Deputy District Attorney I

Under immediate supervision from the District Attorney, Assistant District Attorney, or Chief Deputy District Attorney the Deputy District Attorney I performs a variety of professional legal work in the District Attorney’s Office, including criminal, juvenile and civil matters; develops, prepares and presents cases requiring court and/or administrative tribunal appearances; represents the State or City in criminal or enforcement proceedings; represents the State in juvenile delinquency proceedings and the interest of the public in NRS 432B proceedings; serves as legal counsel to the City and its departments,  boards and commissions; and performs related work as required.  

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:
This is the first level in the Deputy District Attorney series.  Incumbants are expected to perform a wide range of the regular legal assignments performed in the District Attorney’s Office.  It differs from the Deputy District Attorney II classification in that the Deputy District Attorney II has more experience and typically handles more difficult cases and/or assignments. Attorneys usually work at the District Attorney’s physical office, subject to change at the supervisor’s or District Attorney’s discretion.

This class specification lists the major duties and requirements of the job and is not all-inclusive.  Incumbent(s) may be expected to perform job-related duties other than those contained in this document and may be required to have specific job-related knowledge and skills.

Criminal Division:

• Prosecutes cases from charging through trial and appeal.
• Reviews probable cause sheets, warrant requests, and citations and determines sufficiency and propriety of charges.
• Drafts criminal pleadings, offer letters, memorandum of plea negotiations, advisory memorandums and other correspondence as assigned.
• Ensures contact with victims of crime during all material stages of criminal prosecution and compliance with Marsy’s Law.
• Appears in Court on behalf of the State and the City at trial and all related hearings of criminal prosecution. 
• Prepares and presents oral arguments, examines witnesses, presents and admits evidence, negotiates with opposing counsel, and assists victims to present statements to the court.
• Performs research, interprets cases, statutes and ordinances. 
• Reviews and edits written search warrants, facilitates presentation of written search warrants to court, and conducts telephonic examinations of deputies for search warrants.
• Represents the City in criminal traffic matters.
• May serve as an intermittent instructor for law enforcement POST academies as assigned. 
• Provides after-hours legal consultation to law enforcement on an assigned rotating basis.
• Represents the State and/or City at 48-hour hearings on Sundays and holidays on an assigned rotating basis.

Civil Division:

• Serves as in-house legal counsel by providing legal representation to the City and its departments, boards and commissions that encompass a wide variety of civil matters involving state and federal law.  
• Assists supervisor in drafting and amending Carson City Municipal Code provisions.  
• Provides training to City departments, boards, and commissions concerning legal matters such as Nevada’s Open Meeting Law, the Public Records Act, and ethics in government statutes. 
• Interviews and advises clients, preparesand presents evidence and legal arguments, conducts legal research, analyzes and interprets cases, statutes and ordinances.
• Drafts memoranda, ordinances, resolutions and other legislative measures. 
• Confers with investigators regarding the collection of facts and evidence.
• Presents evidence and arguments before tribunals and mediators. 
• Reviews and prepares various contracts for goods and services and other complex documents, including real property transactions.
• Represents the City in labor negotiations and disputes, including representation before arbitrators, agencies and courts.
• Represents the City in civil litigation matters before state and federal courts.        
• May represent the City in traffic matters.  

Juvenile Division:

• Prosecutes juvenile delinquency cases through charging, trial, and appeal. 
• Appears, prepares and presents juvenile delinquency and juvenile dependency matters in court from inception through closure in the trial court and on appeal. Such appearances include oral arguments, examining witnesses, presenting and admitting evidence, negotiating with opposing counsel, and assisting victims to present statements to the court.
• Reviews probable cause sheets, petition requests, and citations and determines sufficiency and propriety of charges.
• Performs research, including interpreting cases, statutes, and ordinances.
• Drafts petitions, offer letters, memorandum of plea negotiations, motions, writs, appeals, briefs, advisory memorandums, and other pleadings and correspondence.
• Reviews and edits written warrants, facilitates presentation of written warrants to court, and conducts telephonic examinations of law enforcement officers and employees of the Division of Child and Family Services for warrants.
• Ensures contact with victims of crime during all material stages of the delinquency proceedings.
• Confers with juvenile delinquency, juvenile dependency, and criminal justice stakeholders on legal issues and questions.
• Provides after hours legal consultation to law enforcement and/or the Division of Child and Family Services as assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Admittance to practice law in Nevada OR must 1) obtain certification to practice law pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 49.3 within one month of hire date; and 2) pass the first Nevada bar exam to be administered after having satisfied the educational requirements to take the Nevada bar exam OR must 1)  obtain temporary certification to practice in Nevada pursuant to 49.1 within two months from hire date; 2) maintain eligibility to practice law in Nevada pursuant to Supreme Court Rule 49.1 until admitted to the bar; and 3) be admitted to practice law in Nevada within two years of hire date.
• Valid Driver’s License

• Judicial procedure and rules of evidence; applicable laws, codes and regulations.
• Computer applications particularly as related to the performance of legal research.
• Techniques for dealing with individuals from various socio-economic, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in person and over the telephone, often where relations may be confrontational or strained.
• Correct business English, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.
• Applying legal principles to individual cases or problems.
• Presenting facts, evidence and precedents in the form of oral arguments, briefs, opinions, orders or decisions.
• Understanding and interpreting constitutional provisions, statutes, administrative regulations and precedents.
• Researching, interpreting, applying, and explaining applicable laws, codes, regulations and court decisions.
• Using initiative and independent judgment within established procedural guidelines.
• Maintaining accurate records of work performed.
• Compiling and summarizing information and preparing periodic or special reports related to the work of the court or department to which assigned.
• Organizing own work, setting priorities and meeting critical deadlines.
• Ability to operate a personal or city vehicle to attend hearings, meetings, or respond to critical incidents.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:

1. Unclassified employees are “At Will” and as such, may be terminated at any time for any reason, or no reason.
2. Continued employment is contingent upon all required licenses and certificates being maintained in active status without suspension or revocation.
3. Any City employee may be required to stay at or return to work during emergencies to perform duties specific to this classification or to perform other duties as requested in an assigned response position. This may require working a non-traditional work schedule or working outside normal assigned duties during the incident and/or emergency.
4. Employees may be required to complete Incident Command System training as a condition of continuing employment.
5. New employees are required to submit to a fingerprint-based background investigation and a drug screen.  The fee associated with the background check and drug test must be paid for by the employee prior to beginning employment.  Employment is contingent upon passing the background and the drug screen.
6. Carson City participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each applicant’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization.  All candidates who are offered employment with Carson City must complete Section 1 of the Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity prior to starting employment.  Please be prepared to provide required documentation as soon as possible after the job offer is made.  For additional information regarding acceptable documents for this purpose, please contact Human Resources at 775.887.2103 or go to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services web page at www.uscis.gov.

7. Carson City is an Equal Opportunity Employer.