Attorney I - County Attorney

Williamson County•Georgetown: 405 MLK, TX

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Reporting directly to a Lead Prosecutor, this role is responsible for adult misdemeanor case intake and screening. The Attorney I represents the state in Justice of the Peace and County Court at Law proceedings. Key duties include making charging decisions, handling Pretrial Intervention Program contract reviews, and conducting legal research. The position involves extensive interaction with various stakeholders including victims, witnesses, law enforcement, defense attorneys, and county personnel. The role may require travel between work sites and may be deemed essential personnel in the event of an emergency, necessitating work outside of normal office hours.

Requirements

Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school
Prior experience with legal research, negotiation skills, and criminal law
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, LexisNexis, Westlaw, and E-file
Valid driver’s license (Required within thirty (30) days of employment)
State Bar of Texas (Required within six (6) months of employment)
Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) certification (Required within six (6) months of employment)
Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) certification (Required within six (6) months of employment)

Nice To Haves

Working knowledge of Odyssey and Jabber
Moot Court or other Trial Practice experience
Working knowledge of the Texas Rules of Evidence, Texas Code of Criminal Procedure, and the Texas Penal Code

Responsibilities

Performs case intake, screens, and follows-up on investigations to include reviewing police reports and evidence submitted by law enforcement agencies.
Drafts investigative requests for additional evidence, makes charging decisions, and drafts charging instruments.
Performs legal research by reading statutes and codes, analytical books, online case research, and specialized practice guides.
Drafts legal documents such as motions, memoranda, and briefs.
Represents the State in Justice of the Peace Courts, which includes travelling to various precincts on a weekly basis to process all criminal cases set for pretrial dockets or contested hearings, negotiates with defense attorneys and pro-se defendants, and represents the State in bench and jury trials.
Represents the State in County Courts at Law, ensuring cases have been appropriately prepared for each docket, working towards resolving the cases while in court, discussing plea options and other case needs with defense attorneys, working alongside probation officers, filing any necessary court documents, and providing information to the Court upon request.
Prepares for and represents the State in contested court hearings, to include reviewing evidence, interviewing witnesses, preparing trial motions, responding to defense motions, preparing trial exhibits, and conducting the hearing (i.e., jury selection, opening statements, witness examination and closing arguments).
Reviews evidence, criminal histories, police reports, and other relevant information, and assists in the handling of discovery requests.
Interviews and communicates with victims and witnesses, and answers questions regarding the criminal justice system.
Represents the State in truancy litigation, to include screening cases and representing the State in Truancy Court hearings.
Communicates with county personnel, elected officials, judges, defense attorneys, victims and witnesses of crime, law enforcement agencies, and the general public on behalf of the County Attorney’s Office.
Attends all meetings and trainings, as required.
Performs special duties as assigned.