Assistant County Attorney V - Housing/Real Estate

Salary : $110,404.53 - $193,207.87 Annually
Location : FAIRFAX (EJ32), VA
Job Type: FT Salary W BN
Job Number: 25-00606
Department: Office of County Attorney
Opening Date: 03/08/2025
Closing Date: 3/28/2025 11:59 PM Eastern
Pay Grade: L05
Posting Type: Open to General Public

Job Announcement

The County Attorney's Office is seeking an attorney with experience in complex real estate development and financing transactions, particularly projects involving affordable housing, to work in its P5 Section. In addition to complex real estate and housing matters, the P5 Section handles assignments relating to public finance, pension systems, and procurement; however, this position will focus primarily on transactional real estate and affordable housing work.

Ideal candidates will have substantial experience in negotiating and drafting legal documents associated with all phases of real estate development, including real estate acquisition, disposition, loan, and development agreements. Attorneys in this position are well versed in due diligence for development projects, including title, survey, and zoning. Experience with federal affordable housing programs (e.g., housing choice vouchers, Community Development Block Grants), landlord-tenant laws, and fair housing issues is preferred but not required. The applicant should also be generally proficient in legal research, writing, and public speaking, capable of independently managing and meeting deadlines, and enjoy a wide variety of challenging legal work.

Depending on the attorney's years of practice, subject to HR approval, the offer may exceed midpoint of the advertised pay grade range. In addition to an excellent array of benefits, there are opportunities for promotion and career advancement. While the Office seeks an experienced candidate, we are also open to underfilling the position with a less experienced attorney who demonstrates strong potential and interest in real estate development and financing transactions.

Fairfax County's Office of the County Attorney functions as in-house counsel to the Board of Supervisors, the County Executive, department heads, division directors, and other county employees. It also serves as counsel to various boards, authorities, and commissions, including the Fairfax County Redevelopment and Housing Authority. The office is led by County Attorney Elizabeth D. Teare, who was appointed to the position in 2016, and is the county's first female County Attorney. The office has a long list of distinguished attorneys, both past and present, including multiple alumni appointed by the General Assembly to serve as judges in local courts. The attorneys are active in the various bar associations and many of our attorneys have served in official capacities in the Virginia State Bar, the Fairfax Bar, 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 with more than 1.2 million residents and more than 13,000 employees. Fairfax County government is widely recognized as a superior government organization. In 2021, the most recent award cycle, the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) announced that it had awarded its Certificate of Excellence to Fairfax County for the thirteenth consecutive year. The county is among only 31 jurisdictions across the nation recognized by ICMA for this prestigious award - the organization's highest level of recognition. County employees are eligible for superb benefits. Highlights of the county's benefits packages are a defined-benefit pension plan; a deferred compensation plan (457); access to medical, dental, vision, and disability insurance, and generous leave policies. The county operates a licensed Employee Child Care Center in the Government Center complex; all employees are automatically enrolled in the Employee Assistance Program; and the county operates a workforce wellness program to help employees, and their families stay well during the workday and beyond.
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.
For specific, specialized County Attorney positions, at the request of the County Attorney, the Human Resources Director may approve consideration of candidates who are members of a Bar Association in a state other than Virginia. For these approved positions, membership in the Virginia State Bar must be obtained within 9 months of hire
UNDERFILL REQUIREMENTS:

• This vacancy may be filled at the level of Assistant County Attorney III (Grade L03 - $90,315.68 to $158,052.54). 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 one year of the job announcement's closing date of March 28, 2026.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
License to practice law in the state of Virginia.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• The appointee to the position will be required to complete a criminal background check to the satisfaction of the employer.
• The appointee to the position must complete a Statement of Economic Interest form prior to starting work.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:
Demonstrated experience in complex real estate and affordable housing transactional matters, affordable housing programs, fair housing matters, public financing, and general local government law.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

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

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview and may include a practical exercise.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 38.7% of residents speak a language other than English at home () and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to 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. EEO/AA/TTY.

#LI-AL1

Requisition 25-00606
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
• Commuter Benefit Program
• Continuous Learning Opportunities

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

For additional details please visit the
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 of the Virginia State Bar?

• Yes
• No

02

Are you licensed to practice law in the state of Virginia?

• Yes
• No

03

Are you currently an active member in good standing of a Bar of any jurisdiction outside of Virginia?

• Yes
• No

04

If you are not a member of the Virginia Bar, please indicate the jurisdiction(s) where you are currently an active member in good standing of a Bar and are licensed to practice law. If this does not apply to you, please enter "Not Applicable".
05

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

• 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

Are you applying to be considered for the UNDERFILL position as listed in the Underfill Requirements of the Employment Standards section of the job posting?

• Yes
• No

07

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working in complex real estate and affordable housing transactional matters, affordable housing programs, fair housing matters, public financing, and general local government law?

• 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

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have in negotiating complex real estate transactions?

• 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

09

How many years of full-time equivalent experience or training do you have in real estate financing or a related field?

• 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

How many years of full-time equivalent experience do you have working with affordable housing programs, including transactional, regulatory, and fair housing matters?

• 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

Required Question