STAFF ATTORNEY, Probate Court 1

Full Job Description

The Staff Attorney is responsible for completing various tasks that allow the Judge more time to consider cases and that help increase the efficiency of the Court. The Staff Attorney assists the Court Coordinator and Court Administrator in reviewing and preparing matters for judicial determination.

Requirements

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Reviews case files for both the contested and uncontested dockets.
• Prepares internal briefing memoranda for the Judge and other staff as appropriate.

Contacts counsel to ensure the efficient operation of the Court.

Reviews incoming pleadings and points out legal deficiencies that need to be corrected to ensure the Court has the authority to proceed without cancelling or creating multiple hearings.

Provides attorneys with guidance on Court policies and procedures.

• Answers attorneys’ questions about upcoming matters.
• Attends hearings and chambers conferences.
• Monitors cases "taken under advisement" and briefing issues as assigned by the judge and drafts summaries or opinion letters as appropriate.
• Reviews applications for determining heirships and prepares and submits orders of appointment for Attorneys ad Litem.
• Assists the Associate Judge, Court Administrator, Court Coordinator, and Court Investigators in management of the various dockets of the court including the contested docket, the compliance docket, and the show cause docket.
• Reviews proposed orders, proofreads the judge’s orders and opinions, and writes initial drafts of other orders and opinions.
• Analyzes proposed jury charges.
• Conducts legal and statistical research.
• Provides editing input and updates to citations in speeches and papers.
• When appropriate, responds to correspondence from persons writing to the Court.
• Compiles reports of cases heard and acted upon by the Court.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Court.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Excellent customer service and communication skills, both verbal and written.?
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment.?

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and Juris Doctorate (JD) degrees.

• License to practice law in the State of Texas.

• Member in good standing of the State Bar of Texas.

• A working knowledge of civil procedure and the Texas civil court system is important.

• Ability to work efficiently and effectively in high-pressure situations and ability to communicate effectively.

* * * *IMPORTANT * * * *

To be considered for this position, applicants must fully complete all sections of the application, including EDUCATION, DRIVER'S LICENSE, and EXPERIENCE. Incomplete applications will be disqualified.

Resumes alone will not substitute for a completed application. Failure to provide the required information will result in disqualification from the hiring process

Tarrant County will conduct background checks on new hires that will include a criminal background check related to convictions and deferred adjudications in the past Seven years and may include credit reports, motor vehicle records, employment records and educational attainment.

A conviction or deferred adjudication is not an automatic bar to employment. Each case is considered individually.

Additional Information

While performing the duties of this position, the incumbent is regularly required to climb stairs, grasp/squeeze, hear, keyboard, reach, perform repetitive tasks, see near, sit, talk, use his/her hands, and work alone and with others.