This position is being filled by appointment due to the absence of any qualified candidate filing for election for the 2027-2030 term. Therefore, a successful applicant will be hired to complete the remainder of the current term, which ends in 2026. The individual may also be considered for appointment to the full four-year term beginning in 2027.

The County Attorney is responsible for litigating and/or overseeing the litigation of all criminal and civil legal proceedings involving Red Lake County and advising elected officials and department heads concerning legal issues and concerns; and overall responsibility for the actions, functions and personnel of the County Attorney’s Office. The County Attorney's Office consists of two employees, Legal Secretary and Crime Victim Advocate

Duties and Responsibilities

• Prosecutes felony, gross misdemeanors and misdemeanor criminal offenses and city ordinances for cities in Red Lake County.
• Reviews police reports and evidence to determine proper charging; to prepare criminal complaints and paperwork. 
• Prepares for, researches, conducts legal analysis, conducts court and jury trials, and attends court hearings. 
• Drafts a variety of legal documents such as criminal complaints, motions, briefs, warrants, orders to show cause, etc. 
• Represents the County in appeals and in both civil and criminal cases.
• Represents Social Services and the public interest in matters pertaining to guardianships, CHIP cases, child support, paternity, conservatorships, probate and contracting issues. Performs legal research, prepares legal documents, attends court hearings and provides legal advice to unit personnel.
• Serves as legal counsel for the County Board and County departments in civil administrative matters. Responds to legal inquiries from County Board members, County department heads and staff.

1. 1. Researches issues in a timely manner to provide accurate legal counsel and risk management advice. Advises the Board and departments concerning their legal duties and responsibilities. 
   2. Reviews all County contracts, drafts resolutions, memorandums or other legal documents.
   3. Assists the Highway Department with contract reviews and property acquisition transactions (i.e. easements and procurements).
   4. Attends County Board meetings and offers legal advice, compiles with and furnishes requested information.

• Plans, prepares, defends and administers the approved budget for the County Attorney’s Office.
• Provides direction and supervision to the Legal Secretary in the performance of their assigned duties and responsibilities.
• Performs other duties of a comparable level or type, as required.

1. 1. Keeps abreast of changing legislation, trends and developments in areas of responsibility.
   2. Participates, attends and/or serves on various committees, professional organizations conferences, as appropriate.

Minimum Requirements

Requires a minimum of a JD Degree from an accredited law school and licensed to practice Law in the State of MN.  Must successfully complete a background check. Must be able to obtain a Minnesota Driver’s License or evidence of equivalent mobility.

A.      Obtain and maintain certifications and licensures.
B.      Ability to work extended, evening and weekend hours as needed.
C.      Ability to travel within Minnesota.
D.      Must comply with organizational and departmental policies.
E.      Performs physical/mental demands of the work environment requirements for this position.
F.      Attendance during regularly scheduled work hours, and outside regular hours, as necessary.
G.     Effective and respectful communication and interactions with other employees, supervisors, individuals from other organizations, and citizen customers.
H.     Must comply with data practices policies and standards relative to not public data. Any access to not public data should be strictly limited to accessing the data that are necessary to fulfill the employment responsibility. While data are being accessed, incumbent should take reasonable measures to ensure the not public data are not accessed by individuals without a work reason. Once the work reason to access the data is reasonably finished the not public data must be properly stored according to county policies and the Minnesota Statutes.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of principles, concepts, practices and standards of the legal professional including rules of conduct, rules of evidence, rules of court, civil and criminal procedures/processes.
• Thorough knowledge of state, federal and local laws and statutes applicable to areas of practice.
• Knowledge of negotiation techniques and processes.
• Knowledge of court processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of the principles, techniques, methods, and resources of legal research.
• Knowledge of principles, concepts and practices pertaining to legal arguments.
• Supervisory and management fundamentals.
• Principles, issues and processes involved in contract review and drafting.
• Knowledge of county organizational structure and functions.
• Oral, presentational, and written communications.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with department personnel, judges, attorneys, clients, witnesses, law enforcement professionals, County staff, elected officials, and the public.
• Conducting legal research, analyzing and interpreting legal data and matters of law.
• Managing, directing, evaluating, and providing leadership in directing administration functions and staff of the department.
• Public relation skills in dealing with the media and community regarding requests for information involving legal matters.
• Preparing cases for legal proceedings and in presentation of legal matters in various legal proceedings and hearings.
• Advising and providing direction to elected officials and departments concerning varied legal issues, opinions and matters of law.
• Applying and determining appropriate course of actions on cases based upon matters of law, fact and legal research.
• Making appropriate decisions with respect to negotiations and settlements, when appropriate.
• Persuasion, negotiation and advocacy based upon the merits of individual issues and the information present.
• Preparing legal documents, pleadings, memoranda, briefs, stipulations or other legal/court documents in a clear and concise manner.
• Performing responsibilities of the job under pressure, court deadlines, political ramifications, and project deadlines.
• Conflict resolution and organizational skills.

Benefits

This is a Full-time position and is eligible for employee benefits.

County benefits include:

• PERA (Public Employee Retirement Association of Minnesota)
• Paid single coverage health insurance (2 health insurance options)
• Paid life insurance policy with matching AD&D
• Paid AD&D policy
• Additional voluntary benefits available to employee

Document Center

The Document Center provides easy access to public documents. Click on one of the categories below to see related documents or use the search function.

Search for file name:

Categories always sorted by seq (sub-categories sorted within each category)
Documents sorted by SEQ in Ascending Order within category

RESET