Assistant Judicial Case Manager - Suffolk Probate & Family Court

Massachusetts Trial Court•Boston, MA

About The Position

The Assistant Judicial Case Manager performs complex, high-level professional legal and case-management work in support of the First Justice, Associate Justices, and Judicial Case Manager. The role assists with their legal and administrative responsibilities under state statutes, court rules, standing orders, and court policies. The position is designated as management and is covered by the Trial Court Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual. The employee is appointed by the Division’s First Justice under G.L. Chapter 217, Section 23D, with approval from the Chief Justice of the Probate and Family Court Department. The Assistant Judicial Case Manager supports daily court operations, courtroom sessions, case calendars, case management, and court programs. The role provides legal and procedural information to attorneys and self-represented litigants, supports court staff and judges with legal and technical matters, and contributes to improvements in case and work flow. Duties may vary and may include other work assigned by the First Justice and/or Judicial Case Manager.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of relevant state statutes, court rules, and case law prescribing the court’s 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 caseload-management principles and practices.
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.
One of the following education and experience combinations: a law degree or relevant graduate degree (such as criminal justice, public administration, or business administration) plus at least 2 years of relevant work experience; or a bachelor’s degree plus at least 6 years of relevant work experience in criminal justice, public administration, or business administration, including supervisory experience; or an equivalent combination of higher education and relevant experience totaling 10 years.

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; handle uncontested sessions as assigned.
Assist the Local Dispute Resolution Coordinator with referrals to approved alternative dispute resolution providers.
Assist with implementation and use of the MassCourt case management system.
Administer oaths.
Approve bonds and review requests for determination of indigency.
Participate in regular meetings with judges, the Judicial Case Manager, sessions clerks, judicial secretaries, and other judicial case management team members.
Review case management reports and assist justices with developing work-flow and case-flow changes; assist with preparing statistics and 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 trustee summonses at the Register’s request.
Implement work-flow and case-flow policies, new laws, and court mandates; participate in programs and processes intended to expedite work and improve case management.
Follow checklists, protocols, procedures, and memoranda developed by the First Justice and/or Judicial Case Manager to implement laws, court rules, standing orders, and policies.
Provide judges with legal expertise in technical areas of probate and family law.
Assist with implementation of Supreme Judicial Court Rule 1:07 concerning fee-generating appointments.
Review case files, legal documents, case papers submitted to the court or court sessions, and the legal sufficiency of subpoenas; 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 help develop uniform court policies and procedures among divisions.
Perform related duties as required.