Assistant County Attorney

About the role

The Manatee County Attorney’s Office is seeking an Assistant County Attorney to join its team. The County Attorney’s Office comprehensively serves the legal needs of the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners, as the governing body of Manatee County, and renders legal advice to the Board, the County Administrator, and to departments and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Board.

Responsibilities

• Actively practices preventative law by recognizing and addressing possible legal problems before they become problems and designing and conducting training to County staff on legal matters.
• Assists the County Administrator and County staff with the development of administrative policies and procedures which are compliant with law, due process, and other relevant legal concerns.
• Assists the County Attorney in the hiring of Assistant County Attorneys and other personnel of the office.
• Directs and evaluates the work of assigned paralegals and legal assistants and supervises any assigned interns or law clerks.
• Drafts and assists in negotiating leases, licenses, contracts, franchise agreements and similar documents.
• Drafts and presents ordinances and resolutions for consideration and adoption by the Board of County Commissioners.
• Drafts memoranda addressing questions of law or the application of law to facts.
• Litigates or supervises the litigation of cases before state or federal judicial and quasi-judicial officers or bodies, including reviewing, evaluating and drafting pleadings, witness interview and preparation, taking and defending depositions, drafting and responding to discovery requests and drafting and arguing appellate briefs.
• Provides advice and counsel to the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator and other officials as assigned.
• Reviews proposed state or federal legislation and advises the Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator, or County staff or lobbyists as to the legal effects or import of the legislation and assists in drafting proposed legislative amendments as needed.
• Supervises and oversees the work of outside special counsel, including review of work performed and billing statements.
• Undertakes and conducts settlement negotiations without direct supervision subject to approval limits established by County ordinance or policy.

Requirements

• Juris Doctor degree from an ABA accredited law school.
• Florida Bar member in good standing.

Qualifications

• At least three years of experience in any combination of these practice areas: administrative hearings, appellate practice, city/county/local government, contracts, eminent domain, labor and employment, land use, litigation, procurement, public finance and bonds, public utilities, transactional, and real estate.

Skills

• Ability and willingness to work hard, and to spend such time and effort on an assigned matter so as to produce a timely, successful work product.
• Ability to analyze complex factual and legal problems and develop understandable, comprehensive strategies, recommendations or other responses to the client.
• Ability to clearly, effectively, succinctly, confidently, professionally and discreetly communicate, verbally and in writing.
• Ability to effectively oversee and evaluate the work of assigned paralegals and legal assistants.
• Ability to exercise sound independent judgment without the need to consult unnecessarily with the County Attorney on routine matters and discernment regarding his or her duties to keep the County Attorney informed of significant matters.
• Ability to honor the duty of client confidentiality, and to exercise mature discretion with respect to all communications both within and outside of the office.
• Ability to organize, prioritize and manage a significant workload so as to ensure all matters assigned are performed in a timely and thorough manner.
• Ability to remain calm and professional in the face of provocation by opposing counsel, agents of the client, or others.
• Ability to sit at a desk for long periods of time, and to type on a keyboard.
• Ability to travel to conferences, meetings, depositions, trials and the like, both by car and plane.
• Firm working knowledge of the use of online research products such as Westlaw and Lexis, as well as traditional paper case reporters, legal encyclopedias, digests, and the like.
• Knowledge of all relevant County policies and procedures, including the meeting procedures of the Board of County Commissioners.
• Knowledge of all relevant ethical and legal rules governing the practice of law and the conduct of attorneys, including the Rules Regulating the Florida Bar.
• Knowledge of and ability to effectively use modern business and legal software including current Windows operating system, e-mail systems, electronic calendaring and scheduling, word processing programs, and metadata screening software.
• Knowledge of the constitutional, common, administrative and statutory law of Florida relevant to Florida local government and to any assigned practice areas, as well as relevant federal constitutional, common, administrative and statutory law.
• Knowledge of the methods and techniques relevant to effective legal research, and skill in identifying and analyzing information, and ability to express sound judgments based upon findings.
• Working knowledge of rules of evidence, civil procedure and appellate procedures, both in the judicial and quasi-judicial contexts.

Benefits

Manatee County offers a comprehensive benefits package, including a Telecommuting Program.

Pay

Salary range: $75,000 - $100,000 depending on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

Work Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm

Benefits

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): ComPsych – offers all employees and their family members with emotional, financial, legal, and work/life balance support. LAMP counselors available for personal support including emotional, substance abuse, marital, and financial issues.
• Wellbeing Benefits: Wellness/Health Coaches (5 Free per year) On-site Fitness Centers for you and your dependents with 24/7 access Personal Training (5 Free per year) Pharamcy Technician Group Fitness Classes Musculoskeletal Physical Therapy Management Diabetes Care Program Registered Dietician (5 Free per year) Massages with licensed therapist (small copay)
• Miscellaneous Benefits: Workers’ Compensation Training/Seminars Fitness Center Access for employee only FRS options Premium Pay Differentials/Career Ladder Government employee discounts at many retailers and attractions Access to Manatee County Library Services (books, digital services, tools, museum passes).
• Paid Time Off: 12 Paid Holidays including New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Three (3) Personal Holidays Personal Sick Leave Family Sick Leave Sick Leave Bank (Donated Hours) Professional Medical Appointment Leave Bereavement Leave Military Leave Military Training Leave FMLA Vacation Award: Applies to employees regularly scheduled to work 8 hours per day/40 hours per week. Years of Service Vacation Days 0-5 16.25 days 6-10 19.50 days 11+ 22.75 days Eligible employees may earn an additional 2 days of vacation through participation in the Manatee Thrives program.
• Insurance: Award-winning Health Plan with deductibles as low as $0. Dental Insurance Vision Insurance Prescription Insurance Life Insurance (6 times salary at low cost) Long-term and Short-term Disability Insurance Retirement: Florida Retirement System (FRS) with Pension Plan and Investment Plan options. 457b Tax Deferred and ROTH account options through Voya. FRS Webinars Free financial guidance with licensed, non-commissioned financial planner Career Wellness: Professional Leadership Programs Instructor-Led and eLearning Training Premium Pay Differentials/Career Ladders Career Counseling Toastmasters Networking Membership (Manatee Chamber of Commerce, Lakewood Ranch Business Alliance) Employee Recognition Programs with monetary and time-off awards Education Benefits: Tuition Reimbursement eligible after six (6) months of Public Service, including GED reimbursement. Continuing Education support through Training/Seminars and Premium Pay Differentials/Career Ladder. Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Flexible Spending Account: Options for Health Care and Dependent Care Spending Accounts providing pre-tax savings.