Description:

Job Summary:
Reporting directly to the Chief Civil Attorney, responsible for representing the State in a broad range of civil matters, including representing the State of Texas in juvenile cases within A Government Entity and conducting court proceedings throughout the life of the case as well assisting with all other civil divisions to include Juvenile, Family Justice, bond forfeiture proceedings, mental health commitments and Public Information Requests.

Examples of Work Performed:

Provides support and assistance to the Civil Division Chief in performing all duties related to defense representation of the County or County officials in civil litigation, tort claims, civil rights claims/Section 1983 litigation, employment claims, and other civil issues, including discovery, mediations, trials, and appeals
Provides in-depth research briefs on a wide variety of topics pertaining to civil law
Provides legal advice and counsel to county officials on legal inquiries and requests for opinions related to varied areas of law and the official's duties pursuant to law
Executes responsibilities for communication with claimants or attorneys representing claimants regarding conclusions
Drafts pleadings and response motions to include but not limited to Motions to Quash, plea to the Jurisdiction, Motions to Transfer, and Application for Appointment of Guardian
Provides representation and assistance to the Bail Bond Board
Conducts legal research and analysis in preparation for legal briefs, pleadings, and motions to be filed and argued in court regarding litigation pending against the County and/or County officials and employees
Performs contract or document review, or preparation of contracts and other legal documents
Prepares training materials and provides training and counsel to local law enforcement agencies on legal matters pertaining to the investigation and processing of criminal and civil matters
Communicates with outside agencies and county personnel, including department heads, law enforcement, elected officials, county employees, attorneys, and opposing attorneys
Interfaces with other law enforcement agencies and governmental departments for interagency transfers
Provides back-up duties and responsibilities as needed for all other attorneys within the Civil Division (i.e., Juvenile, Public Information Requests, Mental Health, Civil Litigation, Family Justice Division) and represents county departments, cross trains to basic proficiency in each of these areas
Periodically attends Commissioner's Court open and executive sessions to offer legal advice and counsel
Attends all meetings and trainings, as required
Performs special duties as assigned

Mental Health Assignment

Performs work on mental health matters and litigation related to representing the State in mental health civil commitment cases
Represents the State in Probable Cause and Civil Commitment hearings which includes evaluating updated medical records, communicating with mental health facilities, and interviewing, preparing, and eliciting testimony from social workers, doctors, family members, and other witnesses as necessary
Represents the State on Applications for Court Order to Administer Psychoactive Medication hearings, including reviewing and providing legal analysis on filing determinations on Applications for Court Order to Administer Psychoactive Medication and orders to receive restoration treatment
Conducts legal research on nuanced and complex mental health issues and presents findings to assist other prosecutors in the office
Conducts legal analysis in reviewing of applications for emergency detention and commitment hearings
Drafts pleadings and response motions, including but not limited to Application for Appointment of Permanent Guardian, Proposed Order Setting Hearing, Proposed Order Appointing Attorney Ad Litem, and other legal documents necessary for all mental health hearings
Participates as representative from the County Attorney's Office at the Crisis Response Team Meetings, Mental Health Round Table Meetings, Strategic Intercept Mapping (SIM), and Multi-Disciplinary Team Meetings
Creates and presents trainings to medical and mental health facility staff on relevant issues that are targeted to facilitate efficient processing of cases and collaboration between the facility and County Attorney's Office

Public Information Act Assignment

Responds to or provides advice on Rule 12 and Public Information Act (PIA) requests and, when necessary, prepares requests for rulings with legal briefs for submission to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG)
Consults regularly with the OAG regarding specialized questions on complex PIA requests
Conducts legal research and analysis in preparation for legal opinions to County officials, briefs in litigation, or OAG Opinion requests
Reviews OAG rulings on brief submissions for PIA requests and provides redactions necessary on responsive information per OAG rulings
Reviews all responsive information in PIA requests from responsive departments and provides legal redactions as necessary; prepares information for submission in exhibits for OAG ruling requests
Regularly organizes and filters various documents of responsive information and provides necessary redactions for public information requested
Prepares and presents trainings on cost-estimates and how to properly calculate the labor hours, overhead costs, copies, scanned documents, and inspection costs under the PIA

Family Justice Division Assignment

Provides counsel to TDFPS, as well as other county offices, regarding any legal inquiries or questions related to CPS and child welfare matters
Provides training to department caseworkers on investigations, Family Based Safety Services, conservatorships, and adoptions
Responds to community inquiries regarding family cases and refers to community resources when appropriate
Represents the department in cases following a final order until the children achieve permanency
Staffs, reviews, and provides counsel regarding new cases; reviews intake documents such as petition, orders of protection, order to appoint attorneys, order to set hearings, affidavits, and protective orders
Prepares cases for statutory and review hearings; reviews files, prepares client, and prepares orders

Juvenile Assignment

Research and advises multiple law enforcement agencies on complex criminal juvenile cases, juvenile law, and changes in the law, including evidence acquisition through search warrants or other legal processes and legal interviews of juvenile suspects and witnesses
Advises Juvenile Services on judicial proceedings, referral to court, Chapter 55 proceedings, Interstate Compact for Juveniles, juvenile records, confidentiality, sealings, detention hearings, adjudications, rehabilitation methods, and dispositions
Provides legal research, analysis, and counsel to internal staff and law enforcement regarding juvenile law
Staffs violent felony offenses and sexually related offenses to determine the qualifications of delinquency or a petition to transfer to adult court, including, but not limited to, Aggravated Sexual Assaults, Aggravated Assaults, Capital Murder, Manslaughter, and other weapon related offenses
Processes Announcement Dockets and Plea Dockets by handling cases in court, discussing cases with defense attorneys and WCJS personnel, filing of court documents, and responding to the Judge's questions and requests

Organization Relationships
Reports directly to – Chief Civil Attorney
Direct Reports – No

Physical Demands:
Position involves prolonged sitting at a workstation, visual examination of documents, reaching, walking, twisting, bending, standing and occasional lifting/carrying

Environmental Factors:

Work is primarily indoors in an air-conditioned environment
Regular travel between work sites as required
High stress, pressure of deadlines, and case management under limited time constraints

Irregular Hours

Work outside of the normal office hours (Monday-Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.) may be required
May be deemed essential personnel in the event of an emergency

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by individuals assigned to this job. They are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified in this position. This job description is subject to change as the needs and requirements of the job change.

Minimum Qualifications:

Doctor of Jurisprudence from an accredited law school and five (5) years of experience in a county or district attorney office, city attorney, or other governmental attorney with experience in areas related to the job duties; or six (6) years of civil law experience as an attorney in relevant areas
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, LexisNexis, and Westlaw

Licenses and Certifications:
Required:
State B