Come work for Tucson City Attorney's Office

Origins and History

Tucson blends centuries of Hispanic, Native American, and Anglo heritage into a vibrant and authentic cultural landscape that is steeped in cultural history. With more than 4,500 years of inhabitation, Tucson’s ancestral inhabitants – the Tohono O’odham Nation and the Pasqua Yaqui Tribe –continue to have a presence and influence in Tucson.

Established as a military fort in 1775, Tucson was later incorporated as a city in 1877.

Food and Culture

Now as the 33rd largest city in the country, and the first U.S. city designated a UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Tucson offers exceptional culinary experiences alongside a rich mix of art, music, and outdoor recreation—from hiking and cycling to world-class stargazing.

With its population over 40% Latino, Tucson’s culture is enriched through vibrant traditions, culinary excellence, family-centered values, and a deep sense of community that shapes the city’s identity and spirit.

Remarkable Weather, Flora, and Night skies

With 330 days of sunshine annually and mountain ranges in every direction, Tucson is a year-round outdoor playground. The Loop, a 131-mile network of paved, shared-use paths, provides safe and scenic routes for walking, running, and biking across the city.

Visitors and residents alike enjoy natural treasures like the Tucson Botanical Gardens—named one of North America’s top gardens by the American Public Gardens Association—and the renowned Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. With multiple observatories nearby, Southern Arizona is often called the astronomy capital of the world.

Community Ethos

Tucson’s culture is deeply rooted in community. Residents support sustainability, water conservation and the Tucson Prosperity Initiative – an evidence-based effort to dismantle generational poverty across Pima County by focusing on long-term wealth-building and opportunity rather than only short-term aid, they also support local businesses, celebrate the arts, and take pride in helping one another.

This spirit of care is reflected in City initiatives that address complex challenges such as homelessness, public safety, and eco-nomic opportunity—often with innovation on par with larger metropolitan areas.

University Town

The city’s central core is home to a thriving downtown and the University of Arizona, a top-tier research institution. The university anchors the community, contributing to a highly educated workforce, research-driven private sector growth, and robust arts and athletics programming.

Events and Activities 

Tucson also draws national and international visitors, particularly during the winter months.

Signature events include the Tucson Jazz Festival in January, the world-famous Tucson Gem & Mineral Show in February, the Tucson Rodeo, the multicultural Tucson Meet Yourself Festival in October, the El Tour de Tucson as well as All Souls Procession in November—a dynamic, community-driven and world-renown celebration of remembrance.

The City of Tucson is a charter city that has a Council-Manager form of government, with the Mayor serving as the Chief Executive Officer and the City Manager having general super-vision and direction of the administrative operation of the city government.

The Council is composed of a Mayor elected at large to four-year terms without limits, and six Council Members elected by Wards to four-year staggered terms without limits.

The City Council appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, City Clerk and City Magistrates. The City Manager oversees approximately 4,500 dedicated employees and an annual operating budget of $2.4B.

Led by the City Attorney, the City Attorney’s Office has an annual budget of $13.3 million and 94 employees, organized into two divisions: Civil and Criminal. 

Civil Division

With 29 assigned staff, the Civil Division provides legal advice and representation to the Mayor and Council, the City Manager, and all City departments, and serves as the City’s representative in courts of law and administrative proceedings to help ensure the lawfulness of the official business of the City of Tucson and avert litigation contrary to the City’s interest for all civil cases.

Included in the Civil Division is a Litigation Unit with 10.5 FTE staff which provides legal representation for the City and advocates for the City’s interests in civil litigation, primarily in matters involv-ing state and federal tort claims, including federal civil rights claims. The Division also supports the City’s Risk Management Division in the evaluation and disposition of legal claims, and the interaction with and reporting to the City’s insurance carriers. The Civil Division also provides legal services directly to the Tucson Police Department through its Legal Advisors Office.

The Civil Division also litigates or coordinates litigation in which the City is a plaintiff: recent examples include claims against opioid manufacturers and distributors; claims for damages relating to PFAS contamination; and litiga-tion to protect the City’s federal funding.

Criminal Division

As the largest division with 62 employees, the Criminal Division prosecutes misdemeanor and civil code violations, supports offender rehabilitation through specialty courts, provides victim assistance, and responds to citizen inquiries regarding City Court cases.

Assistant City Prosecutor

The Assistant City Prosecutor position in the Criminal Division of the City Attorney’s Office prepares cases for all phases of misdemeanor prosecution. Performs professional level legal prosecution work involving, research, trials, appeals, and other activities related to criminal prosecution.

About the job

Position Specific Summary

The Assistant City Prosecutor position in the Criminal Division of the City Attorney’s Office prepares cases for all phases of misdemeanor prosecution. Performs professional level legal prosecution work involving, research, trials, appeals, and other activities related to criminal prosecution.

Work is performed under the supervision of Principal Assistant Prosecuting City Attorney. This position does not supervise.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Represents the State at various hearings and court appearances to include video review hearings
• Tracks felony cases with associated misdemeanants, animal forfeiture hearings, and other cases/hearings as assigned.
• Conducts plea negotiations with defense attorneys and unrepresented defendants.
• Reviews and evaluates police reports and relevant charges
• Researches, reviews and analyzes case law, applying facts from police reports, interviews, body worn camera, and other evidence.
• Drafts legal motions, responses to defense motions, and legal memorandum.
• Represents the State in jury trials, bench trials and hearings by appearing in court, making oral arguments before the court, collecting testimony from witnesses and victims, and making legal objections.
• Assists with training newly hired prosecutors. Conducts office trainings as assigned
• Performs all other duties and tasks as assigned

Application and Special Instructions

A legal writing sample must be uploaded with resume and cover letter as one PDF document composed within the last 2 years (maximum 10 pages). The legal writing sample may include actual work done as a law clerk, lawyer, or
alternatively, it may be work done in law school. Any application submitted without the required documents will be considered incomplete.

This position is on-site at City Hall. Remote or hybrid work arrangements are not available at this time.

The Tucson City Prosecutor’s Office is an Arizona Lawyer Apprentice Program (ALAP) qualifying employer and will accept applicants who qualify for the ALAP certification and licensing.

Applicants who have sat for the Arizona Bar Exam and have received a letter recommending admission from the Arizona Supreme Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness but have not yet received their Arizona State Bar License are eligible to be considered for the position.

Applicants who have not yet obtained their Arizona State Bar License, please submit the letter recommending admission from the Arizona Supreme Court’s Committee on Character and Fitness at the time of your interview.

This is open continuous recruitment. Applications will be reviewed in the first week of each month until the position is filled.

Assessment and Interview Information

Highest-scoring applicants will be invited to an assessment and panel interview. Interview and assessment details will be shared at the time of invitation.

The eligibility list established from this process may be used to fill positions as they become available over the next six (6) months.

Recruiter Contact Information

If you have any questions, please contact Ankita Bhargava at LBS_HR@tucsonaz.gov.