ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY I, II, III, or IV

Isanti County Government Center•Cambridge, MN

16h•$89,606 - $146,141•Onsite

About The Position

Provides legal services and representation for the County, the County Board, and other county departments, in various types of legal matters, such as charging and prosecution of misdemeanor, petty misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony criminal cases, and handling civil cases including child support, paternity, and other family related proceedings. Also reviews evidence, incident and police reports. Reviews, research, and drafts complaints, motions, and legal memoranda, determining what matters may be charged, determining legal sufficiency for cases, researching applicable statutes, ordinances, and case law, and related work as needed or assigned. Work is performed under the supervision of the County Attorney.

Requirements

ACA I: Juris Doctor and minimal experience (less than 1 year) preparing legal documents, performing legal research, prosecuting cases, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
ACA II: Juris Doctor and moderate experience (2 to 3 years) preparing legal documents, performing legal research, prosecuting cases, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
ACA III: Juris Doctor and considerable experience (4 to 5 years) preparing legal documents, performing legal research, prosecuting cases, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
ACA IV: Juris Doctor and extensive experience (6 or more years) preparing legal documents, performing legal research, prosecuting cases, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
Licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota.
Knowledge of the principles of civil law as they relate to governmental control of private property and as related to the exercise of powers by governmental authorities.
Knowledge of applicable statutes, judicial procedures, and rules of evidence.
Knowledge of County ordinances and State and Federal laws including accepted legal or court interpretations and Supreme Court decisions.
Knowledge of the organization, functions, and legal limitations on the authority of the various County departments.
Knowledge of specialized areas of law including juvenile delinquency statutes and case law, child protection law and Department of Human Services policies, judicial commitment law, and substantive criminal law and criminal procedure.
Knowledge of the practice and procedures of law office management.
Knowledge of the principles of criminal law and juvenile law and the problems of criminal law enforcement procedures and evidence as they relate to specific factual situations.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in a variety of forums.
Ability to analyze, appraise and organize facts, evidence, case law, statutes and rules and to effectively present legal opinions to other county officials, judges, and juries.
Ability to determine the limits of actions available to opponents and the probable course of action of opponents in court cases.
Ability to present and argue cases in court, including the ability to deal with unanticipated situations when they arise.
Ability to negotiate with adverse parties to settle cases in a manner that promotes the interests of justice.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, court and legal representatives, clients, defendants, County staff, law enforcement, witnesses, and the public.
Ability to maintain a regular and timely work attendance.
This work requires the regular exertion of up to 10 pounds of force and occasional exertion of up to 25 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking or hearing and using hands to finger, handle or feel, frequently requires standing and walking and occasionally requires reaching with hands and arms and repetitive motions.
Work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word and conveying detailed or important instructions to others accurately, loudly or quickly; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound.
Work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data and observing general surroundings and activities.

Nice To Haves

Individuals taking the July 2026 Minnesota Bar Exam are encouraged to submit an application.

Responsibilities

Advises and represents the County in various types of legal matters that may include, charging and prosecution of misdemeanor, petty misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor and felony cases, and handling civil cases such as, child support, paternity, and other family related proceedings in the District Court.
Performs research regarding legal issues and prepares memoranda of law and legal briefs in support of charging documents, bail recommendations, preliminary and contested court hearings, trial tactics, jury instructions, sentencing or disposition of cases, and legal documents for the Minnesota Appellate Courts.
Provides legal counsel and legal opinions to other county officials on a variety of simple to complex legal issues.
Negotiates with opposing counsel regarding pending cases to ensure justice is promoted.
Meets with witnesses and law enforcement personnel concerning pending case.
Holds offenders accountable for their actions while promoting the safety of the public and supporting the legal rights of victims.
Independently prepares for trial, including providing advice during the investigative process, participating in grand jury proceedings, and preparation of witness testimony, including expert witness testimony as necessary, and opening and closing arguments.
Provides daily advice to local law enforcement agencies on investigative techniques and procedures.
Prepares and reviews search warrants for law enforcement officers.
Provides legal representation in tax cases in State Tax Court.
Required to be licensed in Federal court.
Required to be on-call over evenings, weekends, and holidays for the purpose of providing legal guidance to local law enforcement agencies, social services, and other regulatory agencies (on-call duty may include consultation on search warrants, probable cause holds, and criminal complaints).
May provide training to law enforcement officers, social workers, and child support workers in the County.
Attends trainings relevant to daily work to stay up to date on legislative changes and promote job efficiency.
Participates in multidisciplinary team meetings with respect to adult protection, juvenile runaway, and criminal sexual conduct cases.
Corresponds with opposing counsel or opposing self-represented parties regarding case proceedings.
May do legislative lobbying and drafting on issues relevant to the County or the office’s work.
Provides legal work for county real estate closings and transactions.
Prepares appellate briefs and argues cases in Appellate Courts.
Performs other related duties as assigned.

Benefits

Health, dental, and vision insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts for health and dependent care
Life insurance (basic coverage for yourself plus optional voluntary coverage)
Long-term disability insurance
Paid Time Off, including vacation, sick, and personal leave
12 paid holidays per year
Deferred compensation plans
Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) contributions from both employer and employee
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employee Wellness Program