Prosecution Associate Assistant City Attorney

With competitive pay, great benefits, and endless opportunities, working for the City and County of Denver means seeing yourself working with purpose — for you, and those who benefit from your passion, skills and expertise. Join our diverse, inclusive and talented workforce of more than 11,000 team members who are at the heart of what makes Denver, Denver.

The Denver City Attorney’s Office is one of the largest law firms in Colorado, with over 230 attorneys and staff members comprised of paralegals, victim advocates, and other support and supervisory staff members. It may have the most diverse practice of any law firm in Colorado since Denver is a home rule city and county. Clients include the Mayor, City Council, all other elected and appointed officials, all city agencies, departments, boards, commissions, and employees. 

The City Attorney's Office is dedicated to providing an equitable, inclusive, and diverse work environment. Through Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion efforts, we strive to respect and honor differences, create a culture of compassion, collaboration, and common purpose for sharing our talents, skills, and creativity with each other. We are committed to removing barriers and providing opportunities. The successful candidate for this position must demonstrate these core operating principles.

The City and County of Denver offers a competitive salary commensurate with education and experience. The salary range for this position is $103,977-$137,990/annually, based on experience and education. We also offer generous benefits for full-time employees which include but are not limited to:

• A guaranteed life-long monthly pension, once vested after 5 years of service

• 457B Retirement Plan

• 140 hours of PTO earned within first year + 11 paid holidays, 1 personal holiday and 1 volunteer day per year

• Competitive medical, dental and vision plans effective within 1 month of start date

The City and County of Denver supports a hybrid workplace model. Employees work where needed, at a job site several days a week and off-site as needed. Employees must work within the state of Colorado on their off-site days.

What You’ll Do

The City Attorney’s Office seeks an Associate Assistant City Attorney for the Prosecution and Code Enforcement (PACE) Section of the Department of Law. An Associate Assistant City Attorney prosecutes a variety of ordinance violations that occur within the City and County of Denver. In addition to traditional prosecution, this position will be part of a dynamic prosecution team utilizing state of the art technology to help keep the Denver community safe. Additionally, PACE has a dynamic Neighborhood Prosecution Team that assists in resolving a variety of disputes to divert them from becoming traditional criminal cases. We seek an attorney with experience in criminal law with an understanding of municipal government law, a strong commitment to public service, and courtroom experience.

If you are looking for work that is both meaningful and challenging, this is the role for you. We have active criminal dockets and need an eager and experienced attorney to prepare cases for trial and manage cases from filing through appeal.

PACE prosecutes municipal crimes and traffic offenses and help crime victims safely navigate the criminal justice system. We also provide Denver residents with tools to help prevent crimes and provide alternative resolutions to traditional prosecutions.

• We prosecute persons charged with municipal crimes including domestic violence, assault, shoplifting, trespassing, and traffic violations

• We handle civil nuisance abatement cases and licensing violations

• We help victims of crimes understand their rights and provide planning to help victims safely participate in the criminal justice process

• Our neighborhood prosecution team helps neighborhood organizations address criminal activity

• We manage mental health and drug and alcohol commitments

The responsibilities for this position include:

• Under direction of a supervisor, evaluate and prepare cases for all stages of criminal prosecution

• Work collaboratively with paralegals and victim advocates to ensure cases are properly prepared and decisions are victim-centric

• Draft appropriate motions and respond to motions in a highly professional and timely manner

• Draft and respond to appeals

• Provide City agencies with legal advice

• Represent City agencies during administrative hearings. Interpret policy, ordinances and charter requirements

• Assist other attorneys working in specialized areas with research and related activities. Provide agencies with formal legal opinions.

• Draft proposed ordinances

Our ideal candidate has some or all the following experience, skills, and characteristics:

• Significant experience handling criminal matters

• Substantial experience in all phases of criminal litigation

• Strong oral and written communication skills

• A history of success working in a fast-paced demanding criminal litigation practice

• Experience with domestic violence cases or victims

• Willingness to work in a paperless environment

• Commitment to working collaboratively with a team

• Education Requirement Doctor of Jurisprudence Degree or Bachelor of Law Degree.

• Experience Requirement Two (2) years of experience as an attorney at law.

• Education & Experience Equivalency No substitution of experience for education is permitted.

• Licensure & Certification Possession of a license to practice law in Colorado from the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire or a reasonable expectation of becoming licensed by the Colorado Supreme Court by the date of hire in accordance with C.R.C.P. 203.2, 203.3, 203.4 and 205.6.

• Licenses and certifications must be kept current as a condition of employment.

This posting will accept applications until 11:59 PM on Sunday, December 1, 2024. Please submit your application as soon as possible to ensure consideration.

Job Profile

To view the full job profile including position specifications, physical demands, and probationary period, click here.

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The City and County of Denver provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, or any other status protected under federal, state, and/or local law. 

It is your right to access oral or written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time captioning via CART, or disability-related accommodations. To request any of these services at no cost to you, please contact Jobs@Denvergov.org with three business days’ notice.

Applicants for employment with the City and County of Denver must have valid work authorization that does not require sponsorship of a visa for employment authorization in the U.S.

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