Senior Associate Counsel

Pinellas County Sheriff's Office•Pinellas County, FL

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office is seeking an experienced Senior Associate Counsel to join our General Counsel Bureau. This position serves as a trusted legal advisor to the Sheriff, executive leadership, and agency members, providing guidance on a wide range of legal matters that impact daily operations. The successful candidate will bring significant prior experience in independently handling all aspects of motor vehicle accident cases. Prior trial experience in auto negligence litigation and strong litigation, negotiation, and communication skills are required. This is an opportunity to defend one of the largest and most respected sheriff's offices in Florida as it pertains to bodily injury auto negligence litigation. Although the senior associate counsel may also represent the agency in other state and federal court litigation, review contracts and agency policies, and support agency initiatives that help us fulfill our mission of service to the community, this position is primarily for managing legal matters related to agency vehicle crashes and related litigation. The background investigation process may take up to 6 weeks depending upon the complexity of the applicant's background and position for which they've applied. Under the general direction of the General Counsel, the main focus of this position is to provide timely and accurate support regarding all legal issues affecting the agency. Work is reviewed through observation and results obtained.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate from a regionally accredited college or university
Five (5) years of experience as an attorney, at least three (3) of which directly involve auto negligence litigation
Admission to The Florida Bar
Prior experience handling motor vehicle accident litigation and related claims required
Must possess a valid Florida driver’s license
Consideration for this position requires a credit check
Knowledge of State statutes, laws, ordinances and regulations in the County, State and Federal courts, rules of civil, criminal and appellate procedures to respond to legal issues raised
Ability to analyze and organize facts to define legal issues
Ability to conduct legal research to locate relevant laws, regulations, ordinances and relevant cases
Communication skills, both orally and in writing, to clearly and concisely communicate with members and citizens
Problem solving skills to resolve conflicts and answer inquiries
Ability to perform all functions of the job classification without posing a direct threat to the health or safety of other individuals in the workplace

Nice To Haves

Prior trial experience in auto negligence litigation
Strong litigation, negotiation, and communication skills

Responsibilities

Represents the Sheriff’s office on various matters in both State and Federal court
Answers various legal questions posed by the Sheriff and other members of the agency related to their duties
Creates and/or reviews and/or files pleadings and contracts
Prepares and handles all matters related to representation of the Sheriff in forfeiture cases
Responds to inmate and citizen complaints as appropriate
Prepares for and handles all matters related to releases of property which has been taken for safekeeping
Drafts and/or reviews policies and procedures affecting the agency
Provides training on current case law, legal issues and new legislation
Reviews proposed and recently enacted legislation work with FSA and PASS on legislative matters
Participates in Inmate Welfare Committee meetings and provides legal counsel to the Committee
Regular and reliable attendance is required as an essential function of the position
This position is considered essential and, in the event of an emergency or natural disaster, will be required to report to work
Participates in Sheriff’s Office recruitment and community relations activities as directed