Supervisory Attorney

The Supervisory Attorney (Family Court) provides management, analytical, and advisory services to the legal services employees with a focus on improving Family Court legal programs, operations, and efficiency.

The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts’ values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.

To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your college transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for District of Columbia Courts employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/

The Supervisory Attorney (Family Court) Primary Duties:

• Manages the Attorney Advisors, Attorney Negotiators, Counsel for Child Abuse & Neglect Branch Chief and Self-Help Center Family Law Attorney.
• Serves as lead in providing advice and guidance on the coordination of legal services that require interpretation from many different and unrelated case types, processes and methods.
• Manages and supervises the legal services operation and staff.
• Monitors and evaluates performance of legal services staff.
• Provides authoritative information, technical assistance and advice regarding Family Court issues and policies.
• Prepares a variety of legal reports, memorandum, and presentations for higher-level managers and judges.
• Provides information, as needed, to attorneys and the public on procedures related to all Family Court case types.
• Assists in conducting assessments and evaluating proposed legislative changes that may impact the office, its methods, and operations.
• Provides advice to the Family Court Director and Deputy Director and other senior officials on issues related to the division.
• Collaborates with supervisors of various branches to coordinate mutual work-related programs and objectives.
• Answers all exceptional legal correspondence received by the Family Court Director’s Office, which requires investigation and detailed explanations.
• Oversees the quality and comparability across branches of entries made in CourtView and other databases by staff to verify completeness and accuracy of the official record.
• Facilitates trainings and makes presentations to the judiciary and Family Court legal stakeholders.

The DC Courts have employed many measures to keep employees and court users as safe as possible, including mandatory face coverings, social distancing, temperature checks, health screening questionnaire, enhanced air circulation, and intensified cleaning services. We encouraged employees to get vaccinated for their safety and the safety of their family, friends, colleagues, and others with whom they have contact. We also provided opportunities for employees to receive the vaccine. Such voluntary vaccination efforts have made significant progress in suppressing the spread of COVID-19, and yet the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant has caused a rapid increase in infection transmission rates in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, particularly among the unvaccinated.

Vaccinations, being readily available, provide the best protection from infection with COVID-19, and the requirement of vaccinations is consistent with maintaining a safe and secure workplace. Therefore, effective immediately and throughout the remainder of the COVID-19 emergency period, all DC Courts employees, interns, volunteers, and on-site contractors, who have received a vaccination as required by the COVID-19 vaccination protocols, must provide proof of vaccination to Human Resources on the first day of employment. You may seek an exemption from providing a proof of vaccination on the grounds of a specific medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief. All employees who have not received the required number of vaccination doses, regardless of the reason or whether the employee has sought or been granted an exemption, will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result on a weekly basis in order to report to work in person or remotely.

Minimum Qualifications for the Supervisory Attorney (Family Court):

A law degree, admission to practice law before the Courts of the District of Columbia plus at least four (4) years of experience practicing, interpreting and advising in family law matters and at least three (3) years of supervisory experience managing attorneys, legal professionals or clerks in a legal or social services environment.

Rule T of DC Superior Court Rules states: neither the Clerk nor the Clerk’s assistants, nor anyone serving as a law clerk or secretary to a judge of this Court, or employed in any other capacity in this Court, shall engage in the practice of law while continuing in such position.

Preferred:

• Knowledge of D.C. Code Titles 11, 16, 46, etc.

Please note that authorization for the release of your adult criminal record revealing any convictions and forfeitures, and any criminal cases currently pending before the courts are required. If you are selected for the position, a criminal history records check will be conducted.