Law Clerk (Public Defense Services)

Description:

Law clerks assist attorneys in such tasks as preparing pleadings and legal memoranda, conducting legal research, reviewing and summarizing disclosure and records, meeting with clients at the jail, and observing court proceedings. Law clerks assist with research and writing assignments in the areas of criminal defense, juvenile delinquency proceedings, and dependency proceedings. Law clerks are expected to be recent law graduates who are either (a) awaiting bar results or character and fitness results OR (b) are currently preparing to take the bar. All applicants must demonstrate an interest in remaining with Pima County Public Defense Services after their clerkship and be promoted to trial attorney. Extensive efforts are made by the office to incorporate and include Law Clerks in various training and professional development opportunities with an eye toward becoming attorneys within the office.

This classification is in the unclassified service and is exempt from the Pima County Merit System Rules.

For more information about the Public Defense Services Department, please visit their website at: https://www.pima.gov/2622/Public-Defense-Services or www.pima.gov/pds

Duties/Responsibilities:
(Work assignments may vary depending on the department's needs and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.)

• Researches appeals and prepares drafts of preliminary briefs or arguments based on statutory law or decisions;
• Conducts legal research through the use of computerized legal research systems such as Lexis and Westlaw, or statutes, U.S. Constitution, legal periodicals, law reviews, digests, legal encyclopedias, codes, regional and federal reporters, slip opinions and various case law;
• Researches points and rules of law and prepares written reports summarizing research;
• Updates or shepardizes case law to distinguish and analogize the case to the fact situation at hand;
• Identifies applicable statutes or rules that are in force and effect for the particular matter;
• Researches points and rules of law and prepares written reports summarizing research;
• Performs research and studies legal records and comments to obtain data applicable to the case under consideration;
• Drafts motions, responses, and legal memoranda; Interviews victims and witnesses;
• Serves copies of pleadings on opposing counsel and delivers documents to various county offices;
• Conducts routine investigations on less serious charges for background and basic information;
• Confers with attorneys regarding legal issues;
• Maintains appropriate security and confidentiality of information created or encountered in the performance of assigned duties;
• May supervise, train, and assign and review the work of other law clerks;
• Maintains electronic and paper files as necessary.

Knowledge & Skills:
Knowledge of:

• legal code of ethics and terminology;
• legal research methods;
• statutes, codes and case laws;
• rules of court, criminal justice and court systems;
• Lexis or Westlaw data information systems;
• principles, procedures and methods of legal research;
• civil and criminal procedures;
• Constitutional Law;
• Arizona Rules of Evidence.

Skill in:

• performing legal research using appropriate techniques and methods;
• interviewing techniques appropriate to a legal investigation;
• understanding and applying legal terminology;
• processing and preparing summaries of legal opinions from cases from Arizona and other jurisdictions;
• establishing and maintaining effective working relationships;
• communicating effectively;
• legal writing and formatting.

Minimum Qualifications:
(1) Second or third-year law student in or graduate of a law school accredited by the American Bar Association.
OR:
(2) Completion of coursework from an accredited college of law in criminal procedures, constitutional law, and legal research.

(Additional relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college of law may be substituted.)

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.

Preferred Qualifications: (Be specific in describing your experience in your application. Ensure the descriptions provided illustrate your competencies, specifically addressing the required and preferred qualifications.):

• Pursuing a Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school and in the last semester of course work OR graduate with a Juris Doctorate from an ABA-accredited law school.
• Knowledge and appropriate application of systems, policies, and procedures of Pima County (additional assessments of current and previous Pima County employees may be conducted).

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