Closing Date: 30th October, 2026

Description:

Job Announcement:
The County Attorney's Office is seeking an attorney with exceptional legal knowledge and skills in handling employment law matters and civil defense litigation. The position is in the Office of the County Attorney's Personnel Section.

The successful applicant will counsel and represent County agencies and employees in multiple areas including employment law, collective bargaining, constitutional law, workers' compensation, property damage, personal injury and alleged civil rights violations. The position will represent County agencies in employee grievances and in matters before the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission and will handle litigation in state and federal courts and before state administrative agencies while providing legal advice to County agencies.

The position requires strong litigation and trial skills and the demonstrated ability to manage cases from inception to completion including conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, drafting and arguing motions and briefs, and conducting bench or jury trial. The successful applicant must also possess excellent writing skills, including the ability to analyze complex legal issues and prepare motions, briefs and other court filings.

This position also offers the opportunity to analyze proposed policies and legislation and assess their potential impact on the County and its programs. It provides an excellent opportunity to work in a collegial environment on a wide range of issues involving the interplay of federal, state, and local law. Depending on the attorney's years of practice, subject to HR approval, the offer may exceed midpoint of the advertised pay grade range.

The Office of the County Attorney functions as in-house counsel to the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive, and County departments. Led by County Attorney Elizabeth D. Teare—the County's first female County Attorney appointed in 2016—our office has a distinguished history. Multiple alumni have been appointed by the General Assembly to serve as judges in local courts. Our attorneys actively lead the Virgina State Bar, the Fairfax Bar Association, the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, and the Virginia Law Foundation. The LGA Cherin Award is named after retired Deputy County Attorney Bob Cherin for his distinguished public service. The Virginia Law Foundation's Bobzien-Gaither Education Center is, in part, named after former County Attorney David P. Bobzien, who served as the president of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Law Foundation.

Fairfax County is the largest jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia (1.2m+ residents and more than 13,000 employees). and is widely recognized for superior management, earning the prestigious ICMA Certificate of Excellence for 13 consecutive years. County employees are eligible for superb benefits. Highlights of the county's benefits packages are: Retirement: A defined-benefit pension plan plus a deferred compensation plan (457); Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, alongside a robust workforce wellness program and Employee Assistance Program. Generous Time Off: Including paid holidays, paid family leave (up to 6 weeks per 12-month period for qualified events), sick leave, and annual leave.

Note: Applicants must include a writing sample attached to their application to receive full consideration.

Schedule: Work hours may extend beyond the normal business day and may include evenings, weekends, or holidays as necessary to meet workload demands, filing deadlines and legal requirements.

Employment Standards:
Minimum Qualifications:
Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. Any combination of education and experience equivalent to four years of experience as a practicing attorney.

Underfill Requirements:

This vacancy may be filled at the level of Assistant County Attorney III (Grade L03 – $93,964.42 to $164,437.73). The employment standards for Assistant County Attorney III are: Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. Any combination of education and experience equivalent to one year of experience as a practicing attorney. Upon the successful completion of the 12-month probationary period and after reaching a total of 4 years of experience, Assistant County Attorney III employees are eligible for a non-competitive appointment to the Assistant County Attorney V level.
Click here to view the complete details and KSAs for the Assistant County Attorney III. (https://secure.neogov.com/classspec/detail/6669f3c3e28cee7239643d14e900d177)
Upon completion of an underfill agreement (which will require that the employee meets the employment standards above, in addition to attaining competencies defined by the hiring agency), the employee will be elevated to the level of Assistant County Attorney V.
Underfill candidates must be able to meet the minimum qualifications of Assistant County Attorney V within two years of the job announcement's closing date of October 30, 2026.

Certificates and Licenses Required:
Virginia State Bar License in Good Standing (Required)

Necessary Special Requirements:

Confidential Position: This position is designated as confidential under the County's Collective Bargaining Ordinance. This position assists and acts in a confidential capacity to persons who formulate, determine, and effectuate management policies with regard to labor relations.
The appointee to the position must complete a Statement of Economic Interest form prior to starting work.
The appointee to the position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

Preferred Qualifications:

Demonstrated experience in employment law and/or labor negotiations.
Demonstrated excellent writing and public speaking skills.
Collective bargaining experience, to include drafting labor relations contracts, negotiating bargaining agreements, and/or experience before labor relations board.
Litigation experience in state/federal court and/or the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.
Demonstrated experience arguing motions in state and federal court.
Demonstrated experience drafting motions and briefs in state and federal court.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer.
Ability to travel to various locations throughout Fairfax County to provide coverage, attend meetings and trainings.
Must communicate with others.
All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

Selection Procedure:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) (https://www.fairfaxcounty.gov/demographics/fairfax-county-general-overview) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

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Requisition 26-01499