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NEOGOV · 3 days ago

Staff Attorney-District Court-Valley City

Valley City, ND

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$115K/yr - $115K/yr

2+ years exp

NEOGOV is part of the North Dakota Court System, which offers rewarding career opportunities in public service. The Staff Attorney-District Court is responsible for providing extensive legal research and analysis of legal issues and cases pending before the North Dakota District Courts, assisting judges and judicial referees in drafting judicial orders and providing support services on related matters.

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Responsibilities

Conducts in-depth legal research and analysis of legal precedents, statutes, regulations, and legislative history for all judges and judicial referees in the district

Reviews case records, including briefs and transcripts/recordings of prior hearings when necessary

Drafts findings and orders for the district court judges and judicial referees on complex cases in all areas of the law, including civil, criminal, juvenile, family law, and administrative appeals

Edits draft opinions prepared by other law clerk staff, judges, and judicial referees and offers changes in style or content

Reviews legal analysis and proofreads findings and orders for both style and content

Confers with judges and judicial referees on pending cases

Provides background research and analysis on the law and facts

Provides summary and analysis of relevant similar issues faced by other judges in the district and resolution of prior similar cases

Identifies nuances in the cases and suggests areas that will need clarification at any hearing

Suggests possible resolutions and alerts judges to any possible concerns or appealable issues surrounding proposed resolutions of issues

Drafts jury instructions and special verdict forms for upcoming trials

Conducts necessary research for judges to make a determination on any requested special jury instructions and to make a determination on relevant pattern instructions

Confers with judges regarding closing instructions and drafts closing instructions

Assists judges through ongoing complex trials

Provides insight and legal analysis on trial matters as requested by judges, including objections, in-chamber conferences, and motions made through trial

Conducts in-depth legal research during the trials to provide the judges with the necessary law for making quick decisions and rulings as issues arise during trial

Drafts orders for judges after complex bench trials

Attends entire bench trial if requested and analyzes testimony and evidence presented to the assigned judge

Suggests possible resolution and drafts final findings and order as requested by the assigned judge

In districts with multiple law clerks, if assigned by the presiding judge of the district, may supervise the term law clerk

Supervision may include: reviewing resumes and application materials, conducting interviews, making hiring decisions, training, orientating, answering questions, and mentoring on cases and legal issues

Accurately records, transcribes, and certifies the record of court and jury trial proceedings, unless it is prepared by a third party, by computer-aided equipment per state and appellate requirements

Responsibility also requires taking court notes during hearings to identify appearances and to note significant events during the hearing and to locate and present prior testimony

Requires travel to other counties within and outside of the district for court proceedings assigned to the district judge or referee

Performs clerking duties in courtroom, administers oath, marks documents, maintains logs and other forms, and transfers storage devices, files, and records to the clerk of district court for reference

Performs other duties of a comparable level or type or as assigned

Qualification

Juris doctor degreeNorth Dakota law licenseLegal researchLegal writingCourt procedures knowledgeLegal analysisCommunication skillsOrganizational skillsAttention to detailTeamwork

Required

Juris doctor degree from an accredited law school

2 years of related experience conducting legal research, preparing or presenting cases in state courts. Any combination of education, training, or experience which demonstrates the ability to successfully complete the major responsibilities and essential functions may be substituted for the experience requirement

North Dakota law license or ability to obtain within one year of job entry

Valid driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility

If assigned recording duties, then requires AAERT (American Association of Electronic Reporters and Transcribers) CER (certified electronic court reporter) certification or ability to obtain within six months of job entry. A comparable certification by another state court or federal court may be substituted for the AAERT certification