Paralegal - DSS

Job Description Summary

The primary purpose of this position is to assist the DSS staff attorneys in the delivery of the full range of legal services provided by the legal division. These services include, but are not limited to, filing and prosecuting abuse, neglect, and dependency actions; conducting review, permanency planning review, and other hearings with respect to children involved in DSS actions; filing and prosecuting termination of parental rights actions;

providing legal services to Adult Services, including filing and prosecuting incompetency actions and other actions to protect adults; providing legal services to Child Support, including filing and prosecuting child support actions; and providing legal services to other divisions of DSS as needed, including representing eligibility for Medicaid and other state and federal benefit programs. The paralegal, under the supervision of a staff attorney, prepares, files, and serves legal documents;

assists in all aspects of preparation for cases, hearings, and trials; prepares affidavits; drafts correspondence, pleadings, and proposed orders; drafts subpoenas; arranges for service of pleadings, subpoenas, orders, and other legal documents; creates and organizes legal files; meets with and assists staff attorneys when preparing for court; and communicates with social workers, witnesses, opposing counsel, clerks, and other court personnel.

The work in the legal unit is high paced, particularly during court hours. This individual must be flexible and highly motivated.

Hiring Range: $54,216.00

• The paralegal gathers information from social workers, child support agents, and other staff; communicates with witnesses; prepares subpoenas; and otherwise assists staff attorneys in preparing for court.
• The paralegal drafts petitions, motions, proposed orders, correspondence, and other documents. The paralegal reviews petitions, motions, proposed orders, correspondence, and other documents.
• The paralegal assists with the filing of documents with the Clerk, to include e-filing, and assists in retrieving documents from the Court, to include retrieving documents electronically from e-courts/Portal. The paralegal reviews the court file, the attorney file, and the electronic files maintained by DSS to ensure that pleadings, orders, and other documents are properly executed, properly filed with the Clerk, and maintained by DSS.
• The paralegal works with the staff attorneys to manage the juvenile court case load and the child support case load. The paralegal ensures that cases are properly noticed for hearing and scheduled in accordance with statutory deadlines. The paralegal assists in making sure all parties are properly served. The paralegal assists in locating witnesses and missing parties.
• The paralegal assists staff attorneys in court, particularly with noting who is present in juvenile court and child support court, identifying witnesses who are present in court, communicating with witnesses who are on standby, and locating necessary parties and attorneys for hearings. The paralegal will assist in distributing proposed orders and ensuring that consent signatures are obtained when possible. The paralegal prepares draft continuance orders.
  
  The paralegal e-files documents, retrieves executed documents from e-courts/Portal, and assists staff with all aspects of filing and retrieving documents through the e-filing/e-courts/Portal system.
• The paralegal maintains a schedule of upcoming court dates, updates the schedule on a weekly basis, and ensures that cases are scheduled for a timely hearing. The paralegal works closely with the staff attorneys, social workers, child support agents, the Clerk, attorneys for opposing parties, and other parties to ensure that all parties are served and receive proper notice of hearing.
• The paralegal maintains a tracking system for cases handled in juvenile court. The paralegal coordinates with opposing counsel, judges, and the Clerk with respect to the review, signing, filing, and entry of court orders.
• The paralegal works closely with Adult Services with respect to incompetency actions and other actions to protect at-risk adults. The paralegal drafts and reviews drafts of incompetency petitions, petitions for orders authorizing emergency protective services, and other petitions, motions, and orders relating to at-risk adults. The paralegal assists staff attorneys in all aspects of the case, to include service, filing pleadings, obtaining and ensuring the appearance of expert and other witnesses, and preparing social workers for hearings.
• The paralegal assists in providing legal services to other units in the agency, including providing representation with respect to eligibility for Medicaid and other public assistance benefits and reviewing possible fraud cases involving public assistance benefits.

Performs additional duties as assigned.

This paralegal is required to work during emergencies, including…