Benton County District Attorney’s Office – Deputy District Attorney 1 (Corvallis, Oregon)

The Benton County District Attorney’s Office is seeking a Deputy District Attorney 1 to join our team.

If you wake up every morning with a desire to do the right thing for the right reason, the Benton County District Attorney’s office is where you should be. As a DDA 1, you will protect victims’ rights, promote community safety, hold offenders accountable, and ensure the constitutional rights of all in the system. You will have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of others. Working as a prosecutor is more of a calling than a job. Law school was only the beginning.

What You will Learn:
You will quickly learn all the ins and outs of criminal law by taking on a variety of cases from the very beginning. In your first year, you will learn:

• How to navigate the court system: Some days you’ll be assigned the docket for all the cases coming before a judge that day. You will learn the nuances of working within the system efficiently and professionally as you represent the entire office.
• The influence of a prosecutor: You will review criminal cases, decide whether to charge and, if so, what charges are appropriate; decide what plea offer best serves the community and, when negotiations fail, how to win your case at trial.
• Plea negotiation with defense attorneys: You will become an expert in negotiation techniques, judgment, fairness and seeking “justice through the truth” (our motto!).
• The thrill of preparing for and conducting trials: You will experience firsthand the excitement and complexity of preparing for trial: witness preparation, jury selection and trial presentation, and helping the jury reach a just and appropriate verdict.

How We will Support You:
We will support you at every step. You’ll be mentored by some of the best, brightest and most seasoned prosecutors in the State of Oregon. You will have true and trusted mentors who will help you to be your best. We do not endorse a sink or swim environment. All of our DDAs and our elected have an open door policy, and are there to teach, advise and cheer you on.

Our Prosecution Approach:

We use a vertical prosecution model, where each DDA handles their cases from review and charging through trial and sentencing. You will be encouraged to take on more challenging cases as you advance in skill and experience. We provide our DDAs with a broad range of case assignments, but we will encourage you to develop an expertise in your particular areas of interest. As a DDA, we will expect you to exercise a fair amount of autonomy regarding your cases, including making charging decisions, or in resolving or trying cases by “seeking justice through the truth” (our motto).

Working and Living in Benton County
Being a part of Benton County means you will be surrounded by highly educated neighbors and colleagues, with college-town amenities and resources. Our jury pools are often comprised of professors, engineers, and even rocket scientists! Living and working in the heart of the Wilmette Valley offers unparalleled access to the great outdoors. The courthouse is located less than a mile from the Willamette River with excellent fishing and recreational activities. The beautiful Oregon coast is just over an hour away and has plenty of options for fantastic day trips to the beach, surfing, and hiking. You will also have easy access to the Coastal and Cascade mountain ranges for hiking, backpacking, and famous mountain biking
trails. In the winter, several ski resorts are available to enjoy your weekends year round.

BENEFITS

• Spend more time with your family, friends and get back to doing what you love!
  • • 11 Paid Holidays + 64 Personal Leave Hours + 2 Floating Holidays + 8 hours of vacation accrual every month + sick leave! Vacation accrual increases with years of service.
• $0 Health Insurance Premium!
  • • Medical, Dental and Vision – cover your whole family without paying a dime.
    • The county currently pays up to $10.28 per hour to cover your health benefits ($1,781 a month for a family plan, $21,372 a year).
    • In addition, the county contributes up to $1,400 per year to your Health Savings or Retirement account!
      • • Apart from your deductible you can use this money for things that aren’t traditionally paid by insurance – i.e. Ibuprofen, Tylenol and other preventative type medications.
        • You never lose your Health Savings Account funds as it rolls over from year to year.
    • Dependents up to age 26 are covered!
• Get ready for retirement. Save money without putting in money!
  • • After 6 months of employment:
      • • The County makes a retirement contribution of 6% of your salary towards Oregon Public Employee Retirement System (PERS)!
          • • Deputy District Attorneys fall under the enhanced PERS designation of Police and Fire.
        • The County makes a deferred compensation 457b plan contribution of 1.5% of your salary! You can add more if you wish.
• Loan Forgiveness eligibility
• The office covers your bar dues and continuing legal education expenses. We provide opportunities for specialized trainings that fit with the areas of prosecution in which you demonstrate an interest.
• A free award-winning wellness program
  • • Interactive and personalized approach focused on your whole health
      • Onsite and virtual seminars, wellness challenges and fun activities
      • Monetary incentives and cool prizes to engage everyone and meet your individual needs
• 100% employer-paid coverage for AD&D ($100,000), Life ($10,000), and Long Term Disability coverage.
  • • Supplemental plans are available at reasonable rates!
• Have benefits questions?
  • • Reach out to us anytime: [email protected]