Assistant District Attorney I

Chester County, PA • Justice Center, PA

108d

About The Position

The Attorney I for the District Attorney's office is responsible for prosecuting criminal matters in the County of Chester. This role involves preparing for trials, motions, and hearings, reviewing files, interviewing witnesses and victims, reviewing evidence, and visiting the scene of the crime. The attorney will prepare offers and negotiate with defense counsel, review the laws relating to the case, and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the case. They will use sentencing guidelines to generate offers for plea bargains, negotiate plea bargains, or proceed to trial. The attorney will represent the interests of the Commonwealth in bench or jury trials, handle jury selection, prepare proposed jury instructions, conduct direct and cross-examinations, argue objections, prepare and present exhibits, and present closing arguments. General case management, handling the miscellaneous and summary appeals list, and being responsible for on-call duties once a quarter for a period of seven days/24 hours a day are also part of the job. The attorney will handle hearings for indirect criminal contempt charges filed against those who violate Protection from Abuse Orders and perform other duties, tasks, and special projects as required.

Requirements

• Juris Doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• License to practice law in Pennsylvania.
• Strong legal research skills.
• Excellent writing and reading skills.
• Ability to work independently.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Accurate and detail-oriented.
• Ability to establish priorities and multi-task.
• Ability to research applicable case law and cite cases.
• Must attend 12 hours of CLE annually.
• Working knowledge of Pennsylvania Rules of Criminal and Appellate Procedures.
• Working knowledge of Rules of Professional Conduct for Attorneys.
• A valid driver's license is required for this position.

Nice To Haves

• Three years of experience as a law clerk.
• Working knowledge of legal processes involved in Clerk of Courts and Prothonotary civil and criminal dockets.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills.
• Must be able to maintain confidential information and handle confidential matters.
• Exhibits sound and accurate judgement.
• Knowledge and skill with modern office equipment (fax, copier, calculator, etc.).
• Intermediate skill to use a personal computer and various software packages.
• Ability to use common sense understanding to carry out written or verbal instructions.
• Ability to remain focused on daily operations.
• Ability to interface effectively with all levels of county management.

Responsibilities

• Prepare for trials, motions and hearings.
• Review files, interview witnesses and victims, review evidence and visit the scene of the crime.
• Prepare offers and negotiate with defense counsel.
• Review the laws relating to the case and determine the strengths and weaknesses of the case.
• Use sentencing guidelines to generate offers for plea bargains, and negotiate plea bargains or proceed to trial.
• Represent the interests of the Commonwealth in bench or jury trials.
• Handle jury selection and prepare proposed jury instructions.
• Conduct direct examination of Commonwealth witnesses.
• Conduct cross-examination of defense witnesses.
• Argue objections.
• Prepare and present exhibits as allowed by the rules of evidence.
• Prepare and present closing arguments.
• General case management (i.e., meeting judge-imposed deadlines and maintaining caseload).
• Handle the miscellaneous and summary appeals list.
• Negotiate plea bargains for summary citations and, when appropriate, conduct trial de novo on charges.
• Responsible for on-call duties once a quarter for a period of seven days/24 hours a day.
• Handle hearings for indirect criminal contempt charges filed against those who violate Protection from Abuse Orders.
• Perform other duties, tasks and special projects, as required.

What This Job Offers

• Industry: Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support
• Education Level: No Education Listed