SUPERVISING JUDICIAL STAFF COUNSEL

Job Description:

SUPERVISING JUDICIAL STAFF COUNSEL

Description

Description

Under direction, plans, supervises, reviews and participates in the work of other employees engaged in legal research and analysis and recommendations for rulings to assist the judicial officers with their decisions on matters pending before the Court; provides oversight of civil law and motion calendars workflow; and performs related duties as assigned.

Distinguishing Characteristics
Supervising Judicial Staff Counsel is responsible for supervising the work of employees assigned to the classification of Judicial Staff Counsel. Incum bents are responsible for directing employee training, preparing performance evaluations and providing feedback to staff to improve employee performance and produc tivity. Incumbents develop department procedures and policies and review caseloads to ensure equitable and efficient distribution of work. Supervising Judicial Staff Counsel may also perform legal research, summarizing motions and providing recom mendations on case rulings. Incumbents are expected to exercise considerable discretion in carrying out responsibilities independently and with a thorough understanding of court operations.

Supervising Judicial Staff Counsel is distinguished from Self Help Supervising Attorney in that incum bents in the latter class have administrative and supervisory responsibilities for Staff Attorneys and Supervising Paralegals supporting the Self Help and Family Law Facilitator programs.

Essential Functions

Organizes, assigns, schedules, supervises and evaluates the work of assigned staff; with staff, devel ops, implements and monitors work plans to achieve assigned unit objectives; provides input to the annual department budget; makes purchases and other expenditures in accordance with court procedures;; participates in developing, implementing and evaluating plans, processes and procedures to achieve established goals and objectives in accordance with depart ment standards; prepares and maintains a variety of records and reports.Interviews and participates in selecting new department staff; supervises and evaluates staff performance; establishes performance requirements and personal development targets; regularly monitors perform ance and provides training, coaching and mentoring for performance improvement; recommends performance recognition when warranted; with management concurrence, implements the progres sive discipline process to address performance deficiencies in accordance with court Personnel Plan policies and labor contract agreements.Provides day-to-day leadership and works with staff to ensure a high-performance, customer service-oriented work environment that supports achieving the Court's mission, objec tives and values regarding teamwork, mutual trust and respect; applies best practices and quality assurance processes to assigned areas of responsibility; enforces the maintenance of safe working conditions and ensures safe work practices are followed by staff.Supervises the day-to-day operations of assigned Judicial Staff Counsels; sets and adjusts short-term priorities; provides advice and counsels or instructs subordinates on assignments and administrative matters; ensures that work is distributed and completed in a timely manner.Performs advanced legal research; advises judiciary and management on areas of law; conducts research on special projects requested by judicial officers or court management; maintains liaison with staff, judges, management, and other departments or agencies.Conducts caseload analyses; develops and implements procedures to improve efficiency; monitors court calendars for workload and volume.Prepares and coordinates a variety of work reports and records; attends meetings; schedules and maintains mandatory training records for section staff; represents the section/department with other divisions, departments and vendors.May be required to act on behalf of the Managing Attorney in that individual's absence, make critical decisions, act as primary point of contract, address issues that arise and ensuring they are resolved efficiently, including approval of payroll timesheets in the Managing Attorney’s absence.Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree, active membership in good standing in the State Bar of California, and six (6) years of experience in the practice of law includ ing three (3) years of experience in litigation, performing legal research and drafting legal opinions and/or briefs; or an equivalent combination of educa tion, training and experience.

Licenses; Certificates; Special Requirements:
A California Class C driver's license will be reviewed on a position basis in accordance with ADA regu lations.

Ability to:

• Plan, supervise, assign, review and evaluate the work of employees engaged in legal research and analysis;
• Perform advanced legal research, analyze problems, evalu ate alternatives and develop sound expert conclusions and recommendations;
• Present statements of fact, law and argument clearly, logically and persuasively orally and in writing;
• Define issues, analyze problems, evaluate alternatives and develop sound, independent conclusions and recommendations in accordance with laws, regulations, rules and policies;
• Organize, set priorities and exercise sound independent judgment within areas of responsibility;
• Understand, interpret, explain and apply applicable laws, codes and ordinances;
• Represent the court effectively in dealings with other employees, state and county agencies, court appointees and the public;
• Prepare and present legal analyses both orally and in writing, ensuring clarity and precision.
• Operate a computer and use standard business software and a variety of complex computer software programs and databases related to area of assignment;
• Use tact and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive and complex issues, situations and concerned people;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with all those encountered in the course of work.

Physical Characteristics

The physical and mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical Demands
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, walk and stand; talk and hear; use hands to finger, handle, feel or operate objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms; and perform repetitive movements of hands or wrists. The employee is frequently required to lift up to ten (10) pounds unaided.

Specific vision abilities required for this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

Mental Demands
While performing the duties of this class, an employee uses written and oral communication skills; reads and interprets data, information and documents; analyzes and solves problems; uses math and mathemat ical reasoning; observes and interprets people and situations; learns and applies new information and skills; performs highly detailed work; deals with changing deadlines, constant interrup tions and multiple concurrent tasks; and interacts with others encountered in the course of work.

Work Environment
The employee works in an office environment where the noise level is usually quiet to moderate.

SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA
COUNTY OF SAN BERNARDINO
BENEFITS SUMMARY

The San Bernardino Superior Court offers a range of benefit programs for employees and their eligible dependents. These include medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, as well as a variety of voluntary benefits. Programs and benefit amounts vary and are based on bargaining unit, family size, hire date, plan selection, and number of hours worked.A summary of benefits is provided below.

Health and Welfare Benefits
MEDICAL: The Court offers a variety of comprehensive health plan options to fit individual employee needs. The Court contributes up to $200.00 in benefit plan dollars each pay period to help full-time employees pay for health premiums. In addition, the health plan subsidy the court contributes toward the employee cost is 58.5% to 60% based on plan selection and level of coverage.

DENTAL: The dental subsidy is equivalent to 100% of the employee only DPPO plan (but not less than twenty-three dollars and two cents {$23.02} per pay period).

VISION: Court-paid plan for employees and eligible dependents. No co-pay/deductible for eye exams; frames and standard lenses or contact lenses (in lieu of standard lenses) every twelve (12) months.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY: Court-paid benefit that provides partial income replacement in the event that an employee is unable to work due to a non-work related disability.

LONG-TERM DISABILITY: Court-paid benefit that provides partial income replacement in the event that an employee is unable to work due to a non-work related disability.

LIFE INSURANCE: Court-paid basic life insurance benefit of $85,000. Additional supplemental life and AD&D insurance benefits may be purchased voluntarily.

MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENT ACCOUNT: Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that helps participating employees lower their taxable income. Under this plan, employees elect to set aside pre-tax money each pay period to pay for eligible out-of-pocket medical expenses for themselves and their eligible dependents that are not paid by insurance or reimbursed by any other benefit plan. The Court contributes a dollar for dollar match up to $20.00 per pay period up to a maximum of five-hundred dollars ($500.00) per plan year.

DEPENDENT CARE ASSISTANCE PLAN: This is a type of Flexible Spending Account (FSA) that helps participating eligible employees lower their taxable income. Under this plan, employees may set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified childcare or dependent care expenses that are necessary for the employee and/or spouse to continue working.

Leave Allowances
VACATION: After completion of the requisite hours of continuous service (based on the bargaining unit), employees are eligible to use accrued vacation allowance. Depending on length of service, employees may accrue from 80 to 200 hours annually.

ADMINISTRATIVE LEAVE: Eighty (80) hours of additional leave to be used during the calendar year, prorated depending on start date.

HOLIDAY: Fourteen (14) paid recognized holidays and the accrual of two (2) floating holidays annually.

SICK LEAVE: Employees in regular positions accrue approximately 3.69 hours of sick leave per pay period to use during instances of authorized absence due to illness, injury, or medically related appointments.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE: ALL employees are eligible to receive a maximum of thirty-two (32) hours of paid leave per occurrence for bereavement leave due to the death of a person in the immediate family.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation Plans
RETIREMENT: The Court is a 1937 Act employer. More detailed information may be found by contacting SBCERA at (909) 885-7980 or toll-free at 1-877-722-3721 or by visiting the website at San Bernardino County Retirement Association. The Court does not pay into the Social Security system; however, it does contribute to Medicare.

Retirement benefits subject to change.

DEFERRED COMPENSATION: Employees are eligible to participate in the Court's 457 and/or the 401(k) Deferred Compensation Plans. These are supplemental retirement plans that permit employees to defer a certain portion of their pre or post tax salary, within certain Internal Revenue Service (IRS) limits, to an account maintained by an investment service provider. Participating employees in the pre-tax option postpone paying taxes on the deferred portion of their income.

401(k): The court matches up to 4% and doubles the contribution up to 8%.
457: Employees may elect to have a percentage of their salary or a flat amount deferred for a pre or post tax investment.

RETIREMENT MEDICAL TRUST: This plan helps with the high cost of health care expenses after retirement. Participation is for those with ten (10) or more years of participation in SBCERA or where the individual contributed to a public sector retirement system or system(s) over a ten (10) year period and did not withdraw the contribution form the retirement system(s). Under this plan, eligible retired participants pay for qualified expenses on a non-tax basis. All contributions, earnings, and reimbursements are tax free. The trust is funded by the eligible cash value of the participant's sick leave upon separation of service and Court contributions. The Court contributes a percentage of the employee's salary to the trust per pay period.

Additional Benefits
TUITION BENEFIT: The Court shall provide $1,500.00 per fiscal year to be used for job related education or career development, book fees or to reimburse membership dues in professional organizations.

CAR ALLOWANCE: Use of Court Vehicle.

CELL PHONE: The Court shall provide reimbursement of $20.00 for voice and $20.00 for data services per month upon submission of proper forms and documentation.

FLEXIBLE WORK SCHEDULE: The Court recognizes the importance of work/life balance. Employees may request alternative work scheduling or flexible work schedules when classifications meet the requirements.

COMMUTER SERVICES: This program assists with providing information on carpools, rideshare matching, and public transportation options. The Court offers incentives for employees eligible to participating in Ridesharing activities.

The Human Resources Department reserves the right to modify the benefit programs in accordance with the Personnel Rules and Regulations.

Closing Date/Time: 12/1/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$140,642.06 - $180,053.38 Annually