Responsibilities

The District of Columbia Office of the Attorney General seeks a trial attorney for the Juvenile Section of its Public Safety Division. The Juvenile Section handles most juvenile prosecutions in the District of Columbia. The Section has jurisdiction to charge a juvenile for any criminal offense under the D.C. Code, Federal Code, or D.C. Municipal Regulations. Section attorneys work closely with other juvenile justice stakeholders to make appropriate charging decisions, interact with victims and witnesses, evaluate appropriate dispositions for involved juveniles, and litigate appropriate cases in the Superior Court’s Family Division.

Trial attorneys engage in all aspects of criminal litigation, including interviewing and preparing police and civilian witnesses for trial, making charging decisions, researching legal issues, writing and litigating motions, managing all aspects of a trial calendar from intake through sentencing, and conducting community outreach.

• The successful candidate will evaluate juvenile cases to determine the appropriateness of plea offers. The candidate will determine what services to offer in plea offers to hold youth accountable for delinquent acts and help rehabilitate them.
• The successful candidate will prepare felony and misdemeanor juvenile cases for trial. This includes reviewing the case file to determine what evidence is discoverable, gathering evidence to use at trial, issuing subpoenas for victims and witnesses to appear at trial, and preparing victims and witnesses to testify at trial.
• The successful candidate will present cases in court. This includes presenting opening statements, conducting direct and cross-examinations, and presenting closing arguments.  The successful candidate will conduct legal research, write motions, and argue motions in court.
• The successful candidate will also make recommendations to the court about the placement of youth, disposition of youth, and implementation and termination of court-ordered services. The candidate will be responsible for running a court docket.