What are the responsibilities and job description for the Attorney I / II / III / IV (Criminal) position at Dakota County?
General Description
POSTING TYPE: Open Competitive
DEPARTMENT: County Attorney
HOURS: Full-time
LOCATION: Hastings
UNION: Attorney Employee's Association
CLOSE DATE: Monday, November 16, 2026, at 4:30 pm
SALARY RANGE: The position level at which the offer is extended is based on the candidate's ability to meet the minimum qualifications and the candidates' relevant years of experience.
*** Attorney I: $92,218 - $144,090 ***
*** Attorney II: $103,284 - $161,381 ***
*** Attorney III & IV: $115,678 - $180,748 ***
What You'll Do
Attorneys at Dakota County are assigned to handle the prosecution of criminal cases; or to provide civil legal services to Dakota County departments and provide legal representation to and on behalf of Dakota County; and other responsibilities as determined by the County Attorney. Under minimal supervision, the Attorney I/II/III performs work of varied and basic or routine difficulty in criminal or civil law. This posting will be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Who We Are
Dakota County is Minnesota’s third largest county and home to more than 400,000 residents. We strive every day to achieve excellence in public service, with a focus on four values: Service, Integrity, People, and Innovation.
The Dakota County Attorney's Office welcomes and is inclusive of diverse people, backgrounds, and perspectives. The Office aims to reflect the community and clients it serves and fosters an equitable and respectful working environment where everyone is empowered to be their authentic selves.
Minimum Qualifications
These examples do not include all possible tasks in this work and do not limit the assignment of related tasks in any position of this classification. Regular attendance according to the position's management approved work schedule is required for all positions.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities And Work Environment
Work is performed within a County office building. Lifting requirement of up to 20 pounds on an occasional basis. Equipment used may include, but is not limited to computer, laptop, projector, printer, scanner, telephone, and copy and fax machine.
Location & Schedule
Currently this is a hybrid position that offers a mix of telework and in-person work at our Judicial Center in Hastings, MN. Work is performed Monday through Friday during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Benefits
01
Please initial the box below to CONFIRM that you understand that a background check including but not limited to criminal, employment, driving, and educational check may be conducted upon acceptance of a position.
03
Do you have a Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school?
Are you currently licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota?
How many years of full-time equivalent criminal trial work experience do you have as a licensed attorney?
Convert any part-time experience to full years (i.e. 20 hours week for 2 years equals 1 year full time). Do not round up years of experience (i.e. 2 yrs. 9 mos. would equal 2 years). Apply this formula to all questions regarding number of years of full-time equivalent experience.
Which option best describes your criminal trial work experience?
How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have practicing as a licensed attorney in a City, County or District Attorney's Office, Attorney General's Office, or other public law office?
Describe your response to the question above. If you have no experience, write "none."
09
Your response to this question will help Dakota County evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment sources for this specific position. Please select the one source that most closely describes how you first learned about this opportunity.
Other organization not listed above. Please describe.
POSTING TYPE: Open Competitive
DEPARTMENT: County Attorney
HOURS: Full-time
LOCATION: Hastings
UNION: Attorney Employee's Association
CLOSE DATE: Monday, November 16, 2026, at 4:30 pm
SALARY RANGE: The position level at which the offer is extended is based on the candidate's ability to meet the minimum qualifications and the candidates' relevant years of experience.
*** Attorney I: $92,218 - $144,090 ***
*** Attorney II: $103,284 - $161,381 ***
*** Attorney III & IV: $115,678 - $180,748 ***
What You'll Do
Attorneys at Dakota County are assigned to handle the prosecution of criminal cases; or to provide civil legal services to Dakota County departments and provide legal representation to and on behalf of Dakota County; and other responsibilities as determined by the County Attorney. Under minimal supervision, the Attorney I/II/III performs work of varied and basic or routine difficulty in criminal or civil law. This posting will be used to fill multiple vacancies.
Who We Are
Dakota County is Minnesota’s third largest county and home to more than 400,000 residents. We strive every day to achieve excellence in public service, with a focus on four values: Service, Integrity, People, and Innovation.
The Dakota County Attorney's Office welcomes and is inclusive of diverse people, backgrounds, and perspectives. The Office aims to reflect the community and clients it serves and fosters an equitable and respectful working environment where everyone is empowered to be their authentic selves.
Minimum Qualifications
- Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school.
- Licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota by the date of hire.
- The minimum qualifications listed above are written at the Attorney I level. You must meet these minimum requirements in order to continue in the recruitment and selection process.
These examples do not include all possible tasks in this work and do not limit the assignment of related tasks in any position of this classification. Regular attendance according to the position's management approved work schedule is required for all positions.
- Provide advice to law enforcement personnel, child protection workers, adult protection workers, and others regarding their legal authority, responsibilities, and potential liabilities associated with the investigation of criminal activity.
- Review investigative reports pertaining to criminal activity to determine the appropriateness of a criminal prosecution.
- Comply with Dakota County Attorney charging and disposition guidelines for the charging and resolution of matters referred to the office for prosecution.
- Draft complaints, petitions, warrants, motions, memoranda, findings, orders, stipulations, appellate briefs, and post-conviction memoranda in support of an investigation of criminal activity and related prosecution(s).
- Prepare assigned cases for contested hearings, trials or appellate arguments.
- Meet with victims and/or witnesses of criminal activity for the purposes of explaining law, court rules, court procedures, evidentiary rules, and case dispositions.
- Represent the State of Minnesota and Dakota County in various state and federal courts at pretrial, trial, sentencing, appellate hearings, and post-conviction proceedings related to the prosecution of criminal activity.
- Provide training for law enforcement agencies, social workers and others regarding applicable developments in the law.
- Attend staff meetings and other required meetings.
- Perform other duties as assigned by the Criminal Division Head, Assistant Criminal Division Head, Chief Deputy, or County Attorney.
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities And Work Environment
- Basic knowledge of constitutional, statutory and case law.
- Basic knowledge of court rules.
- Basic knowledge of rules of evidence.
- Basic knowledge of Rules of Professional Responsibility.
- Ability to analyze facts in light of applicable law.
- Ability to plan, organize and present a case.
Work is performed within a County office building. Lifting requirement of up to 20 pounds on an occasional basis. Equipment used may include, but is not limited to computer, laptop, projector, printer, scanner, telephone, and copy and fax machine.
Location & Schedule
Currently this is a hybrid position that offers a mix of telework and in-person work at our Judicial Center in Hastings, MN. Work is performed Monday through Friday during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Benefits
- Comprehensive and affordable medical, dental, vision, and other benefits.
- Excellent work-life balance.
- Generous paid time off (accrual rate starts at four weeks per year).
- Eleven paid holidays and one floating holiday per calendar year.
- Pension with a generous employer contribution.
- Ability to work from home some of the time.
- You submit an online application that includes supplemental questions.
- We assign you a score based on your qualifications.
- Top scoring candidates are referred to the hiring manager for interview consideration.
- We conduct background and reference checks before hiring.
01
- Applicants for this recruitment will be rated based on their answers to the supplemental questions listed below and application materials. It is IMPERATIVE that information provided on the application and resume is detailed and clearly outlines your work experience & skills. It must also support and/or match answers to the supplemental questions. Please initial the box below to CONFIRM that the information provided is accurate and true to the best of your knowledge. Falsification may result in disqualification from consideration for this and subsequent recruitments with Dakota County for up to three years.
Please initial the box below to CONFIRM that you understand that a background check including but not limited to criminal, employment, driving, and educational check may be conducted upon acceptance of a position.
03
Do you have a Juris Doctorate Degree from an accredited law school?
- Yes
- No
Are you currently licensed to practice law in the State of Minnesota?
- Yes
- No
- No, but will be licensed in Minnesota by the date of hire.
How many years of full-time equivalent criminal trial work experience do you have as a licensed attorney?
Convert any part-time experience to full years (i.e. 20 hours week for 2 years equals 1 year full time). Do not round up years of experience (i.e. 2 yrs. 9 mos. would equal 2 years). Apply this formula to all questions regarding number of years of full-time equivalent experience.
- Less than 5 years
- 5 years
- 6 years
- 7 years
- 8 years
- 9 years
- 10 years
- No relevant experience
Which option best describes your criminal trial work experience?
- 20 or more felony jury trials through verdict
- 10 or more felony jury trials through verdict
- 5 or more felony jury trials through verdict
- Less than 5 felony jury trials through verdict
- No criminal trial experience
How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have practicing as a licensed attorney in a City, County or District Attorney's Office, Attorney General's Office, or other public law office?
- Do not include time spent as a judicial law clerk, law clerk, or intern with a public or private agency or law firm in your response. Convert any part-time experience to full years (i.e. 20 hours week for 2 years equals 1 year full time). Do not round up years of experience (i.e. 2 yrs. 9 mos. would equal 2 years). Apply this formula to all questions regarding number of years of full-time equivalent experience.
- Less than 1 year
- 1 years
- 2 years
- 3 years
- 4 years
- 5 years
- No relevant experience
Describe your response to the question above. If you have no experience, write "none."
09
Your response to this question will help Dakota County evaluate the effectiveness of recruitment sources for this specific position. Please select the one source that most closely describes how you first learned about this opportunity.
- Friend, Family or Colleague
- InDeed
- Job Fair or Dakota County Event
- Job Interest e-mails from Dakota County
- JobsInMinneapolis/StPaul
- League of Minnesota Cities
- Minneapolis Diversity.com
- Minnesota Diversity.com
- Minnesota Works Website
- Minnesota Jobs Network.com
- Minnesota Association of Counties
- Monster
- Professional Association Website
- Referred by a Dakota County Employee
- St Paul Diversity.com
- College Website, Instructor, Career Services
- Dakota County Website
- Other
Other organization not listed above. Please describe.
- Required Question
Salary : $92,218 - $144,090