Litigation and Employment Law Assistant County Attorney V

Litigation and Employment Law Assistant County Attorney V

Salary

$114,864.88 - $201,013.49 Annually

Location

FX. CTY. GOVERNMENT CENTER, 12000 GOVERNMENT CENTER PKWY., FAIRFAX (EJ32), VA

Job Type

FT Salary W BN

Job Number

26-01499

Department

Office of County Attorney

Opening Date

10/03/2026

Closing Date

10/30/2026 11:59 PM Eastern

Pay Grade

L05

Posting Type

Open to General Public

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Job Announcement

The County Attorneys Office is seeking an attorney with exceptional legal knowledge and skills in handling employment law matters and civil defense litigation. The position is in the Office of the County Attorneys Personnel Section.

The successful applicant will counsel and represent County agencies and employees in multiple areas including employment law, collective bargaining, constitutional law, workers compensation, property damage, personal injury and alleged civil rights violations. The position will represent County agencies in employee grievances and in matters before the Fairfax County Civil Service Commission and will handle litigation in state and federal courts and before state administrative agencies while providing legal advice to County agencies.

The position requires strong litigation and trial skills and the demonstrated ability to manage cases from inception to completion including conducting discovery, taking and defending depositions, drafting and arguing motions and briefs, and conducting bench or jury trial. The successful applicant must also possess excellent writing skills, including the ability to analyze complex legal issues and prepare motions, briefs and other court filings.

This position also offers the opportunity to analyze proposed policies and legislation and assess their potential impact on the County and its programs. It provides an excellent opportunity to work in a collegial environment on a wide range of issues involving the interplay of federal, state, and local law. Depending on the attorney's years of practice, subject to HR approval, the offer may exceed midpoint of the advertised pay grade range.

The Office of the County Attorney functions as in-house counsel to the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive, and County departments. Led by County Attorney Elizabeth D. Teare-the County's first female County Attorney appointed in 2016-our office has a distinguished history. Multiple alumni have been appointed by the General Assembly to serve as judges in local courts. Our attorneys actively lead the Virgina State Bar, the Fairfax Bar Association, the Local Government Attorneys of Virginia, and the Virginia Law Foundation. The LGA Cherin Award is named after retired Deputy County Attorney Bob Cherin for his distinguished public service. The Virginia Law Foundation's Bobzien-Gaither Education Center is, in part, named after former County Attorney David P. Bobzien, who served as the president of the Virginia State Bar and the Virginia Law Foundation.

Fairfax County is the largest jurisdiction in the Commonwealth of Virginia (1.2m+ residents and more than 13,000 employees). and is widely recognized for superior management, earning the prestigious ICMA Certificate of Excellence for 13 consecutive years. County employees are eligible for superb benefits. Highlights of the countys benefits packages are: Retirement: A defined-benefit pension plan plus a deferred compensation plan (457); Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, alongside a robust workforce wellness program and Employee Assistance Program. Generous Time Off: Including paid holidays, paid family leave (up to 6 weeks per 12-month period for qualified events), sick leave, and annual leave.

Note: Applicants must include a writing sample attached to their application to receive full consideration.

Schedule: Work hours may extend beyond the normal business day and may include evenings, weekends, or holidays as necessary to meet workload demands, filing deadlines and legal requirements.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. Any combination of education and experience equivalent to four years of experience as a practicing attorney.

UNDERFILL REQUIREMENTS:

• This vacancy may be filled at the level of Assistant County Attorney III (Grade L03 - $93,964.42 to $164,437.73). The employment standards for Assistant County Attorney III are: Must be an active member in good standing of the Virginia State Bar. Any combination of education and experience equivalent to one year of experience as a practicing attorney. Upon the successful completion of the 12-month probationary period and after reaching a total of 4 years of experience, Assistant County Attorney III employees are eligible for a non-competitive appointment to the Assistant County Attorney V level.
• Click here to view the complete details and KSAs for the Assistant County Attorney III.
• Upon completion of an underfill agreement (which will require that the employee meets the employment standards above, in addition to attaining competencies defined by the hiring agency), the employee will be elevated to the level of Assistant County Attorney V.
• Underfill candidates must be able to meet the minimum qualifications of Assistant County Attorney V within two years of the job announcement's closing date of October 30, 2026.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:

Virginia State Bar License in Good Standing (Required)

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Confidential Position: This position is designated as confidential under the County's Collective Bargaining Ordinance. This position assists and acts in a confidential capacity to persons who formulate, determine, and effectuate management policies with regard to labor relations.
• The appointee to the position must complete a Statement of Economic Interest form prior to starting work.
• The appointee to the position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Demonstrated experience in employment law and/or labor negotiations.
• Demonstrated excellent writing and public speaking skills.
• Collective bargaining experience, to include drafting labor relations contracts, negotiating bargaining agreements, and/or experience before labor relations board.
• Litigation experience in state/federal court and/or the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.
• Demonstrated experience arguing motions in state and federal court.
• Demonstrated experience drafting motions and briefs in state and federal court.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer.
• Ability to travel to various locations throughout Fairfax County to provide coverage, attend meetings and trainings.
• Must communicate with others.
• All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:

Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

Fairfax County is home to a highly diverse population, with a significant number of residents speaking languages other than English at home (including Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and many others.) We encourage candidates who are bilingual in English and another language to apply for this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov. EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-AL1

Requisition 26-01499

Merit Positions

Fairfax County is proud to offer employees an attractive and comprehensive benefits program, including the following:

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage
• Group Term Life Insurance
• Long Term Disability
• LiveWell Program
• Flexible Spending Programs
• Paid Leave (annual, sick, parental, volunteer activity, and more!)
• Paid Holidays
• Contributory Retirement Plan
• Deferred Compensation
• Employee Assistance Program
• Employees Child Care Center
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

Please click here for a summary of our benefits.

NOTE: Fairfax County Government is a qualifying employer under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. For more information about the PSLF program: Public Service Loan Forgiveness | Federal Student Aid

For additional details please visit the Countys benefits webpage.

Non-Merit Positions

• Non-Merit Benefit Eligible: scheduled to work a minimum 1,040 hours and no more than a maximum of 1,560 hours in a calendar year.

• Medical/Vision/Dental Insurance Coverage

• Flexible Spending Program

• Deferred Compensation

• Temporary: scheduled to work a maximum of 900 hours in a calendar year.

• No benefits

01

Are you currently an active member in good standing in the Virginia State Bar?

• Yes
• No

02

How many years of full-time equivalent experience as a practicing attorney do you possess?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

03

Do you possess a Juris Doctor or LLM degree from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association?

• Yes
• No

04

How many years of full-time equivalent litigation experience do you have?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

05

How many years of full-time equivalent litigation experience do you have in Fairfax County General District Court or other general district courts in Virginia?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

06

If you have litigation experience in Fairfax County General District Court or other general district courts in Virginia, what is the average number of cases you have per year?

07

How many years of full-time equivalent litigation experience do you have in Fairfax County Circuit Court or other circuit courts in Virginia?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

08

If you have litigation experience in Fairfax County Circuit Court or other circuit courts in Virginia, what is the average number of cases you have per year?

09

How many years of full-time equivalent litigation experience do you have in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, or other federal?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

10

If you have litigation experience in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, or other federal, what is your average number of cases per year?

11

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have trying cases before the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

12

If you have experience trying cases before the Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission, what is your average number of cases per year?

13

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have trying cases before the Virginia Employment Commission?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

14

If you have experience trying cases before the Virginia Employment Commission, what is your average number of cases per year?

15

Do you have any experience writing briefs in the following courts? Check all that apply.

• Virginia Court of Appeals
• Virginia Supreme Court
• United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
• United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
• None of the above

16

How many years of full-time equivalent professional-level collective bargaining experience do you have?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

17

How many years of full-time equivalent professional experience do you have drafting labor relations contracts?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

18

How many years of full-time equivalent professional-level experience do you have negotiating collective bargaining agreements?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

19

How many years of full-time equivalent professional-level experience do you have before a labor relations board, such as the National Labor Relations Board or a state or local public employment relations board?

• None
• Less than one year
• One to less than two years
• Two to less than three years
• Three to less than four years
• Four or more years

20

Are you applying to be considered for the underfill requirements for this position? (The Underfill requirements are included in the Employment Standards section of the job announcement.)

• Yes
• No

21

A writing sample is required to be submitted with your application to receive full consideration. By selecting "YES," you acknowledge that you understand your application may not receive full consideration if a writing sample is not attached.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer Fairfax County

Address 12000 Government Center Pkwy. Suite 270

Fairfax, Virginia, 22035

Phone 703-324-3311

Website http://agency.governmentjobs.com/fairfaxcounty/default.cfm