Job Title: Assistant State’s Attorney, Civil Actions Bureau (Prosecutorial Litigation)

Reports to: Supervisor of the Prosecutorial Litigation section and Chief of the Civil Defense division

Location: Daley Center

Bureau: Civil Actions Bureau

Division/Section: Civil Defense division, Prosecutorial Litigation section

Salary: $94,714-$171,292. Salary is provided by law; however, individual compensation is based on various factors unique to each candidate, including skill set, years and quality of experience. Any salary offered is determined by the Chief of Staff and is non-negotiable.

Note: The Cook County State's Attorney's Office does not sponsor H1-B work visa petitions.

General Description: The Civil Actions Bureau of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is seeking an experienced civil litigation attorney to join our Prosecutorial Litigation section as an Assistant State’s Attorney (ASA). ASAs in this section are responsible for managing high-exposure cases of a complex nature in matters filed against Cook County and its agencies and officials, including managing outside counsel on matters in which such counsel have been appointed to assist the CCSAO. Attorneys will be responsible for handling matters from the inception of the case including leading the trial and appellate process. All of our practice groups are highly collegial and collaborative. The Civil Actions Bureau is a great place both for experts in their substantive area of practice and those who are just beginning to develop a specific litigation skillset.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Will be assigned to defend Cook County officials and employees in any civil action filed against them in their official capacity, including defense of suits against government officials and entities involving Section 1983.
• Will litigate motions, petitions, bench and jury trials in both federal and state court.
• Expected to work closely with county agencies and officials to represent the office and the interests of Cook County.
• Expected to work closely with outside counsel representing current and former government employees.
• Able to work well with people from diverse communities, work independently, have excellent time management skills and be self-initiating.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Applicants must possess a law degree (J.D.) from an accredited law school.
• Be either a member in good standing with the Illinois bar, or eligible for admission to Illinois bar on Motion (reciprocity).
• Must have at least 4 years of civil litigation experience.
• Must have excellent organizational skills and meet all deadlines.
• Must have excellent legal research and writing abilities.
• Must demonstrate the ability to articulate sound legal arguments both orally and in writing, as well as articulate the rationale for decisions made.
• Must manage discovery effectively and efficiently, including filing appropriate objections including motions to quash.
• Must demonstrate a solid work ethic and show attention to detail and accountability.
• Must have the ability to work independently as well as be part of a team, including support staff and non-attorney clients.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Significant federal civil rights (Section 1983) litigation experience, including but not limited to: fact, medical, and expert depositions; motions to dismiss; motions for summary judgment; and jury trials.
• At least 3 years of criminal litigation experience.
• Experience representing government clients.
• Experience in malicious prosecution and/or wrongful incarceration defense.
• Experience in class action defense.
• Experience retaining and managing expert witnesses.
• Experience working on appeals.
• Achievements demonstrating creative thinking and legal analysis.

Working Environment: In this role, the Assistant State’s Attorney will be assigned to the Daley Center in Chicago, Illinois and will be expected to attend court virtually and in person, as required by individual federal and state court judges. An Assistant State’s Attorney in the Civil Actions Bureau typically handles their case load independently, but with plentiful training and support, and a wealth of opportunities for collaboration.

Physical Requirements:

Light work. Light work involves lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time with frequent lifting or carrying of objects weighing up to 10 pounds. Even though the weight lifted may be very little, a job is in this category when it requires a good deal of walking or standing, or when it involves sitting most of the time with some pushing and pulling of arm or leg controls. To be considered capable of performing a full or wide range of light work, you must have the ability to do substantially all these activities. If someone can do light work, we determine that he or she can also do sedentary work, unless there are additional limiting factors such as loss of fine dexterity or inability to sit for long periods of time.

Equal Employment Opportunity

EEO Message: The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) is an equal opportunity employer, which seeks to recruit, develop, and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. The CCSAO does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, national origin, age, physical and mental disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. Upon request, the CCSAO will provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals due to a disability or pregnancy. The EEOP report can be found on our website at www.cookcountystatesattorney.org.

Benefits

At Cook County, we believe in investing in you, our valued employee. We understand that your well-being directly impacts the quality of service we provide to our community. That's why we offer a comprehensive and competitive benefits package designed to support your health, financial stability, and work-life balance. Here's a snapshot of what we offer:

Choose from a variety of medical, dental, and vision plans to best suit your lifestyle and needs. We provide a robust Paid Time Off (PTO) program, including vacation, personal, and sick leave, as well as 13 paid holidays. As a public service employer, our employees may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Our Employee Assistance Program offers confidential counseling and referral services to help you navigate life's challenges. And of course, a pension plan through Cook County.

Follow this link to the Cook County Benefits and this link to Cook County Pension Fund if you want to learn more about our amazing benefit coverage. The CCSAO does not provide relocation assistance.