Associate City Attorney (Prosecutor)

City of Puyallup•Puyallup, WA

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

The City of Puyallup is seeking an experienced and self-motivated Associate City Attorney to join its prosecution team. The team has three attorneys and one paralegal, supervised by the Deputy City Attorney. This is an open continuous job posting and applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible to receive priority consideration. It is impactful to join Team Puyallup and provide meaningful work in support of public service and the wellbeing of our community. We value our culture of demonstrating excellence in our work, being service focused, supporting collaboration, and having integrity in all that we do. We encourage those that share these values to apply to our open positions and/or forward to colleagues who may be ready for their next career advancement opportunity. The successful candidate will represent the City in criminal misdemeanor and gross misdemeanor cases filed in Puyallup Municipal Court. The person in this position is expected to exercise sound professional judgment and conduct throughout the performance of his or her duties. The in-house City Attorney manages the City’s legal affairs. The Prosecution team is comprised of a lead prosecutor, two prosecuting attorneys, two support staff, one part time Rule 9 intern, and one Domestic Violence Victim’s Advocate. Police services for the City are provided by the Puyallup Police Department, a 98 member agency. The City’s Municipal Court is located in at 929 E. Main, Puyallup, WA. The Court has one full-time elected Judge and it’s own probation department. Court is held every day between the hours of 8:30 am and 5:00 pm. The Court uses the online court document system OCourts for all pleas and court documents. Presently most calendars are held in person, with two pre-trial calendars being held by ZOOM each week.

Requirements

Knowledge of principles, practices and procedures of criminal law.
Knowledge of case preparation and litigation techniques.
Knowledge of municipal government structure, operations, jurisdiction and issues.
Knowledge of organization and analysis of case facts and legal precedents.
Knowledge of Federal, state and local jurisdictional aspects of criminal justice system.
Knowledge of legal research methodology.
Ability to provide advisory, litigation and administrative support services to City departments.
Ability to perform comprehensive legal research on matters impacting City operations.
Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
Ability to work independently with little direction.
Ability to prepare and review legal opinions, contracts, ordinances, resolutions and other legal documents.
Ability to establish and maintain positive, effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work.
Ability to maintain regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
Graduation from an accredited school of law with a Juris Doctorate or equivalent degree; or a combination of education, experience, and training that indicates the ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the position listed above.
Licensed to practice law in the State of Washington and a member in good standing of the Washington State Bar Association.
Possession of or the ability to obtain, and maintain throughout employment, a valid Washington State driver's license.

Nice To Haves

Trial experience in civil or criminal law preferred.
Experience in municipal law or general work in the government sector preferred.

Responsibilities

Prosecution of violations of the City's criminal and civil codes.
Reviewing cases, preparing cases for filing, contacting witnesses, preparing documents to be filed in court, preparing cases for trial, trying cases in municipal court, and briefing and arguing appeals before the superior court, courts of appeal, and various administrative bodies.
Advises the Police Department regarding criminal matters.
On a limited basis, may perform some duties relating to civil legal services and may be required to attend City Council meetings and meetings of other administrative bodies.
Operates computers utilizing a variety of software programs, including word processing, database and spreadsheet applications, to produce documents with clearly organized thoughts using proper sentence construction, punctuation, and grammar.
Establishes and maintains positive, effective working relationships with those contacted in the performance of work.
Maintains confidentiality of sensitive and confidential materials.
Maintains regular, reliable and punctual attendance.
Performs other duties as assigned.