Legal Assistant Supervisor - Child Welfare Unit

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you're interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

* Impact - The work you do here matters to millions.

* Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it?

* Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.

* Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The City of Philadelphia Law Department acts as general counsel for the entire City government structure. We provide legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions concerning any matters related to the exercise of their official powers.

The Law Department's civil practice includes unique issues involving public interest in business, health, safety, commerce, civil rights, taxation, and community development. We employ more than 220 attorneys and 100 professional staff to support seamless operations, reduce legal liability for the City, and challenge threats to quality of life impacting the taxpayers of Philadelphia.

We are an ever-evolving Department where all are empowered to reach their full potential, to collaborate with clients as true partners, and to see their work have real impact on the city of Philadelphia. We celebrate the diversity of our staff, the City's workforce, and the residents whom we serve and promote an environment of comradery, accountability, and inclusiveness.

The Law Department's Child Welfare Unit (CWU) represents the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) in all aspects of its work in investigating reports of child abuse and child neglect and providing services to children and families in need. The CWU is a collegial, fast-paced, challenging unit in which attorneys are, with appropriate training and supervision, expected to independently manage their case files from start to finish.

Job Description

Position Summary

Legal assistants in the Child Welfare Unit meet with Department of Human Services ("DHS") social work service managers and Community Umbrella Agencies ("CUA") case managers to discuss proposed and pending court cases, draft dependent petitions which are filed in the Dependent Branch of Family Court following these interviews, and review DHS case records in order to prepare petitions seeking either Voluntary Or Involuntary Termination Of Parental Rights, or Permanent Legal Custody.

They also prepare related documents and gather necessary information in order to supplement these pleadings. The legal assistants occasionally expunge DHS case records of confidential information for review by outside parties and appear at Pre-Hearing Conferences at Family Court on behalf of the Law Department.

Legal Assistant Supervisors in the Child Welfare Unit perform the above-described duties of a legal assistant in the unit. Legal Assistant Supervisors, on a daily basis, review, revise when necessary, and electronically file dependent petitions in coordination with Family Court staff, and they appear weekly at Pre-Hearing Conferences at Family Court on behalf of the Law Department.

Essential Functions

Duties of a Legal Assistant Supervisor in the CWU include but are not limited to:

* Participate in interviews of candidates for City of Philadelphia Legal Assistant positions

* Assist in new hire coordination and training of new legal assistant staff

* Schedule, prepare, and attend meetings specific to Child Welfare Unit legal assistant responsibilities

* Assist with scheduling, preparing, and attending meetings specific to Child Welfare Unit area of practice

* Assist in the development/modification of Child Welfare Unit training modules/programs/materials

* Prepare monthly Child Welfare Unit legal assistant staff calendar for on-call dependent petition drafting assignments

* Assign work to subordinate staff and monitor work assignments

* Provide direct supervision/oversight for City of Philadelphia legal assistants and indirect supervision for Legal Service Initiative Paralegals (LSIP) assigned to draft dependent petitions

* Prepare annual employee performance evaluations for City of Philadelphia legal assistants under direct supervision

* Provide feedback to LSIP supervisory/management staff regarding LSIP employee performance related to dependent petition drafting

* Assist with drafting dependent…