Description:

The Assistant County Attorney conducts all aspects of civil actions involving the County including child support and enforcement, paternity actions, forfeitures, expungements, tax appeals, contracts, and other responsibilities or functions as assigned by the County Attorney.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
The Assistant County Attorney must know, understand, and apply current laws and regulations to the extremely varied facts and situations presented on a daily basis to direct appropriate legal action or provide advice to staff. This employee routinely analyzes complicated factual situations and directs immediate appropriate responses, which may impact individual rights; property rights; sums of money, or contractual obligations. The workload requires knowledge in many areas of practice.

The following is a list of tasks and responsibilities, but may not be exhaustive of all the duties:

Review and analyze information and data provided by County staff and/or law enforcement. Determine appropriate course of action including, but not limited to, composing the appropriate complaints, petitions, pleadings, and orders. Provide legal advice and direction to county staff.
Provide for the defense of the county and its agencies as counsel or co-counsel in lawsuits brought against the county, its agents, officials, and employees. Apply legal principles combined with a working knowledge of all functions of the various county departments to identify, define, and evaluate problems facing county officials, agencies, department heads, and employees. Monitor the operations of county officers, agencies, department heads, and employees to ensure compliance with the law and to aid in the county's overall risk management regime.
Research legal issues; prepare memoranda and legal briefs or opinions. Analyze and interpret statutes/legislation, case law, and other relevant information in order to maintain accurate and up to date on legal developments and changes that may affect County policy or operations. Analyze information in relation to established office policy, ethical considerations and standards, limited resources, and the social, moral, and legal objectives to be obtained.
Review and, if requested, draft proposed changes to ordinances, administrative procedures, and county policies to comply with state or federal law, regulations, and/or upon request of county staff.
Provide legal counsel and furnish written legal opinion to County Attorney, county boards, county administrator, elected officials, other county officials, department heads, law enforcement officers, and/or and other county personnel.
Review and/or draft various legal forms for bids, contracts, and bonds for county work.
Draft and advise on all manners related to contracts, including real estate transactions, services agreements, joint powers agreements, etc.
Answer legal questions and provide legal advice and direction to employees of Southwest Health and Human Services regarding Paternity and/or Child Support issues. Prepare for and appear at child support and enforcement, and paternity actions on behalf of Southwest Health and Human Services.
Maintain a professional understanding of changes in law and practice through legal publications, continuing legal education seminars, and legislative announcements.
Preserve strict confidentiality in the handling of all information pursuant to the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act and the Rules of Lawyers Professional Responsibility.
Appear before the A Government Entity Board of Commissioners and other commissions as directed by the County Attorney.
Access to Not Public Data – The incumbent may encounter not public data in the course of these duties. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbents should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished, the incumbent must properly store the not public data according to the provisions of the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 13).

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all duties performed by personnel so classified.

Other Responsibilities:

Performs other duties described in the Assistant County Attorney Job Description as assigned.
If a new work assignment requires access to not public data, the incumbent is permitted to access not public data for work assignment purposes only. Any access to not-public data must be strictly limited to the data necessary to complete the work assignment and after the assignment is completed, the employee's work assignment no longer requires access.

Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications:

Graduation from an accredited law school with a Juris Doctor degree
A license to practice law in the State of Minnesota
Member in good standing of the State Bar
One to three years experience as a practicing attorney, preferably in civil practice or in the public sector.

Experience And Skills Required:

Considerable knowledge of County ordinances and State and Federal laws including accepted legal or court interpretations and Minnesota Court decisions.
Working knowledge of principles of civil law, particularly as they relate to the ownership, acquisition, and conveyance of real property.
Knowledge of principles of criminal law and the problems of criminal law enforcement, procedure, and evidence.
Knowledge of what can be accomplished by legal approaches, what must be done by administrative approaches, and how the two must be balanced to achieve the intent of county departments/to protect the public interest.
Ability to determine the limits of action available to opponents and the probable courses of action of opponents in court cases.
Ability to communicate effectively, orally and in writing, and have strong public relations skills.
Ability to present and argue cases in court, having the ability to address situations as they arise.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
Ability to operate general office equipment including proficiency in information systems to include current e-mail, word processing, spreadsheet, and related legal applications.
Ability to create and maintain a participative, team-oriented work environment.
Possession of a valid driver's license.

The qualifications listed above are guidelines. Other combinations of education and experience could provide the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform this job.