Special Asst City Attorney/ Special Assistant United States Attorney

City of Chattanooga•Chattanooga, TN

21d•Onsite

About The Position

The incumbent in this position will be named a Special Assistant United States Attorney and function full-time as a federal prosecutor in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee. Incumbents are responsible for working in partnership with law enforcement agencies (federal, state, and local) to assist the City of Chattanooga; identifying appropriate targets for federal intervention; coordinating federal investigations; appearing in federal court on behalf of the United States; and prosecuting violent drug traffickers. The Special Assistant City Attorney is a stand-alone position.

Requirements

Juris Doctorate Degree and two (2) years work experience in litigation, with a preference for experience in criminal litigation.
Possess and maintain a legal practice license from any state bar, or specific state bar where the federal district is located and obtain admission to practice in federal courts. If a City vehicle is operated, a valid vehicle operator license is required.
Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules and the democratic political process; the Justice Manual, Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, the Federal Rules of Evidence and Rules of Professional Conduct; the judicial system; caseload management techniques; human behavior; policies, procedures, and strategies to promote effective local, state, or national security operations for the protection of people, data, property, and institutions; legal terminology; negotiation and conflict resolution principles and practices; confidentiality procedures; investigation techniques; library or online internet research techniques and research methodology for legal issues and cases; and interviewing procedures.
Skill in observing, receiving and obtaining information from all relevant sources such as interviewing crime witnesses or victims to obtain descriptive information; obtaining information from witnesses, attorneys or litigants; reviewing federal criminal prosecution procedures; searching legal records; analyzing information and evaluating the costs/benefits of potential actions to choose the best option; evaluating information to determine compliance with applicable standards, laws and procedures; examining data against legal precedents; negotiating, handling complaints, settling disputes and resolving conflicts; communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government and other external sources; developing working relationships with others; providing customer service; making presentations; writing legal correspondence and documents; organizing, planning and prioritizing work; identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities and detecting changes in circumstances or events; interpreting the meaning of information for others; communicating with supervisors, peers or subordinates; compiling evidence for court actions and court cases; conducting legal research; identifying laws or court decisions relevant to pending cases laws or court decisions relevant to pending cases; and using a personal computer to complete work assignments using word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and other related computer software programs.

Responsibilities

Appears in federal court on behalf of the United States at all stages of criminal litigation.
Identifies and evaluates cases appropriate for federal prosecution, satisfying state and federal interests, by working with the Chattanooga Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and other law enforcement partners.
Coordinates the identification of these cases with the District Attorney General and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Reviews and drafts criminal complaints and search warrants in compliance with the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure.
Prepares prosecution memoranda, providing factual summaries of investigations, identifying defendants, listing potential charges, briefing potential issues, and detailing evidence supporting such charges.
Prepares indictments and presents cases to the federal grand jury.
Prosecutes cases in compliance with procedures specified in the Justice Manual, the Local Rules of Court, the procedures established for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, Federal Rules of Evidence, and Rules of Professional Conduct.
Handles sentencing proceedings, including reviewing presentence investigation reports, lodging and/or responding to objections, and advocating for sentences consistent with the United States Sentencing Guidelines and federal law.
Assists in the training of the Chattanooga Police Department as well as other law enforcement agencies working in the Chattanooga area.
Partners and works with community groups involved with the Project Safe Neighborhood programs to effectively incorporate the prosecution aspect of these programs with the other goals of training, outreach, reentry, and deterrence.
Must meet regular attendance requirements.
Must be able to maintain good interpersonal relationships with staff, co-workers, managers, and citizens.
Must accomplish the essential functions of the job, with or without reasonable accommodations, in a timely manner.
Perform other duties as assigned.