Legal Positions (Admnistrative/Social Work

Seeking Administrative/Legal Secretaries, Clerks, Clerk Typists and Social Workers to work in non-profit Center City law firmAdministrative Legal Secretary (Juvenile Unit) $26,000 - $32,808
* Must possess a Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies, criminal justice or a related field;* Three years secretarial experience required;* Excellent typing skills (at least 55 words per minute);
* Computer literacy and proficiency with MSOffice Suite (i.e. MSWord, Excel, Access, etc.);
* Must be able to take dictation or transcribe from Dictaphone;
* Excellent written and oral communication skills;
* Ability to compose, type and/or edit correspondence;
* Excellent grammar, spelling and proofreading skills;* Must possess basic mathematical and analytical skills;
* Must be highly organized and able to effectively handle multiple tasks simultaneously;
* Ability to prioritize assignments, daily responsibilities and special projects;
* Must be able to read and understand case files in order to compose letters and answer general inquiries;
* Must be able to handle demanding clients, parents, guardians, family members and staff members in a professional manner;* Excellent telephone manner and the ability to take accurate messages; and, whenever necessary, screen calls for the Chief and Assistant Chief, answer questions and/or direct callers to the appropriate personnel;
* Must be able to deal with confidential materials and information in a professional and responsible manner;
* Must be flexible, independent, hard working, positive and display mature judgment;
* Ability to work with minimal supervision;
* Must be committed to being a team player and to share Juvenile Unit goal of providing effective representation to juvenile clients;
* Excellent attendance.Administrative Legal Secretary III/Interpretor $26,000 - $32,808
­- Minimum high School Diploma required;
­- ­Two years secretarial experience required;­
­- Fluency in Spanish (both written and oral communication);
­- At least 5 years interpreting/translating experience;
- Excellent communication skills (both written and oral);
­- Ability to compose, type and/or edit correspondence in both English and Spanish;
­- Must have considerable knowledge of colloquialisms, legal jargon and idiomatic expressions of the Spanish language;
- Ability to assess whether or not the Spanish speaking client understands what is being communicated;
- Excellent typing skills (at least 55 words per minute);
­- Computer literacy and proficiency with MSOffice Suite (i.e. MSWord, Excel, Access, etc.);
­- ­Must be highly organized and able to prioritize assignments and effectively handle multiple tasks simultaneously;
- Ability to establish effective working relationships with attorneys, social workers, paralegals, secretaries, receptionists and all court staff;
- Must be able to handle demanding clients, family members and staff members in a professional manner;- Excellent telephone manner and the ability to interact with clients and take appropriate messages and notes from conversations being interpreted over the telephone;
- Must be able to deal with confidential materials and information in a professional and responsible manner;
- ­Must be flexible, independent, hard working, positive and display mature judgment;
- Ability to work with minimal supervision;
- Must be committed to being a team player;- ­Excellent attendance.Clerk I- Record Room (2 positions) $20,000 - $21,700Clerk I-Alternative Sentencing(1 positions) $20,000 - $21,700Clerk Messenger I- Juvenile Unit (1 position) $20,000 - $21,700
-Must possess a High School Diploma/GED equivalent;
-Must be computer literate, with working knowledge of Microsoft Word
-Knowledge of basic filing (alphabetical and numerical);
-Excellent organizational skills;
-Must be detail oriented;
-Must be a team player;
-Excellent attendance.Clerk Typist I (Felony Waiver Unit) $20,000 - $21,854
-Must possess a High School Diploma/GED equivalent;
-Must type a minimum of 40 wpm;
-Must be computer literate, working knowledge of a word processing program (i.e. Microsoft Word)
-Must possess excellent filing skills (alphabetically and numerically);
-Ability to work with a large volume of cases and clients;
-Excellent attendance.Social Workers
Adult Social Worker
The position involves assessment, service procurement and case management of an individual caseload of approximately 100 clients who are defendants in pending criminal litigation. The candidate selected will testify in adult criminal proceedings and/or write recommendations to be used in court proceedings and should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.The work provides active involvement with clients throughout the legal process, which includes consultations with attorneys, judges, psychiatrists, probation officers, treatment agencies, family and other support systems (beginning some time shortly after a client’s arrest and ending at the point of disposition).
Dependent (Child Advocate) Social Worker
The position involves assessment, service procurement and case management of an individual caseload of approximately 250 clients who are involved in pending dependent litigation. The candidate will conduct home and agency visits, testify in dependent court proceedings and write recommendations to be used in court proceedings and should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.The work provides active involvement with clients throughout the legal process, which includes consultations with attorneys, therapists, Department of Human Services (DHS) social workers, placement agencies, family and other support systems (beginning some time shortly after the Child Advocacy Unit’s appointment and ending at the point of discharge from dependency court).
Juvenile Social Worker
This position involves assessment, service procurement and case management of an individual caseload of approximately 60 juvenile clients charged with juvenile offenses. The candidate selected will testify in juvenile criminal proceedings and/or write recommendations to be used in court proceedings and should possess excellent verbal and written communication skills. Candidates must be willing to travel to in-state and out-of-state juvenile placement facilities to conduct client interviews and participate in teleconference hearings.
The work provides active involvement with clients throughout the legal process, which includes consultations with attorneys, judges, psychiatrists, psychologists, probation officers, educators, treatment personnel and family members.
REQUIREMENTS
Administrative Legal Secretary--Juvenile Unit($26,000 - $32,808)
The primary responsibility of this position is to assist the Chief with the daily operation of an efficient Juvenile Unit. The duties are as follows:- Supervise all administrative secretarial staff and assist clerical supervisor with daily supervisory functions for clerical staff- Type and edit miscellaneous correspondence and heavy legal projects for staff attorneys assigned to the Unit, such as Post-Verdict Motions, Briefs, Letter Briefs, and Memoranda of Law and miscellaneous Legal Motions. Coordinate proper filing and service on the judges, the District Attorney’s Office, and the Court Clerk’s Office;
- Supervise legal interns assigned to the Juvenile Unit;
- Research legal issues as assigned by the Chief and the Assistant Chief using Internet Explorer and/or West Law;
- Maintain database for Special Assignment, Certification, Act 21 cases and Reintegration reports;
- Record and track all files that have been accepted by the Appeals unit, all files with pending Motions for Reconsideration filed by the DA’s office (Petitions to reinstate);
- Act as Expungement Coordinator. Research, type, file and track all expungement motions that are filed by the Juvenile Unit and maintain database.
- Draft and compose letters to clients.- Attend expungement hearings with Juvenile Unit attorney.
- Compile Unit statistics, prepare monthly report and submit to Defender;
- Assist the Chief and Assistant Chief with the preparation of grants, budget contracts and reports;
- Organize and coordinate monthly orientation for attorneys, unit staff meetings, internal conferences and seminars, as well as, those held outside of the Association;
- Assume responsibilities of other staff members on an as needed basis.
Administrative Legal Secretary III/Interpreter ($26,000 - $32,808)
Responsibilities*­Flexibility: The secretary is required to fill in when ever/where ever there is a shortage of secretarial assistance in the office, including the switchboard and must complete all work assignments given to him/her in a timely manner.
*Typing and Computer Skills: Typing from handwritten copy/from dictating equipment. Typing assignments range from short form letters to briefs, memorandums of law, motions, etc.
­* Organization: Ability to keep track of and prioritize work assignments.
­* Assist attorneys and social workers with preparation of Spanish speaking clients and witnesses for trial testimony. Serve as interpreter for trial attorneys/law interns in the courtroom, at the county, state and federal prisons, in the office, and at psychiatric evaluations, etc.
­* Translate attorney response letters from English to Spanish and also translate letters from clients written in Spanish into English.­* Translate and when necessary, revise form letters from various departments and translate pamphlets that are distributed to clients.­* Conduct “on sight” translations of discovery, complaints and notes of testimony.
­* Respond to incoming calls from Spanish speaking clients and route messages to the appropriate attorney or department. Respond to clients inquiries regarding dispositions of cases. This includes making telephone calls to family members and/or any witnesses for attorneys, paralegals and social workers.­* Translate/transcribe Spanish police radio tapes and provide attorney (file) with an written English version of the transcription
­* Prepare and submit monthly statistics of interpreting services provided to Spanish speaking clients
Clerk I--Record Room (2 positions) $20,000 - $21,700- Close Common Pleas and Municipal Court files and cards;
- File closed cards away daily;
- Locate and deliver court files to the front desk for client interviews;
- Assist in pulling open cards from the diebold and place them in the files to be closed;
- Answer telephone inquiries from clients requesting information;
- Maintain all boxes and shelves of closed files;
- Must lift up to 25 lbs. of boxed files;
- File bench warrant files and paperwork on a weekly rotation;
- Other duties as assigned.Clerk I--Alternative Sentencing (1 positions) $20,000 - $21,700- Assist legal assistants with general filing work and preparation of petitions
- Help prepare petition packets (generate necessary computer printouts, locate and open new files, photocopying, etc. and delivery of petitions)
- Schedule appointment for probation and parole supervisors
- Order sentencing commitments from prison record room when unable to locate
- File various papers, including memoranda from attorneys, social workers, judges, probation officers and the DA’s office
- Locate VOP files without the department and throughout the office
- Back-up other department clerks, in their absence;
- Other duties as assigned.
Clerk Messenger I-- Juvenile Unit (1 position) $20,000 - $21,700
– Daily trips to 1801 Vine Street to deliver legal files and various documents to courtrooms and judges chambers; file juvenile legal petitions, and motions, pick-up new paperwork, discovery and necessary correspondence from the District Attorney’s Juvenile Unit.
– File all closed legal files and paperwork.
– File all bench warrants files and paperwork.
– File all closed control index cards.
– Organize high volume of files and pull open control index cards to be placed in files for closing.
– Pull review files and prepare list for Courtroom “J”.
– Assist in answering record room and department telephones.
– Participate in three-person work group and assume additional responsibilities when a member of the work group is sick or on vacation.
– Assume any additional clerical duties, as needed.Clerk Typist (Felony Waiver Unit) $20,000 - $21,854
-Type all merge letters including bail letters, bench warrant letters, continuance letters and discharge letters for preliminary hearing files;
-Type memoranda and letters from supervisors to clients, court personnel and various other sources;
-Assist in all stages of preparation of daily preliminary files hearing court lists and location of missing files from these lists;
-Assist in locating files for supervisors;
-Prepare weekly schedule and assignment board;
-Preparation of monthly preliminary hearing statistics;
-Order Quarter Sessions files for preliminary hearing files;
-Assume back-up responsibilities of other administrative members of unit.Adult Social Worker- Conducting client assessments in the office and at the various county prisons in Philadelphia (an occasional visit to a state corrections facility may be required) to determine competency, alcohol/drug dependence, legal insanity, etc.
- Conducting client assessments at Norristown State Hospital, when necessary, to determine competency to stand trial, mental status and/or drug/alcohol dependency, legal insanity, etc.- Referring to and negotiation with community resources to service client needs;
- Collecting prior hospital and treatment records when necessary to assist with assessment/treatment planning;
- Contacting family and other support systems to gather information to assist with assessment and treatment planning;
- Preparing written reports/memoranda on all clients evaluated, which are forwarded to and made a part of the legal file and/or discussed with the assigned attorney;
- Providing court testimony on behalf of clients when needed;
- Maintaining well documented and dated files on all clients;
- Preparing social summaries and sentencing reports when necessary;
- Assisting attorneys in the preparation of insanity defenses;
- Assisting clients with securing funding for treatment when necessary.Dependent (Child Advocate) Social Worker
- Conduct client assessments in their home and/or dependent placements to determine their physical, social, emotional, educational and treatment needs;
- Negotiate with family and community resources to service the needs of clients;
- Provide court testimony on behalf of clients when needed;
- Maintain well documented and dated files on all clients;
- Maintain a high level of collaboration with assigned and list attorneys to assure effective representation of clients;
- Collect hospital, school, placement agency and DHS records when necessary to assure effective representation of clients;
- Attend Family Service Plan (FSP) meetings and agency treatment planning to assure appropriate services are provided to clients;
- Utilize supervision to review and develop effective casework strategies.Juvenile Social Worker
- Conducting client assessments to determine their service and treatment needs in the office, at the Youth Study Center, at Community Based Shelter, and cell rooms at 1801 Vine Street;
- Referring to and negotiating with community resources to service the needs of clients;
- Collecting school records to determine educational needs;
- Collecting prior hospital and treatment records when necessary to assist with assessment and treatment planning;
- Contacting family and other support systems to gather information to assist with assessment and treatment planning;
- Preparing written reports and memoranda on all clients which are forwarded to and made a part of the legal file and/or discussed with the assigned attorney;
- Providing court testimony on behalf of clients when needed;
- Maintaining well documented and dated files on all clients;
- Preparing social summaries and special reports when necessary;
- Assisting attorneys in the preparation of cases, especially when issues of competency arise;
- Assist attorneys and fellow social workers conduct client interviews by translating for Spanish speaking clients and family members, when needed;- Attending teleconference hearings, traveling to in-state and out-of-state juvenile facilities to interview clients, evaluating treatment programs and participating in teleconference hearings;