Supervising Senior Trial Court Staff Attorney - Lee County

*This position is eligible for a Competitive Area Differential (CAD) as approved by the Florida State Court System up to$4,601.04 annually.


WHY SHOULD YOU APPLY TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE COURTS FOR THE 20TH JUDICIAL CIRCUIT?

• Great working environment
• Growth and Development Opportunities
• Competitive Benefits Package
• Paid Time Off (Vacation and Sick)
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness Qualifying Employer
• Tuition Assistance
• Paid Holidays
• Retirement Plan Options
• 457 Deferred Compensation Plans 

The primary responsibilities include the following: (1) Judicial Support; (2) Supervision of Trial Court Staff Attorneys and Support Staff; (3) Appellate Process; (4) Supervision of Law School Interns/Externs; (5) Other Duties as Assigned.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

The following duties are normal for this position.  The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.  

(1)Judicial Support

• Assists and responds to circuit and county judge inquiries and requests for trial court assistance.
• Conducts research of substantive and procedural legal matters.
• Drafts proposed orders addressing criminal postconviction motions filed pursuant to rules 3.800, 3.801, 3.850; or other pretrial, trial or post-trial motions or matters.
• Drafts proposed orders in capital cases in which the State seeks the death penalty, including pretrial orders, sentencing orders and orders addressing capital postconviction motions filed pursuant to rule 3.851.  Monitors all capital cases in which the State seeks the death penalty, at the pretrial, trial, and postconviction stages, and prepares mandatory quarterly reports for each pending capital postconviction proceeding. 
• Drafts proposed orders addressing inmate petitions, petitions for extraordinary relief, and administrative appeals.
• Addresses miscellaneous requests for assistance from criminal, civil, and family law judges.

(2)Supervision of Trial Court Staff Attorneys and Support Staff 

• Provides supervision of all Staff Attorneys and support staff circuitwide.
• Provides guidance and advice to Staff Attorneys, as needed. Ensures necessary tools and materials are available to Staff Attorneys and support staff.
• Trains new Staff Attorneys, which includes teaching, reviewing proposed orders, and providing feedback, and determines when and to what extent new Staff Attorneys are ready to submit proposed orders to the judiciary without the need to obtain supervisory approval. 
• Conducts coaching and counseling, as may be appropriate.
• Manages the distribution of work assignments and monitors workloads.
• Tracks performance of Staff Attorneys, maintains and regularly reviews reports of office and individual Staff Attorney workloads and productivity, makes necessary adjustments, and reports findings to General Counsel. 
• Monitors and approves time and attendance.
• Conducts performance evaluations and reviews.
• Reviews applications, conducts interviews, and makes hiring recommendations for new Staff Attorneys and support staff. 
• Conducts regular staff meetings.
• Assists General Counsel with departmental budgeting and strategic planning.
• Provides written reports as to caseloads, case types, and assignments, as may be requested.
• Meets regularly with General Counsel and reports any issues or problems involving the office or any individual Staff Attorney or support staff.

(3)Appellate Process

• Assigns and Monitors county traffic court appeals, which are reviewed by a three-judge Circuit Appellate Banc, and ensures that appeals are timely addressed.
• Trains and offers guidance to Staff Attorneys as to the applicable appellate rules and timelines.
• Trains and offers guidance to Staff Attorneys as to the drafting of proposed appellate orders and memoranda making recommendations to the three-judge Circuit Appellate Banc.
• Ensures that three-judge Circuit Appellate Banc is provided with appellate support.

 (4)Supervision of Law School Interns/Externs

• Recruits, interviews, and makes recommendations as to which students should be offered an internship/externship.
• Trains and supervises legal interns/externs.
• Monitors work product of interns, provides feedback, and approves all work product before being submitted to the judiciary.
• Completes all required paperwork, including written reviews of interns/externs. 

(5) Other Duties as Assigned

• Addresses any other anticipated or unanticipated requests from the judiciary.
• Addresses any other anticipated or unanticipated special projects assigned by the Chief Judge, the Trial Court Administrator, or General Counsel.

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.  The requirements listed in this document are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Knowledge of: 

• Legal principles, statutory case law, court rules and procedures
• Florida State Courts System
• Legal publications and legal research tools and the ability to use them efficiently
• Code of Judicial Conduct
• Basic employment law
• Supervision, coaching, and counseling techniques and best practices

Ability to:

• Conduct legal research 
• Perform legal writing and drafting
• Edit one’s own work effectively
• Reason logically and analytically
• Grasp, comprehend, and analyze complex legal issues and complicated factual details
• Perform exacting work, attentive to issues in matters before the court
• Digest and communicate ideas and concepts orally and in writing
• Exercise discretion, confidentiality, impartiality, and honesty in handling matters before the court
• Maintain organization and meet deadlines
• Prepare legal reports, orders, and other documents
• Communicate ideas and concepts effectively verbally and in writing
• Effectively manage and supervise professional staff
• Formulate and implement policies to comply with statutory and rule requirements
• Work effectively with the Chief Judge, Court Administrator, General Counsel, and other elected and appointed officials

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

• Juris doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Five (5) years of experience as an attorney licensed in the State of Florida, preferably as a Staff Attorney or law clerk in an appellate or trial court capacity, and which preferably includes at least two (2) years of managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience. Lead worker experience or applicable education or certifications may count toward managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience to be determined by the employer.
• Additional relevant education or experience may substitute for the recommended experience on a year-for-year basis, to be determined by the employer.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

General supervision of Staff Attorneys and support staff;

Supervision of intern program and interns/externs.

• Requires membership in good standing with the Florida Bar
• A valid Class “E” Florida Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record is required

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Ability to read, analyze, and interpret legal cases and treatises, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, memoranda, legal documents, and procedure manuals.  Ability to effectively present information and respond to questions from groups of managers, judges, and court staff.