Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager - Metro - 029

Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager I/II

Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager I/II:

DEFINITON:

Under general direction of managing attorney, plans, organizes, implements, and oversees the administrative and operational functions of the Family Law Facilitator Office and Court-based Self-Help programs. Ensures that legal assistance services to unrepresented parties with child support, spousal support and health insurance issues are in compliance with Family Code §§ 10000-10012 and all Self-Help programs are in compliance with California Rule of Court 10.960.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

The incumbent is responsible for the planning and implementation of new Self-Help programs offered by the Court including developing operational policies and procedures. The Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager facilitates and expedites family law program services such as providing assistance in completing court forms and educational materials as well as other services related to family law proceedings, without representing any party or creating an attorney-client relationship. The incumbent will supervise staff throughout all Self-Help and Facilitator court locations and will provide coverage for the substantive duties of staff when necessary, including document preparation and review. The successful candidate needs a positive, energetic demeanor, a desire to continuously grow and learn, a strong service-oriented approach, and the ability to balance the interests of the organization.

Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager I/II:

The following examples are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by personnel assigned to this classification. Any one position in this class may not perform all the duties listed below, nor are the duties described intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities and skills required of personnel so classified.

· Plans, organizes, controls, integrates an evaluates the administrative and operational functions of the Family Law Facilitators Office and the Court’s Self-Help programs and services including directing and evaluating the work of assigned staff to ensure compliance with Court policies and procedures; establishes performance goals; regularly monitors performance and provides coaching for performance improvement and development; prepares performance evaluations and provides feedback to improve performance; takes or recommends disciplinary action to address deficiencies, in accordance with human resources' policies and labor contract agreements.

· Manages the administrative and operational functions of the Family Law Facilitators Office and the Court's self-help programs and services to assist self- represented litigants; develops and implements self-help programs and enhances existing programs and services; designs and conducts clinics/classes for litigants unrepresented by counsel in Family Court for the purpose of enabling the litigants to self-represent in family law matters, such as child and/or spousal support, child custody and/or visitation, and other Self-Help program areas; researches court-related self-help policies and practices and conducts site visits of other courts to research best practices applicable to self- help programs and services; develops strategies and policies to meet the needs effectively of self-represented litigants; reviews self-help center statistics and meets with judicial officers and court management to make recommendations regarding program changes; prepares and presents program status reports to management and judicial officers. In addition to all other case types the incumbent will specialize in family law and have direct contact with litigants; and will develop, recommend and implements program policy.

· Provides oversight of volunteer attorneys and interns, providing assistance to self- represented litigants at self-help centers; ensures activities are consistent with project objectives and information given is within legal and ethical boundaries.

· Provides procedural assistance in the completion of court forms, pleadings and other documents; distributes necessary court forms, such as voluntary declarations of parentage.

· Provides information in completing child support, parentage, and other court forms; prepares child and/or spousal support schedules based upon statutory guidelines using specialized software programs; provides information and assistance on child support, spousal support, and parentage issues.

· Ensures all federal and other funding requirements are met; reviews department budget and forecasts any changes that might occur with legislation and/or governmental policies.

· Participates in committees and advisory boards to work with other stakeholders to maintain uniformity of self-help services in accordance with legislation, and to improve service county-wide.

· Identifies and develops relationships with community-based organizations and legal aid agencies that operate Court-based partnership projects; represents the Court with community-based programs to facilitate communication and collaboration between service providers and self-represented litigants; works with legal service providers to promote collaboration and sharing of resources; meets with legal service providers to discuss new legislation, forms and procedures.

· Works with representatives of the Judicial Council of California (JCC) and other state or national organizations in determining the effectiveness of Court-based

Self-Help programs for self-represented litigants and provides information on future funding requirements; researches and obtains funding and other resources for Court-based self- help programs.

· Plans and conducts staff training; provides cross-training to employees and ensures employees are appropriately trained; provides subject matter expertise and answers employees' technical and procedural questions; handles the most complex and difficult customer questions and escalated customer complaints.

· Reviews and implements programs for bar and community outreach centers to assist unrepresented and financially disadvantaged litigants.

Other Duties:

· Performs legal research.

· Reviews and analyzes legislation; studies case law and statutes.

· Participates on various committees, task forces and commissions to promote access for self-represented litigants.

· Performs other duties as assigned.

JUDGMENT AND RESPONSIBILITY:

Incumbents perform their work under general direction. Attorneys conduct extensive legal research using independent judgment, discretion, and initiative. Erroneous recommendations, decisions, or failure to achieve objectives may result in substantial delays and considerable expenditure of resources. Incumbents in this class have supervisory responsibility for the work of others.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES:

Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager I:

Graduation from an accredited law school and a member of the California State Bar in good standing and the following:

· A minimum of three years experience in the practice of law, with additional experience, skills, or background in family law practice, including litigation and/or mediation preferred;

· Knowledge of family law procedures;

· Knowledge of the child support establishment and enforcement process under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.);

· Knowledge of child support law and the operation of the uniform state child support guideline; and

· Basic understanding of law and psychological issues related to domestic violence.

Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager II: 

Graduation from an accredited law school and a member of the California State Bar in good standing and the following:

· A minimum of five years experience in the practice of law, which should include substantial family law practice, including litigation and/or mediation;

· Knowledge of family law procedures;

· Knowledge of the child support establishment and enforcement process under Title IV-D of the federal Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. § 651 et seq.);

· Knowledge of child support law and the operation of the uniform state child support guideline; and

· Basic understanding of law and psychological issues related to domestic violence.

Family Law Facilitator/Self-Help Services Manager I/II:

Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:

· All candidates must have the ability to travel throughout Kern County.

Occasional out-of-county overnight travel will also be required.

Superior Court of California, County of Kern Family Law Facilitators/Self-Help Managers are prohibited by Court policy from practicing law during their employment.  This includes prohibition from receiving fees and appearing in any Court on behalf of another person.

Knowledge of: Family law matters including mediation techniques and approaches, and the intersection of child and spousal support matters in Family Law cases. Self-Help program requirements and policies, including legal aid and the development of forms, workshops and other models to assist self-represented litigants. Provisions of general and family law, legal processes and rules of Court. Family law support and all other relevant software programs. Principles, practices, methods and materials of legal research and analysis. Legal terms, procedures, forms and documents used in family law and other litigation areas with high proportions of self-represented litigants. Government code and other statutes related to process and Rules of Court.

Ability to: Plan, organize, and use traditional and computerized legal research methods. Develop, plan, implement and administer family law and legal assistance programs. Objectively explain legal concepts and procedural information to unrepresented litigants either in a one-on-one setting or in a clinic setting. Represent the Court effectively in interactions with community-based organizations, legal services providers and the JCC regarding program activities and build court-based partnerships. Establish and maintain staff and work schedules to meet assignment coverage needs, ensuring that all statutory, rule and procedural requirements are met. Research, analyze and appraise a variety of legal documents. Set priorities and allocate resources to meet needs in a timely, effective manner. Prepare clear, concise and comprehensive correspondence, reports, studies and other written materials. Exercise sound, expert, independent judgment within general policy guidelines.

Physical requirements/working conditions: 
The physical demands of this primarily sedentary indoor office job are: finger/hand/arm/upper body dexterity, repetitive hand/arm movement, pushing, pulling, lifting 25 pounds, mobility (indoors and outdoors), typing, bending, stooping, squatting, reaching, and prolonged sitting. The working environment includes repetitive tasks, reliance on office machinery, interaction with the public and co-workers, and limited exposure to dust, odors, fumes, and noise.  Mental functions include reading, writing/composition, math computations, problem- solving, decision-making, and multi-tasking.
 
Incumbent is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions (such as in typical office or administrative work).  
 
NOTE: The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees, and are not construed as an exhaustive list of responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.  Furthermore, they do not establish a contract for employment and are subject to change at the discretion of the employer.All applicants are required to submit an updated online application. Résumés will not be accepted in lieu of the required application.

Status Notifications: You will be notified by email through the governmentjobs.com site during the process of this recruitment. Some email accounts have been known to place these emails in the spam/junk file. Please check your email folders and/or accept emails ending with governmentjobs.com and kern.courts.ca.gov. If your email address should change, please update your profile at www.governmentjobs.com.