;
• methods and practices of pleadings;
• judicial procedures and the rules of evidence;
• principles, methods, materials, practices and references uti­lized in legal research.

Attorney I / Good skill in:

• applying legal knowledge and training on behalf of public enti­ties.

Attorney II / Considerable skill in:

• applying legal knowledge and training on behalf of public enti­ties.

Attorney III / Considerable knowledge of:

• applying legal knowledge and training on behalf of public enti­ties.

• principles and practices of management and supervision.

Attorney I / Working skill in:

• analyzing, appraising, and organizing facts, evidence, and precedents;
• rendering logical, clear and effective written reports and oral arguments;
• determining alternative courses of action;
• presenting and arguing cases in court and handle unanticipated problems smoothly.

Attorney II / Good skill in:

• analyzing, appraising, and organizing facts, evidence, and precedents;
• rendering logical, clear and effective written reports and oral arguments;
• determining alternative courses of action;
• presenting and arguing cases in court and handle unanticipated problems smoothly.

Attorney III / Considerable skill in:

• analyzing, appraising, and organizing facts, evidence, and precedents;
• rendering logical, clear and effective written reports and oral arguments;
• determining alternative courses of action;
• presenting and arguing cases in court and handle unanticipated problems smoothly.

Attorney IV / Considerable skill in: 

• applying legal knowledge and training;
• determining alternative courses of action; 
• analyzing, appraising, and organizing facts, evidence, and precedents;
• rendering logical, clear, and effective written reports and oral arguments; 
• presenting and arguing cases in court and handle unanticipated problems smoothly.

Attorney I, II, III, IV / Ability to:

• establish and maintain effective working relationships with em­ployees, other agencies, and the public;
• follow written and verbal instruction;
• read, write and speak English;
• communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
   

WORK ENVIRONMENT:
Work is primarily performed under general supervision. Incumbent generally performs work in a typical office or court setting with appropriate climate controls.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Essential functions of this position require: lifting, manual dexterity, ability to communicate.

Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force frequently lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds requires a good deal of walking, standing or involves sitting most of the time.

Mental Application:  Utilizes memory for details, verbal instructions, emotional stability, critical thinking, adaptability and creative problem-solving skills are important

Reasonable accommodations will be made for those that are able to perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation.

Salary : $55,500 - $84,000