Assistant Judicial Case Manager - Suffolk Probate & Family Court

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Suffolk Downs Station, MA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Judicial Case Manager performs high-level professional legal and case management work of complex difficulty. The role assists the First Justice, Associate Justices, and Judicial Case Manager with legal and administrative duties under state statutes, court rules, standing orders, and court policies. The employee is appointed by the First Justice of the Division under G.L. Chapter 217, Section 23D, with approval from the Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court Department. This is a management position covered by the Trial Court Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

The Assistant Judicial Case Manager supports the daily judicial operations of the Suffolk Probate and Family Court, including courtroom sessions, case calendars, case management conferences, mediations, uncontested sessions, court procedures, reporting, and implementation of case-management processes. Duties may vary as determined by the First Justice and/or Judicial Case Manager.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant field, such as criminal justice, public administration, or business administration, and knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired through at least 6 years of relevant work experience; OR
• Law degree and admission to the practice of law in Massachusetts, or a graduate degree from an accredited college or university in a relevant field, such as criminal justice, public administration, or business administration, and knowledge, skills, and abilities acquired through at least 2 years of relevant work experience.
• Thorough knowledge of relevant state statutes, court rules, and case law governing court authority, and ability to interpret and apply them to cases.
• Thorough knowledge of court procedures, legal documents, and laws pertaining to the court.
• Thorough knowledge of the court’s organization, functions, jurisdiction, and authority.
• Thorough knowledge of principles and practices of caseload management.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with judges, court officials, attorneys, court employees, and the public.
• Ability to identify and resolve case-flow issues.
• Ability to use automated case-management systems for input, retrieval, and tracking.

Nice To Haves

• A law degree is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist with the daily judicial operation of a court division.
• Assist judges during courtroom sessions.
• Assist judges with management of Individual Judicial Assignment case calendars and Departmental Time Standards.
• Conduct case management conferences and Pathways mediations as assigned by the First Justice, and handle uncontested sessions as assigned.
• Assist the Local Dispute Resolution Coordinator with referrals to approved alternative dispute resolution providers.
• Assist in implementing and using the MassCourt case management system.
• Administer oaths.
• Approve bonds and review requests for determination of indigency.
• Participate in regular meetings with Judicial Case Management team members, including judges, the Judicial Case Manager, Sessions Clerks, and Judicial Secretaries.
• Review case management reports and assist justices in developing work and case-flow changes to improve case management and achieve departmental and Trial Court goals.
• Assist with preparation of statistics and reports and prepare case-management reports.
• Enter case data into the automated case-management system.
• Provide attorneys and self-represented litigants with legal and procedural information to help them access the Court.
• Ensure proper issuance of specified writs, discharges, executions, attachments, and summonses at the Register’s request.
• Implement work and case-flow policies, new laws, and court mandates, and participate in programs and processes intended to expedite and improve case management.
• Follow checklists, protocols, procedures, and memoranda established by the First Justice and/or Judicial Case Manager to implement laws, court rules, standing orders, and Probate and Family Court policies.
• Provide legal expertise to judges in technical areas of probate and family law.
• Assist with implementation of Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:07 regarding fee-generating appointments.
• Review case files, legal documents, and case papers submitted to the court or court sessions.
• Review the legal sufficiency of subpoenas and transmit records when properly requested by other courts and parties.
• Provide legal and technical support to court staff as requested.
• Represent the court division on committees, task forces, and working groups as designated by the First Justice or Chief Justice.
• Implement and participate in pilot projects as designated by the First Justice or Chief Justice.
• Attend meetings and training at the request of the Chief Justice or First Justice to assist with developing uniform court policies and procedures among divisions.
• Perform related duties as required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior