COURT ADMINISTRATOR/SENIOR MANAGEMENT ATTORNEY, Probate Court 1
Tarrant County See More Job Openings by This Employer
- Full Time
- $109,022.94 - $119,925.26/year
- Tarrant County, TX
- Summary
- BENEFITS
Tarrant County employees enjoy superior health, retirement, and insurance benefits & 13 County Holidays
For more information, please click on the link below:
http://www.tarrantcounty.com/en/human-resources/employee-benefits.html
The Senior Management Attorney Court Administrator will be responsible for assisting with the daily functions of Probate Court 1 & 2 including the flow of all probate, guardianship, mental health and ancillary matters through the Court along a continuum of pre-filing to resolution. Throughout the continuum, this includes consultation with staff attorneys, private attorneys and pro-se applicants and other interested parties concerning the court’s policies, preferences and interpretation of the probate laws and rules of civil procedure. This also includes advising staff attorneys, private attorneys, and the probate clerk as to the various forms of citation necessary to meet the due process requirements of the law. The Court Administrator is often called upon to be the “answer man,” and must deal with a large number of questions from attorneys, attorneys’ staff members, probate court staff members, probate clerk staff members and the general public. On uncontested matters, the court administrator gives legal advice and court approved forms to private attorneys to help them accomplish their goals. On contested matters, the court administrator does not give legal advice but is often called upon by attorneys and paralegals to give the court’s preferences or rules of procedure. This position is responsible for the advising, supervising and evaluating the entire probate court staff including the Court Investigator who is an attorney. The Court Administrator is also responsible for developing and monitoring the court’s budget. The Court Administrator is also called upon to hear testimony in uncontested matters and review proposed orders and proofs to present to the Judge for approval. The Court Administrator is also called upon to advise the Judge in legal matters requiring research involving code sections or case law. Finally, the Court Administrator is a spokesperson for the court and for the county with regard to the development of public policy and law that will aide in the court’s duties with regard to probate, guardianship and mental health matters. This often requires the Court Administrator to become involved in various associations which aide the judiciary in the court’s jurisdictional areas of law.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
Supervises one or more employees in the (department). Responsible for the overall direction, coordination, and evaluation of these employee(s). Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the county’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employee(s); planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems. - Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Consults with and answer questions for private attorneys or their staff members.
• Consults with and answer questions for the general public.
• Consults with Judges.
• Consults with and advise court staff and clerks.
• Reviews legal pleadings.
• Prepares court orders, court policies and procedures.
• Notifies private attorneys about court decisions.
• Review files on cases set for hearings.
• Answers questions concerning scheduling of hearings.
• Prepares the court budget.
• Complete performance reviews for the court staff.
• Performs legal research.
• Prepares presentations for the Judge, self and others on court’s area of law.
• Performs public policy and legal association work.
• Take testimony on uncontested matters.
• Performs all other related and administrative duties involving the court staff as assigned.Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.
• Must be able to stay organized and know how to prioritize the workload.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Must be computer literate and competent with Microsoft Office 365 Suite.
• Continuing legal education of 15 hours required on an annual basis to maintain law license.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in high-pressure situations and ability to communicate effectively.
• Excellent, advanced oral and written communication and court presentation skills.
• Must possess advanced senior professional level of analytical ability and be very well professionally polished and versed in the art of being diplomatic and tactful in addition to the use of good judgment and common sense.
• Must be able to handle all stressful situations with an even temperament and work effectively with others in achievement of tasks; must possess necessary writing skills at a well-advanced and professionally creative level to communicate information and directions to attorneys, agencies and citizens.
• Must have solid, up to date working knowledge and understanding of guardianship, probate, trusts, mental-health statutes and other relevant state laws as well as full comprehension of case holdings and departmental policies. Must be computer literate.- Minimum Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree and Juris Doctorate degree required.
• Minimum of five (5) years of probate, guardianship, mental health or trust law experience required.
• Texas law license required.NOTE: Failure to complete the Education, Experience, and Certification/License sections in full may result in disqualification, as we will be unable to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications. If hired, must provide proof of educational attainment at New Hire Processing.
Tarrant County will conduct background checks on new hires that will include a criminal background check related to convictions and deferred adjudications in the past Seven years and may include credit reports, motor vehicle records, employment records and educational attainment. A conviction or deferred adjudication is not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered individually.- Physical Demands and Work Environment & Other Requirements
While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent may be required to bend, hear, keyboard, sit, stand, talk, work alone and with others, and work overtime. Must be able to lift up to 25lbs.
- $109,022.94 - $119,925.26/year
