Attorney - Unified Family Court - Part Time

Full Job Description

King County Superior Court is seeking qualified applicants for a part-time, 21-hour-per-week Attorney in Unified Family Court. This part-time position is benefits and retirement plan eligible.

The Court is one of the nation's largest trial courts, serving the country's 12th most populous county.

Located in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, King County Superior Court is nationally recognized for innovation.

The court’s mission is to serve the public by ensuring justice through accessible and effective forums for the fair, understandable, and timely resolution of legal matters.

This position is responsible for providing pro se parties with navigating court processes involving Family Law matters, including working with parties involved in Dependency proceedings.

The incumbent is responsible for appraising, improving, developing, and implementing the mechanisms used to move clients through domestic cases and make recommendations on improving program access and process.

The incumbent is responsible for developing mandatory training for pro se parties; planning and conducting judicial officer training; attending status conferences and pretrial calendars as assigned to identify cases in need of assistance; conducting mediation/settlement conferences and drafting pleadings to facilitate resolution of cases.

It is the vision of KCSC to be open to all, trusted by all, and to provide justice for all.

To fulfill Superior Court's Mission, Values, and Vision, employees at all levels serve the complex needs of a diverse population of Court users.

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation. At KCSC, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging.

Who may apply: This position is open to all qualified applicants. Work location: This position is primarily located at the Patricia Clark Children and Family Justice Center in Seattle.

The incumbent may be required to work at any of the King County Superior Court facilities including the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle or the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent This position may be eligible for a hybrid work schedule with a mix of onsite and remote work.

Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance of their King County Superior Court worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Work schedule and terms: This is a part-time position with a standard workweek of three days/21 hours. The Court’s core business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Work hours for this position may vary, including early mornings, evenings, and weekends as needed.

This part-time position may be non-exempt or exempt from the overtime provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Washington Minimum Wage Act dependent on salary range placement.

Additional materials required: Please include a resume and cover letter describing how you meet or exceed the requirements for this position. These materials are supplemental to your application.

You must still completely fill out the on-line application with your relevant education and work experience.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you include relevant information only on the resume or cover letter.

Applications that state "see my resume" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted. Please note that you can attach multiple documents to your application.

Your options are: 1) Copy and paste one or more documents into the text resume section of the application; or 2) Attach multiple documents/files in the attachment section.

Requirements

Primary job functions include, but are not limited to, the following:

Establish guidelines for processing pro se cases in Family Law. Review, streamline and simplify processes used to better serve the public with particular emphasis on clients with low to moderate income. Evaluate and create uniform standards, forms, and templates.

Work with judicial officers, members of the family law bar section, and others to establish guidelines, templates, checklists, and other resources to increase standardization and efficiencies in creating court documents such as parenting plans, child support orders, findings, conclusions, and decrees in family law and guardianship actions. Make recommendations and implement final processes.

Assess and recommend processes to best facilitate a resolution to pro se litigants, focusing on resolution early in the process.

Ensure ongoing development and presentation of the Family Law Orientation, a mandatory seminar for pro se parties in Title 26.09 actions.

Draft pleadings and write agreements independently or at the direction of judicial officers. Review legal documents for the content. Complete legal research, synthesize legal issues and information and report to judicial officers.

Create, review, update and present training materials on family law and Unified Family Court procedures and programs as assigned.

Provide legal research and tutorials to judicial officers.

Train and supervise volunteer attorneys.

Provide neutral assistance to one or both parties in dispute, including conducting mediation/settlement conferences as necessary.

Prepare pro se parties for representing themselves at hearings and trials.

Provide training to program staff on issues of family law.

Participate in various projects and court committees.

Qualifications

Two years of experience as a practicing attorney and active membership in good standing in the Washington State Bar Association. Work experience as a Family Law paralegal or other Family Law related experience may substitute for up to one year of required experience as a practicing attorney. Relevant experience in family law preferred, specifically experience in the areas of domestic violence, substance abuse, child abuse/neglect, and mental health issues. Experience in Dependency proceedings, mediation and/or negotiation skills, and/or experience training adult learners is also highly desired.

Knowledge of current Washington State case law, statutes, federal and state laws, court rules and rules of professional conduct applicable to family law matters.

Able to independently draft family law pleadings. Skill in interpreting and explaining policy and law to both program staff and lay persons. Able to establish and maintain effective working relationships with program staff, volunteers, attorneys, parties, judges, court staff and diverse professionals in a highly charged emotional setting.

Skill in presenting to groups and committees. Skill in working with diverse populations with cultural sensitivity.

Mediation, negotiation skills, and experience training adult learners is highly desired

Additional Information

Special requirements: The ability to reliably travel throughout the county is required. Finalists must successfully pass a criminal background investigation and reference check. Criminal background records are not automatically disqualifying.

King County Superior Court is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer.
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

Selection process: Application materials will be screened for qualifications and the most competitive candidates will be invited for interviews.

Union membership: Positions in this classification are not represented by a union.

If you have questions regarding this position, please call King County Superior Court Human Resources at 206-477-1529