Assistant Legal Counsel (Underfill Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee)

Marion County, OR

Salem, OR

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JOB DETAILS

SALARY

$68,723.20–$150,030.40 Per Year

SKILLS

Administrative Skills, Agriculture, Analysis Skills, Attorney, Background Investigation, Business Support, Communication Skills, Community Support, Community and Social Services, Compensation and Benefits, Conference Management, Contract Review, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Diversity, Driver's License, Economic Development, Emergency Management, Federal Laws and Regulations, Finance, Foreclosures, Government, Government Regulations, Healthcare, Homeland Security, Human Resources, Land Use, Leadership, Legal, Legal Documents, Legal Research, Legal Support Skills, Liens, Litigation, Local Government, People Management, Presentation/Verbal Skills, Printing, Property Rights, Property Tax, Public Safety, Public Works, Public/Media/Press/Analyst Relations, Regulations, Research Skills, Risk, Service Delivery, State Laws and Regulations, Stewardship, Strategic Planning, Student Loans, Team Player, Work From Home, Writing Skills

LOCATION

Salem, OR

POSTED

3 days ago

Salary : $68,723.20 - $150,030.40 Annually
Location : Salem, OR
Job Type: Full-time Regular
Job Number: 601-2026-1
Department: Legal Counsel
Opening Date: 04/24/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: 13

Marion County requires on-site work. Remote work is not available.

This recruitment will remain open until a sufficient number of qualified applications are received. Applications will be reviewed periodically until a decision is made to close the recruitment. The first review will be May 8, 2026. Applicants are encouraged to submit the application as soon as possible as the recruitment may close at any time without further notice.

Marion County's Office of Legal Counsel values a strong culture that encourages excellence, service, teamwork, initiative, and creativity. County legal work and litigation covers a wide variety of legal topics, including public safety, torts, employment, civil rights, property taxes, land use, quality of life, and pushing back on state/federal regulatory overreach.

Marion County Legal Counsel is looking for an excellent attorney, preferably with litigation experience or interest. This recruitment may be filled in one of the following ways:

Assistant Legal Counsel level: seeking an attorney (possibly entry-level) with interest in litigation, plus meeting qualifications below.
Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee level: seeking someone with interest in litigation who has received, or will soon receive, a Juris Doctor degree and has taken or will takethe bar exam by summer 2026. There will be flexibility for unpaid time off during summer bar exam study. A Trainee position is intended to last several months until the Trainee would be admitted to the bar in fall 2026, at which point the person would qualify for and apply for an Assistant Legal Counsel position. Eligibility and any future appointment will depend on admission to the Oregon State Bar and satisfactory performance as a Trainee.

Marion County will consider candidates meeting the Assistant Legal Counsel or Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee classification requirements. The level at which the successful candidate is hired will be determined by the hiring manager.

Marion County serves over 350,000 residents and includes 20 incorporated cities, 37 unincorporated communities, and nearly 1,200 square miles as Oregon's leading agricultural producer. Marion County has 17 departments, over 1,600 employees, and a fiscal year 2025-26 total budget around $743 million. Legal Counsel attorneys serve as the exclusive civil lawyers and counselors for Marion County in a wide range of areas - including board of commissioners, sheriff, district attorney, clerk, assessor, treasurer, justice court, health & human services, public works, contracts, litigation, land use, parks, economic development, housing authority, utilities, waste services, community services, human resources, finance, etc.

The Office of Legal Counsel supports Marion County's work to further its strategic plan goals:

Public Safety: Pursue a safe and secure community by protecting people, property, and the economy of Marion County.
Transportation, Infrastructure, and Emergency Management: Provide leadership that addresses the continual growth and increasing diversity of Marion County's population and focuses resources on best meeting the needs of residents and supporting business.
Health & Community Services: Promote the overall health of people in Marion County by improving the delivery of quality health services and supporting community-based prevention efforts.
Economic and Community Development: Support employers, businesses, and property owners that promotes economic development and high standards of livability in Marion County.
Civil and Government Services: Provide efficient, effective, and responsive government through stewardship and accountability.

Salary:
Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee:
$5,726.93 - $7,680.40; Monthly; $68,723.20 - $92,164.80 Annually

Assistant Legal Counsel:
$9,328.80 - $12,502.53 Monthly; $111,945.60 - $150,030.40 Annually

Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee:
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES
Assist and support office attorneys in provision of legal counsel to Marion County departments and litigation.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED
Works under the supervision of County Counsel, who assigns work, reviews performance, and advises on unusual or difficult problems.

SUPERVISION EXERCISED
Supervision of others is not a responsibility of positions in this classification.

Assistant Legal Counsel
GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIESAct as legal counsel to Marion County departments and provide support in the area of litigation and counsel to county departments.SUPERVISION RECEIVEDWork under the close supervision of the Marion County Counsel, who determines goals, assigns work, and reviews work for effectiveness and conformance to policy through reports, observation, and conferences.SUPERVISION EXERCISEDSupervision of other employees is not a responsibility of positions in this classification.

Typical Duties - Duties include, but are not limited to the following

Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee:

Assist in preparing trial court litigation for limited to moderate-risk cases (e.g., tort claims, lien foreclosures, and challenges to county or state actions).
Conduct legal research and draft legal memoranda, motions, and responses to legal documents such as subpoenas.
Assist in providing legal advice to county departments; respond to inquiries from government bodies and the public regarding public records, county regulations, complaints, and cooperative efforts.
Depending on certification, appear in court for gun restoration petitions, motions to quash subpoenas, code enforcement, and administrative hearings.
Perform other duties as assigned. Higher-level classifications may include the duties of any lower-level classification within the same series and performing work in a higher or lower classification for a limited period is a requirement of all classifications.
Perform work at various county sites; therefore, driving is a requirement of the position.

Perform other duties as assigned.

Assistant Legal Counsel acts as legal counsel to Marion County departments and undertakes civil litigation and counsel to county departments. One hundred percent of this position's time is devoted to being a lawyer and legal counselor. The job functions may include the following:

Prepare and conduct trial court litigation, e.g., tort claims, lien foreclosure, defending county actions, challenging state/federal actions. Represent Marion County before various administrative tribunals, in mediations, and arbitrations.
Provides legal advice to department managers, the Board of Commissioners, and county employees. This includes telephone conferences, electronic mail, office visits, meetings, on-site visits, written opinions, seminars and training sessions.
Undertakes research and drafts legal documents such as memoranda, legal opinions, complaints, answers, options, interrogatories, orders, pretrial orders, settlement releases, jury instructions, contracts, deeds, Board of Commissioners orders and resolutions, and others.
Prepare and present ordinance enforcement cases, respond to and/or object to public records requests and subpoenas.
Court appearances, witness preparation, legal research, viewing the scene of the incident, and dealing with opposing counsel and parties by telephone, electronic mail, letter and conference.
Provides legal advice and representation to the Board of Commissioners, elected officials, department heads, supervisors and employees of county government on all issues relating to county operations.
Provides advice to County departments; responds to inquiries of other government bodies and private citizens regarding County regulations, complaints and cooperative efforts.
Cross train in various areas of law to provide legal advice and representation to entities served by this office as necessary.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements for the Position

EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSISTANT LEGAL COUNSEL TRAINEE

Graduation from an accredited school of law by the time of appointment; AND
Participation in an internship, clerkship, or other legal work in municipal/government issues, civil litigation, general civil law, or similar work with a government entity, law firm, trial or appellate judge, or similar; OR
Any satisfactory combination of work, education, training, or experience relevant to the position, as determined by Marion County.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSISTANT LEGAL COUNSEL:

Must be a member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar prior to the time of appointment OR eligible for admission to the Oregon State Bar through reciprocity/comity or out-of-state bar examination score.

PREFERENCES

Preference will be awarded to applicants with litigation experience and interest in handling an initial workload that is focused primarily on litigation and similar matters.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

The finalist for this position will be required to pass a criminal history background check, including finger printing; however, conviction of a crime may not necessarily disqualify an individual for this position.
Must possess a current driver's license in the applicant's state of residence and an acceptable driving history. Marion County will obtain a copy of the driving record for all qualified applicants from Driver and Motor Vehicle Services and review the driving record according to the Marion County policy and procedure for Driving on County Business. The policy can be found at:
This assignment is not represented by a union.
This is a full-time exempt position, which is not eligible for overtime.
Typical Work Schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., with flexibility depending upon the needs of the department and program.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee
Knowledge of legal terminology; state and federal civil law; civil procedures; trial and courtroom practices; local government operations; and administrative law. Skill in legal research and analysis; drafting legal documents; and using computers to input, retrieve, and manage legal information. Ability to analyze facts, evidence, and legal precedents to reach logical conclusions; and communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Assistant Legal Counsel
Good knowledge of legal terminology; State and Federal civil practice and procedures; local government and administrative practices; courtroom procedures. Ability to analyze facts, evidence and precedents to arrive at logical conclusions; set forth facts, legal argument, and opinions in concise written form; effectively communicate in both oral and written form; appear effectively before a trial court or administrative body; establish and maintain effective working relationships with the public, courts, co-workers, and other agencies.Skill in drafting legal documents; operating a computer to input, retrieve, and access information.

PUBLIC SERVICE LOAN FORGIVENESS
Marion County is a qualifying public employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. Through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, full-time employees working at the County may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance on Direct Student Loans after 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan. Questions about your student loan eligibility should be directed to your loan servicer or the US Department of Education.

VISA SPONSORSHIP
Marion County does not offer VISA sponsorship. Within three days of hire, you will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security's I-9 form confirming authorization to work in the United States. Marion County is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

VETERANS' PREFERENCE
Applicants are eligible to use Veterans' Preference when applying with Marion County in accordance with ORS 408.225, 408.230, and 408.235 and OAR 105-040-0010 and 105-040-0015. Preference will be awarded only if the applicant meets the minimum requirements of the position and attaches the required documentation at the time of application.

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR VETERANS' PREFERENCE

One of the following:
- MEMBER COPY 4 of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214 or 215); OR
- Letter from the US Department of Veterans Affairs indicating receipt of a non-service connected pension; OR
- Certification that discharge or release from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

In addition to one of the above documents, Disabled Veterans must also submit one of the following:
- A copy of their Veterans disability preference letter from the Department of Veterans Affairs; OR
- Certification that medical separation from active duty under honorable conditions will take place not later than 120 days after the submission of the certificate.

You can request copies of your military service record through the National Archives website at

Marion County is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, Veteran and Disability employer committed to increasing the diversity of its workforce.

Applicants with a disability may request reasonable accommodation, through Human Resources, in any step of the process to assist them in demonstrating their qualifications to perform the duties of the position for which they are applying. Please e-mail if you wish to request an accommodation.
Marion County offers a generous benefits package to regular employees working 50% or more of the regularly scheduled work week and their eligible dependents. Temporary employees and part-time regular employees working less than 50% of the regularly scheduled work week are not eligible for benefits.

For a summary of benefits, For a complete and detailed overview of the benefits package for management and supervisory employees, , and select Unrepresented Benefits from the left menu or Unrepresented Employees from the page links.

Benefits are defined based on position and are approved by the Marion County Board of Commissioners.
01

In order to receive credit for your supplemental questions, your answers must be supported by details in the education and/or work experience section of your application form. "See resume" is not an acceptable answer. Do you understand this statement?

02

What level of position are you applying for?

Assistant Legal Counsel
Assistant Legal Counsel and/or Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee
Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee

03

Are you a member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar ?

Yes
No, but I am a member in good standing of another state's bar and am currently qualified for reciprocal or similar admission to the Oregon State Bar.
No, but I already sat for the Oregon or Uniform Bar Exam and received a score that currently qualifies me for admission to the Oregon State Bar.
No, but I already sat for the Oregon or Uniform Bar Exam and do not yet have results.
No, but I will sit for the next upcoming Oregon or Uniform Bar Exam by summer 2026.

04

If your answer to Question 3 was "no," do you meet all the qualifications for admission to the practice of law in Oregon, qualify for temporary supervised practice pending admission in Oregon, and, if offered the position, will apply to become a member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar and commit to work diligently to do all you can to be admitted to the Oregon State Bar within 6 months?

Yes
No
I am a member in good standing of the Oregon State Bar.

05

Indicate how many years of full-time work experience you have practicing civil law. (One month of work experience is equal to 173.3 hours and one year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours.)

Less than 6 months
6 months to less than 1 year
1 year to less than 1.5 years
1.5 years to less than 2 years
2 years to less than 3 years
3 years to less than 4 years
4 years to less than 5 years
5 years to less than 6 years
6 years to less than 7 years
7 years to less than 8 years
8 years to less than 9 years
9 years to less than 10 years
10 years or more
None of the above

06

Indicate how many years of full-time work experience or equivalent you have directly related to the legal field that does not fall under civil law practice in the question above (e.g. practicing criminal law, law clerk work, legal clinics, paralegal work). (One month of work experience is equal to 173.3 hours and one year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours.)

Less than 6 months
6 months to less than 1 year
1 year to less than 1.5 years
1.5 years to less than 2 years
2 years to less than 3 years
3 years to less than 4 years
4 years to less than 5 years
5 years to less than 6 years
6 years to less than 7 years
7 years to less than 8 years
8 years to less than 9 years
9 years to less than 10 years
10 years or more
None of the above

07

Indicate how many years of full-time work experience or equivalent you have directly related to government (e.g. employment by government entity, public policy internship, volunteer or elected position). (One month of work experience is equal to 173.3 hours and one year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours.)

Less than 6 months
6 months to less than 1 year
1 year to less than 1.5 years
1.5 years to less than 2 years
2 years to less than 3 years
3 years to less than 4 years
4 years to less than 5 years
5 years to less than 6 years
6 years to less than 7 years
7 years to less than 8 years
8 years to less than 9 years
9 years to less than 10 years
10 years or more
None of the above

08

Indicate how many years of full-time work experience or equivalent you have directly related to litigation (e.g. civil, criminal, administrative or otherwise). (One month of work experience is equal to 173.3 hours and one year of work experience is equal to 2080 hours.)

Less than 5 months
5 months to less than 1 year
1 year to less than 2 years
2 years to less than 3 years
3 years to less than 4 years
4 years to less than 5 years
5 years to less than 6 years
6 years to less than 7 years
7 years to less than 8 years
8 years to less than 9 years
9 years to less than 10 years
10 years or more
None of the above

09

Approximately how many court hearings or trials have you observed?

0
1
2
3
4
5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21+

10

Approximately how many court hearings or trials have you participated in as the primary or secondary responsible attorney/clerk?

0
1
2
3
4
5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21+

11

Approximately how many motions or briefs have you written? You may include law school projects.

0
1
2
3
4
5
6-10
11-15
16-20
21+

12

What was your approximate law school class rank? If you do not yet have all final grades, please use class rank through time of application.

Top 10%
Top 20%
Top 30%
Top 40%
Top 50%
Top 60%
Top 70%
Bottom 30%

13

What was your LSAT score range? If you took the LSAT multiple times, use your score from the most recent time you took it.

120-130
131-140
141-145
146-150
151-155
156-160
161-165
166-170
171-180

14

Have you participated on a debate team, moot court team, mock trial team, or similar advocacy team? This includes during high school, college, law school, etc. or as a coach.

Yes, less than 6 months
Yes, 6 months to less than 1 year
Yes, 1 year to less than 1.5 years
Yes, 1.5 years to less than 2 years
Yes, 2 years to less than 3 years
Yes, 3 years to less than 4 years
Yes, 4 years or more
No

15

Are you interested in handling litigation as a significant portion of your responsibilities?

16

Have you ever previously handled litigation as a significant portion of your responsibilities?

Yes, less than 6 months
Yes, 6 months to less than 1 year
Yes, 1 year to less than 1.5 years
Yes, 1.5 years to less than 2 years
Yes, 2 years to less than 3 years
Yes, 3 years to less than 4 years
Yes, 4 years or more
No

17

Are you interested in handling contract review as a significant portion of your responsibilities?

18

Are you interested in advising county departments as a significant portion of your responsibilities?

19

Are you interested in legal research and writing as a significant portion of your responsibilities?

20

You must provide copies of the following documents as part of your application:(1) one-page cover letter discussing why you want to work for Marion County and why you think you would be a good fit for this position;(2) resume;(3) writing sample of 10 pages or less (may be excerpt from longer document) written within the past three years and related to legal advice or advocacy; and(4), if you have not yet practiced law for two years, a law school transcript (official or unofficial).Do you understand this statement?

21

What is your goal in applying for this position? Please be concise and limit your answer to three sentences or less.
Required Question

Assistant Legal Counsel (Underfill Assistant Legal Counsel Trainee)

Marion County, OR

Salem, OR

About the Company

Marion County, OR