Job Title
This full-time position represents financially qualified criminal defendants, including juveniles, for whom the Public Defender's Office is unable to represent the defendant due to a conflict of interest and indigent parents of children involved in juvenile dependency cases when the full-time Special & Conflicts attorneys are conflicted or unavailable.
Duties include representation at all levels of the litigation process from inception through exhaustion of appeals. The work requires a wide range of independent decision-making within legal and general policy and regulatory guidelines.
This position reports to the County Commissioners through the Chief Special & Conflicts Counsel.
What You'll Do
- Represent parents/guardians for shelter care and adjudication proceedings on Mondays and Thursdays as needed.
- Serves as attorney to ONLY financially qualified clients by:
- Review applications and income statements to determine eligibility
- Attending permanency review hearings and termination hearings scheduled on Mondays and Thursdays
- Negotiating with the CYS attorneys for case disposition or modification
- Performing pretrial work and trail work including filing motions, examination and cross-examination of witnesses, and arguing the dependency case
- Maintain and manage individual caseloads in a timely and effective manner
- Monitor legal developments including legislation and court decisions related to dependency law
- Perform all acts necessary to effectively represent clients consistently with the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Rules of Professional Conduct
- Maintain up to date knowledge of the Northumberland County Local Rules, State and Federal Statues and Juvenile and Appellate Rules of Procedure
- Review cases for potential conflict of interest
- Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the County Commissioners
Job Requirements/Skills & Abilities
- Proficiency in the principles, philosophy and practice of juvenile and dependency law
- Proficiency in the principles, methods and practice of legal research and investigation
- Knowledge of judicial procedures and rules of evidence
- Proficiency in practices and effective techniques for litigation
- Knowledge of State and Federal Laws and constitutional provisions affecting juvenile dependency and delinquency from pre-trial through appeal
- Proficiency in performing complex legal research, analyzing complex problems, evaluating alternatives, and making sound legal recommendations
- Proficiency in preparing clear concise, and complete legal pleadings, reports, correspondence, and other written materials
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of the work
- Use tact, initiative, prudence, and independent judgment within general policy and legal guidelines in politically sensitive situations
- Operate modern office equipment including computer equipment and specialized software application programs
Minimum Training & Experience
- Holds degree of Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school.
- Is admitted to practice before the Courts of the Commonwealth.
- Always maintains good standing to practice before the Courts of the Commonwealth.