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Summary
The Paralegal Specialist position is located in the Probate Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court. The incumbent assists self-represented litigants seeking to navigate the Probate Division process.
Responsibilities
Brief Duties of the Position: Provides procedural guidance and legal information to self-represented litigants on Probate Division cases, filing requirements, court procedures, deadlines and available court resources. Assists customers with identifying and completing appropriate Probate Division forms and provides guidance on filing petitions, motions, notices, affidavits, and other court documents. Evaluates court filings for procedural compliance, identifies missing or incomplete information and supporting documents, and communicates filing deficiencies and required corrections in accordance with court rules, procedures, and established guidelines. Researches statutes, court rules, case law, and other legal resources to provide legal and procedural information to attorneys, judicial officers, and division management. Prepares draft correspondence, reports, memos, procedural guidance, instructional materials, and other documents for review by attorneys and division leadership. Assists in developing, updating, and maintaining Probate Division forms, procedures, training materials, public resources, and website content to improve understanding of court processes and filing requirements. Compiles and analyzes statistical, operational, and workload information to identify trends, monitor program performance, and support recommendations for process improvements. Coordinates with judicial officers, attorneys, agencies, court personnel, and other stakeholders to obtain and exchange information needed to efficiently process probate matters. Safeguards confidential and non-public information and ensures compliance with laws, court rules, and procedures governing access to protected records. Trains and guides court staff on probate forms, filing requirements, business processes, and standard operating procedures.
Qualifications
Required Education & Experience: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in paralegal studies, legal studies, criminal justice, public administration, or a closely related field, or a certificate of completion from a paralegal studies program, plus one (1) year of experience performing paralegal or legal support in a court, law office, government agency, legal services organization, or legal environment. Preferred experience: Two (2) years of experience performing paralegal or legal support in a court, law office, government agency, legal services organization, or legal environment, and experience supporting probate, trusts and estates, guardianship, conservatorship, fiduciary, or other court-related matters is preferred. 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.
Requirements
A background and security investigation is required. A probationary period of one (1) year must be successfully completed.
Education
A minimum of a bachelor's degree is required. You must upload a copy of your college transcript or degree for consideration. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, degree conferred date, a list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking. Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at the time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/
Benefits
This is not a federal position. The District of Columbia Courts is an independent branch of the District of Columbia Government and is not under the authority of the City Mayor or the D. C. Council. DC Courts' appropriation comes directly from Congress. All DC Courts non-judicial employees receive federal benefits for the following programs: Life Insurance, Retirement Benefits, Health Insurance and Workers Compensation. Please click on the following for more information about these benefits: http://www.opm.gov/Insure/health/enrollment/new_employees.asp The DC Courts leave policy is as follows: Annual Leave: New full-time employees earn four (4) hours of annual leave biweekly. After three years of service this increases to six (6) hours biweekly, and at 15 years it increases to eight (8) hours biweekly. Most military, federal and District of Columbia government service counts toward the time required to go into the next higher annual leave category. Employees can carry over no more than 240 hours of annual leave into the next leave year. Sick Leave is used for personal medical needs, care of a family member, or adoption related purposes. Full-time employees earn four (4) hours of sick leave biweekly. This leave can be accrued without limit. In addition to the federal health plans, the DC Courts offer employees supplemental vision and dental plans as well as a commuter transit benefit subsidy, for a maximum of $150 a month. There are 26 pay periods in the year.