ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY - 40008401

Join Durham County Government
Durham County Government is home to over 2,000 dedicated professionals working together to deliver essential services that strengthen and support our vibrant, diverse community. As the heart of a fast-growing region, we offer meaningful careers across a wide range of fields—giving you the opportunity to make a real impact where you live, work, grow, and play. Learn more at www.dconc.gov.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Performs difficult professional work in the rendering of legal services to the County; does related work as required.

Work is performed under the general supervision of the County Attorney and/or Deputy County Attorney. 

TYPICAL TASKS:

• Rendering routine legal advice on a daily basis to officers, departments, and agencies of the County;
• Litigating claims filed against the County and County officials;
• Preparing cases for trial, interviewing witnesses, examining law and evidence;
• Representing the County in trial and appellate litigation;
• Drafting and reviewing ordinances, resolutions, proposed legislation, contracts, deeds, leases, and other legal documents;
• Conducting extensive legal research and preparing legal documents;
• Conducting legal training as needed;
• Attends and presents at Board and Commission meetings
• Performs related tasks as assigned .

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Must demonstrate or possess thorough knowledge of administrative processes, general case, statutory, and common laws;
• Must demonstrate or possess thorough knowledge of judicial and quasi-judicial procedures;
• Demonstrated ability to express conclusions and arguments effectively and logically both orally and in writing;
• Demonstrated ability to analyze facts and evidence;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with County officials, court officials, members of the bar and the general public; and
• Must possess great interpersonal skills, work effectively in stressful environments, have the ability to easily relate and adjust to a variety of situations and personalities and to effectively communicate with staff at all levels of the organization.
• Must demonstrate thorough knowledge and experience in litigation and local government law.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Graduation from an accredited school of law and six months to two years’ of experience in the practice of law, some of which is in municipal work. 

PREFERENCE:

Expertise in utilities, transactions, real estate, tax, and/or construction law with extensive experience in litigation.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:

Eligibility to practice law in the State of North Carolina.

Must possess and maintain a valid state driver’s license with an acceptable driving history

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT COMPLIANCE:

Durham County is an Equal Opportunity Employer. ADA requires Durham County to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. Prospective and current employees are encouraged to discuss ADA accommodations with management. 

BACKGROUND CHECK STATEMENT:

This position may be subject to a background check, which could include, but is not limited to, criminal history (employment-related and/or SBI fingerprint-based), credit history, motor vehicle records, educational verification, and checks of the sexual offender registry, depending on the specific requirements of the role. A conviction record does not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment consideration, unless otherwise required by applicable state law.