Description:
Job Purpose and Overview:The Franklin County Municipal Court is the state's largest and busiest municipal court. The Court has fourteen judges in the General Division and one in the Environmental Division. Judges preside over civil, criminal, and traffic cases and conduct both jury and non-jury trials. The Court's jurisdiction includes traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases where the amount is $15,000 or less. The Environmental Division has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce local codes and regulations affecting real property, such as fire and building codes. The Court's geographic jurisdictions include all of Franklin County and those portions of the City of Columbus that extend beyond the boundaries of Franklin County. Despite its jurisdiction and name, the Franklin County Municipal Court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government.
Job Purpose and Overview:
The Franklin County Municipal Court Self-Help Center was created in 2015 as a cost-effective solution to Ohio's access to justice difficulties. The Center staff provides legal information, not legal advice, about civil matters in Municipal Court, including the sealing of criminal records, landlord/tenant disputes, filing and defending against lawsuits, and commercial debt collection. The Center's mission is to improve the quality of the Court filings by self-represented litigants, increase access to justice, and provide a positive point of contact between the Court and the community.
In general, the Self-Help Center Managing Attorney provides oversight of the Center's Court-wide programs providing services to self-represented litigants across multiple case types, participates in community outreach on behalf of the Court; researches and keeps the Court informed about best practices for serving self-represented litigants; supervises staff and community volunteers in the Center; and performs other related duties, such as court navigator programs, services relating to electronic filing, and driver's license reinstatement.
Specifically, the Manager provides oversight of the Self-Help Center's provision of services for litigants in the Small Claims Division, as required by R.C. 1925 et seq. Small Claims was created to enable individuals, companies, and other entities to pursue claims for money in amounts up to $6,000 in a more informal and expeditious forum than the Court's general division civil docket without the need to use an attorney.
In addition, the Manager oversees the Dispute Resolution Department, within the Small Claims Division, to provide mediation and facilitation services for the Court. Many disputes that come to the dispute resolution department are mediated prior to the filing of formal legal action.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities of The Position:
- Plans, manages, reviews, evaluates, and proposes new court programs to assist self-represented litigants across various case types, including record sealing, landlord/tenant disputes, small claims, general claims, and commercial debt collection.Recruits, selects, trains, supervises, and evaluates the Self-Help Center staff and volunteers.
- Recommends, facilitates, and consults on implementing process, policy, and procedural changes to maximize assistance to self-represented litigants.
- Stays abreast of technological solutions and other innovations that can enhance the provision of court services to self-represented litigants.
- Works closely with judges, the Clerk of Courts, and other court staff to ensure that self-represented litigants receive the assistance necessary to improve court filings and improve the efficiency of the court system.
- Participates in developing grant applications, service agreements, and memoranda of understanding with governmental and non-governmental entities.
- Partners with committees, community organizations, law schools, and other stakeholders to improve the court's provision of assistance to self-represented litigants.
- Reviews, analyzes, and implements legislation, rules of court, Judicial Council forms, and applicable regulations.
- Prepares various correspondence and reports
- Operates a variety of modern office hardware and software.
- Designs and approves clinics and workshops to assist self-represented litigants.
- Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with judicial officers, court staff, and justice partners engaged in providing services to self-represented litigants and dispute resolution services.
- Engages in networking and other outreach with staff in other court self-help centers across the state and country to discuss, among other things, best practices and issues of statewide concern.
- Works with the Clerk's office and other court departments to develop forms and educational materials designed to better serve self-represented litigants and improve the quality of filings received by the Clerk's office.
- Ensures that Center visitors are provided with referrals to legal and non-legal resources as necessary.
- Performs community outreach on behalf of the Center and the Court to increase Center traffic.
- Plans, directs, and supervises the operations of the Dispute Resolution Department, which includes ensuring compliance with applicable laws, rules, and Court policies for the Department.
- Develops and maintains community support and collaboration of community partners through a variety of community activities and networks.
- Serves as a representative of the department and the Court to government entities and community agencies.
- Attend department manager meetings and update the court administrator, other managers, judges, and magistrates on mediation-related issues.
- Mediates disputes referred to the programs by the judges and magistrates of the Court.
- Supervises the Court's online dispute resolution service.
- Performs other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications and Requirements:
Candidates must have a combination of education, experience, and personal characteristics that demonstrate their abilities to perform the duties required by the position.
Education:
- Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Juris Doctorate.
- Licensed to practice law in the state of Ohio.
Experience:
- Experience working with under-resourced individuals, especially related to record sealing, landlord/tenant disputes, small claims, general claims, and commercial debt collection.
- Ability to serve as a strong advocate for the Court and Court programs to the public and to assist the Court in providing services to self-represented litigants. Experience working with judges and Court staff is preferred.
- Three years of experience in an administrative, leadership or supervisory position
- Experience mediating disputes and complaints.
Knowledge of:
- Principles and practices of staff management, including recruitment, development, training, and retention; mentoring techniques; problem-solving and conflict resolution methods.
- Ohio judicial branch operations; Court policies, procedures, and processes; Ohio Rules of Court and Franklin County Municipal Court local rules; and forms that are commonly used by self-represented litigants.
- Principles and practices of program development, implementation, management, and evaluation; budget management, including development of grant applications, service agreements, and memoranda of understanding with governmental and non-governmental organizations.
- Principles and techniques of dispute resolution.
- Applicable laws and codes; relevant educational materials; proper forms and the correct completion of them; appropriate referral sources.
- Current and in-development software solutions, including web-based, to assist self-represented litigants through, e.g., completion of forms and obtaining remote access to Court services.
- Best practices that help self-represented litigants with accessing and using the Court system.
- Knowledge of legal terminology and trial court operations and procedures.
- Knowledge of case-management operations and processes; budget management; strategic planning; and the Ohio Revised Code as it pertains to court services and operations.
- Strong analytical and organizational skills and the ability to function at a high level within a large, complex organization.
- Presentations before elected and appointed officials, public and private groups, Court employees, and others.
- Creativity and ability to conceive and implement innovative approaches to solve problems and meet objectives.
- Ability to recognize the need for change, respond with flexibility to changing program demands, propose solutions, and ensure that solutions are implemented.
- Knowledge of common office practices, procedures, and equipment.
- Proficiency in operating a personal computer and using, or being able to learn, Microsoft Office products, including Word, Outlook, Excel, and other software programs.
- Efficient time-management skills; highly organized and detail-oriented.
- Ability to prioritize work, work independently without daily supervision, perform a variety of duties, and manage a variety of projects simultaneously in a high-pressure atmosphere under sometimes severe time constraints.
- Ability to communicate verbally effectively and professionally, and in writing, in English to diverse audiences.
- Pleasant personality
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