GAL Division - Attorney 1 – Public Defender Guardian Ad Litem (4610-47) Code # 52252
BOCC Pay Grade: 22 Latest Revision: 06/06/2023
Minimum Hourly Rate: $35.44 EEO Category: Professional
Maximum Hourly Rate: $48.20 Department(s) using this spec: 31,47
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Job Function Statement:
Under general supervision from Director, Assistant Director or other administrative superior, acts as the appointed attorney guardian ad litem for abused, neglected, and dependent youth under Juv. R. 4(B), Section 2151.281 of the Revised Code and Rule 48 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio, act as counsel for non-attorney staff appointed as guardian ad litem for abused, neglected, and dependent youth, performs all necessary legal functions as listed below in that capacity, attends pre-trial conferences and court hearings, negotiates out-of-court settlements, drafts legal documents and pleadings, takes depositions, handles appeals, conducts legal research and prepares briefs, provides legal advice.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Admission to Ohio Bar pursuant to Section 4705.01 or Revised Code, Completion of 24 credit hours of continuing legal education from accredited programs for applicable two-year reporting period pursuant to Rule X of Rules of Government of Bar of Ohio including the 6 hour pre-service course and the additional 6 hours of continuing legal education for guardians ad litem as required by Rule 48 of the Rules of Superintendence for the Courts of Ohio each year, current certificate of registration in good standing pursuant to Rule VII of Rules of Government of Bar of Ohio, one (1) year experience as attorney in Ohio, or equivalent.
Illustrative Duties:
- Independently investigates and litigates cases of abuse, neglect, and dependency, which includes working as part of a team, attending meetings and conferences, maintaining contact with relatives, caregivers and treatments providers, attending pre-trial conferences and court hearings, negotiating out-of-court settlements, drafting legal documents and pleadings, handling appeals, reviewing cases for feasibility of court or other legal action. (60%)
- Represents non-attorney guardians ad litem in the office on abuse, neglect, and dependency cases. The attorney will be responsible for all legal representation on the assigned non-attorney guardian ad litem cases, including providing legal advice, attending all scheduled court proceedings, preparing briefs and motions on behalf of the non-attorney guardian, researching legal issues, subpoenaing witnesses for trial, and participating in settlement negotiations. The assigned attorney does not act in a supervisory capacity to the assigned non-attorney guardian ad litem, it is strictly legal representation. (25%)
- Conducts legal research of case and statutory law, state and federal rules, and/or legal treatises on questions of law on pertinent questions related to the best interest of abused, neglected and dependent youth; prepares legal briefs, memorandums and pleadings for use in judicial, quasi-judicial, and administrative proceeding at all levels of adjudication. (10%)
- Attends training as necessary, performs other related duties as assigned. (5%)
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
The following are necessary to perform the duties of this classification. Items with an * may be developed after employment.
Knowledge of:
Law (i.e., procedural & substantive), Ohio and federal court systems, legal research methods, legal writing, interviewing, federal and state regulations specific to assigned program, agency policies and procedures, legal or quasi-legal proceedings, supervision, employee training and development, spelling, punctuation and grammar, internet protocols, and case management.
Skill in:
Ability to:
Deal with large number of variables and determine specific course of action, organize and interpret extensive variety of legal material in books, journals, or legal documents, communicate verbally and in writing regarding legal issues, handle sensitive contacts with government officials, adverse parties and/or general public, deliver speeches before general audience, establish and maintain effective working relationships with paralegals, staff, attorneys and court clerks, maintain accurate records, reports, document files and litigation notebooks, collect data, establish facts and draw valid conclusions, proofread materials, identify errors and make corrections, develop rapport with Children’s Services workers, treatment providers, foster parents, families and caregivers, law enforcement agencies, government agencies, witnesses, general public, etc., work independently, interpret testimony of witnesses on technical subjects, perform accurate work on time, maintain a wide range of documentation in an easily accessed filing system, handle documents of a sensitive or confidential nature, exercise sound judgment, establish and develop attorney training materials, coordinate and improve attorney litigation.
