Chief of Special Litigation Division

FLSA Status:   Exempt

Division/Department: Special Litigation Division

Reports to: Deputy Defender

Direct Reports: Attorneys, Paralegals, legal interns, and administrative staff of the unit

 Job Summary

The Chief of the Special Litigation Division is responsible for the planning, developing, coordinating, organizing, evaluating, and directing the overall operation of the Special Litigation Division. The Chief will supervise, manage, and evaluate the attorneys, legal interns, administrative staff, and paralegals within the unit. The Chief will also assist in developing specialized training for the attorneys rotating into the unit. The Chief must understand the roles and responsibilities of all staff and be able to identify staffing needs and manage resources, particularly when addressing staff shortages and developing plans for long-term needs. The Chief will also work closely with the Executive Team, other management, court administration, outside stakeholders, and community partners to advance the Defender Association’s interests.

Major Areas of Responsibility

• Manage the day-to-day staffing and administration of the following courtrooms, including being present in courtrooms for supervision, as needed:  

1. 6G 
2. 5F
3. 903 on Wednesdays (sex-based PHs, Failure to Register, etc)
4. Domestic Violence and Sex Crimes SMART rooms
5. Domestic Violence Waiver rooms
6. Occasional vertical assignments of Sex Crimes cases, depending on staffing
7. Municipal Court Domestic Violence courtrooms

• Create and foster a unit where attorneys develop the necessary building blocks of skills so they may confidently and competently handle Major Sex Crimes cases once they get to Majors
• Supervise, manage, and evaluate performance of lawyers, paralegals, legal interns, and administrative staff within the unit in all aspects of their job duties
• Be available and accessible to answer questions from attorneys, social workers, paralegals, and staff
• Create and maintain databases for unit programs to track relevant data and statistics
• Develop and implement any procedures and protocols that are necessary to improve departmental efficiency and promote the professional development of the unit’s staff
• Hold regular staff meetings with the unit as a whole, and conduct regular 1 on 1 meetings with all unit staff, and conduct yearly written performance evaluations
• Prepare and present training programs for attorneys on substantive topics of law and procedure relevant to the courtrooms staffed by the Special Litigation Unit 
• Attend meetings with Court Administration, Judges, County and State Officials, and community stakeholders, as needed, to advance the interest of the Defender Association and our clients Communicate and coordinate with other unit Chiefs, Managing Directors, and the Deputy Defenders on a routine basis
•  Be willing to create and manage other programs or courtroom assignments that may subsequently be placed under the Special Litigation Unit

Required Skills / Experience:

• Juris Doctorate Degree required; Admission to PA Bar required;  Five (5) years of criminal defense experience, preferred
• Jury trial experience, preferred
• Experience in managing, training, and development of attorneys, preferred
• Knowledge and familiarity with statutes, caselaw, and best practices related to contempt cases, domestic violence cases, and sex crimes cases
• Must possess the ability to effectively communicate with widely diverse groups, both internally and externally.

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
• Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds
• Must be able to travel within the tri-state area to courtrooms, community placements, state hospitals, trainings and local and statewide prisons if needed

Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions. It does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned. This job description is subject to change at any time.