Position: Assistant Law Director
Department: Law
Reports to: Law Director
Status: Full-time, Unclassified, Exempt
Pay Range: Starting at $83,000
Normal Working Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M./Variable. Occasional evening meetings
Job Summary: The Assistant Law Director, under general direction of the Director of Law, works as a criminal prosecutor in a fast-paced municipal court. You will become part of a small team and will manage your own docket from arraignment through trial with an emphasis on the prosecution of criminal cases, OVI’s, and other serious traffic cases. The right person for this role must have a strong sense of justice and want to be on the front lines of protecting our community. This role represents a great opportunity within a dynamic, challenging and professional environment.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities: Examples of job responsibilities may include, but are not limited to the following duties:
- Assists prosecutorial staff by collecting and categorizing evidence necessary to prosecute cases and providing supplemental courtroom, appellate advocacy, and motion practice support.
- Conducts legal research, drafts and reviews documents on matters including annexation, easements, contracts, construction law, bankruptcy, and criminal prosecution.
- Appears and participates in meetings in the absence of the Director of Law as needed.
- Preparation of court pleadings, briefs, memorandums, etc. subject to review of Director of Law.
- Drafts ordinances and resolutions for the City of Wadsworth which includes researching legal and legislative materials.
- Reviews police reports and other documentation to submit for criminal complaint evaluation, reviews criminal cases with law enforcement and other witnesses to obtain all necessary information for prosecution.
- Legal research as required by the Director of Law.
- Prepares and files in the appropriate court civil and criminal complaints on behalf of the City of Wadsworth or State of Ohio as authorized by the Director of Law.
- Prepares and argues appellate briefs, motions, and pleadings on behalf of the State before the Wadsworth Municipal Court, Ohio Ninth District Court of Appeals, and Ohio Supreme Court.
- Prosecutes cases in Wadsworth Municipal Court.
- Prepare witnesses, victims, and law enforcement for court proceedings.
- Follow Marsy’s Law in regards to contacting victims, keeping victims informed, and follow-up with preparation for court proceedings.
- Aids in the collection and discovery of evidence to be used in trials of criminal cases and other criminal matters.
- Assists in fulfilling discovery responses, docket preparation and all aspects of administrative case management.
- Manages large docket of cases; conducts trials and pretrial hearings and negotiates plea agreements, with or without assistance.
- Reviews and prepares cases for trial and negotiates plea agreements.
- Presents cases to judge or jury at trial and conducts pre-trial hearings.
- Participates in ongoing legal education to remain up to date on criminal and civil law.
- Provides legal advice to city departments as needed to facilitate daily department operations.
- Position requires regular and reliable in-person attendance.
- Review and prepare responses to Public Records Requests.
- These duties are illustrative only and you may perform some or all of these duties or other job-related duties as assigned.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Candidate must be familiar with the basic principles of Ohio municipal law and criminal law.
- Considerable knowledge of municipal government and state government, their departments and their functions.
- Considerable knowledge of law enforcement agencies and their procedures including the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and reading LEADS.
- Knowledge of court system and procedure.
- Be compassionate and understanding of crime victim’s needs.
- Use of proper research methods in gathering data and researching cases.
- Gather, collate, and classify information about data, people, or things.
- Ability to prioritize work and work independently without direct supervision.
- Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
- Work in tandem with the paralegals to ensure caseload is handled.
- Must have good time-management skills, be highly organized and detail-oriented.
- Excellent oral and written communications required.
- Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
Minimum Qualifications for Employment:
- A Juris Doctorate or equivalent degree from an accredited law school is required.
- Must be licensed to practice law in Ohio and in good standing.
- Knowledge of Ohio Revised Code and City of Wadsworth Code of Ordinances.
- Proficiency in operating a personal computer and flexibility in utilizing various applications.
- Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with law enforcement, court employees, lawyers, outside agencies, and the general public.
- Candidate must demonstrate effectiveness under stress, flexibility, reliability, and sound judgment.
- Demonstrated courtroom and trial experience is preferred.
- Demonstrated adherence to appropriate rules of professional and ethical conduct as set forth in the Code of Professional Responsibility, or as otherwise prescribed by law or generally accepted professional standards.
- Demonstrated brief writing experience and clear, concise writing style.
- Ability to adhere to regular and reliable in-person attendance.
- Any combination of training and experience which will indicate the possession of the skills, knowledge and abilities listed above.
Preferred Qualifications for Employment:
- Prior public sector and/or civil service experience desired.
- Strong preference for current City of Wadsworth resident or the ability to relocate within six (6) months of appointment.
Special Information:
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check, employment reference checks, a physical examination and a pre-employment drug screen. The final applicant will be required to submit to urinalysis prior to the appointment to test for illegal drug use. An applicant with a positive test will not be appointed to the position.
Application Process:
Interested candidates should submit a detailed resume reflecting the nature of the work performed in both current and prior employment. Emphasis should be given to work experience, training and/or duties performed that are relevant to this position and its minimum qualifications and requirements. Resumes may be submitted in the following manner:
E-Mail: Tara McCulloch, Human Resources Director at [email protected]
Posting Date: June 29, 2026
Posting Deadline: Open until filled
- If submitting by email, please submit resume in Word (.doc/.docx) or PDF format.
