Court Liaison Staff Attorney

Lancaster County • Lancaster, PA

3d

About The Position

This position serves as the strategic legal advisor to the President Judge and provides comprehensive legal support across all operations of the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. The Court Liaison Staff Attorney manages enterprise-wide initiatives affecting all 15 judicial chambers, including law clerk training and development, opinion workflow management, special projects and class actions, budget analysis and reporting, annual strategic planning, and Orphan's Court coverage. This position provides customary legal research and drafting assistance to Senior Judges assigned to Lancaster County, bridges gaps in judicial support during transitions, oversees conflict counsel invoice review, coordinates diversion program legal matters, and assists court departments with complex legal issues. The position requires a strategic perspective on court operations, strong coordination abilities across multiple stakeholders, and the capacity to balance immediate operational needs with long-term planning initiatives.

Requirements

• Education equivalent to completion of a law degree from an accredited college or university.
• Admitted to the Pennsylvania State Bar.
• Three years of experience in legal practice, including civil, family, and criminal law.
• Or any combination of acceptable education and experience which has provided the knowledge’s, skills and abilities cited above.
• Advanced knowledge of court administration and judicial operations management.
• Comprehensive knowledge of Pennsylvania Rules of Civil, Criminal, and Orphan's Court Procedure.
• Knowledge of budget analysis and financial reporting principles.
• Knowledge of performance metrics and data analytics for court operations.
• Ability to synthesize complex information from multiple sources into strategic recommendations.
• Skill in coordinating across multiple departments and stakeholders.
• Ability to manage competing priorities across 15 judicial chambers.
• Advanced training and mentoring abilities.
• Strategic planning and organizational development capabilities.
• Strong project management skills for enterprise-wide initiatives.
• This position requires a pre-employment background check as required by policy to perform the duties.

Responsibilities

• Judicial Training and Law Clerk Development. Develop and maintain comprehensive onboarding program for all new law clerks across 15 chambers. Create standardized training materials covering civil, criminal, and family law areas. Coordinate with judges to ensure consistency in legal research and writing standards. Mentor and evaluate law clerk performance across all chambers. Serve as resource for complex legal questions from all law clerks.
• Court Operations Analysis and Budget Support. Collate and analyze monthly court budget reports from all departments. Identify operational inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities. Review resource allocation across 15 chambers and court departments. Provide data-driven recommendations to President Judge on resource deployment. Track and analyze case processing metrics across all divisions. Coordinate with Court Administrator on operational improvements.
• Annual Reporting and Strategic Planning. Prepare comprehensive annual report for Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas. Compile statistical data on case volumes, disposition times, and court efficiency metrics. Draft sections addressing judicial accomplishments, innovations, and challenges. Coordinate input from all 15 judges and court departments. Present findings and recommendations to President Judge and judicial leadership. Support strategic planning initiatives for court operations.
• Multi-Chamber Coordination and Workflow Management. Monitor and manage workflow of opinions and orders across all 15 judicial chambers. Identify bottlenecks in case processing and recommend solutions. Coordinate coverage between chambers during judicial absences. Facilitate consistent application of local rules and procedures. Serve as central point of contact for complex, multi-judge cases. Manage special master appointments and coordinate complex litigation.
• Serve as primary legal support liaison for all Senior Judges assigned to Lancaster County Court by the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, providing customary assistance including comprehensive legal research, memoranda preparation, and drafting of opinions, orders, and adjudications across civil, criminal, and family law matters. Senior Judges, while experienced jurists, often require familiarity with Lancaster County's local rules, procedures, and case management systems, as well as research support on emerging legal issues and complex matters outside their primary practice areas. This position ensures seamless integration of Senior Judges into Lancaster County operations by serving as an institutional knowledge resource, coordinating with court staff and the President Judge's office on scheduling and case assignments, facilitating access to local precedents and judicial practices, and providing case-specific research and analysis that allows Senior Judges to maintain high-quality decision-making while managing their caseloads efficiently. The Court Liaison reviews case files in advance of hearings, identifies key legal issues requiring judicial attention, prepares bench memoranda summarizing relevant law and factual background, drafts proposed opinions incorporating Senior Judges' decisions and reasoning, and ensures consistency with Lancaster County judicial standards and Pennsylvania appellate precedent. This support is essential to maintaining court efficiency during periods when local judges face scheduling conflicts, recusals, or temporary absences, and ensures that visiting Senior Judges can contribute effectively to reducing case backlogs while upholding the quality of justice expected in Pennsylvania's Second Judicial District.
• Provide support to judges without law clerks to bridge the gap between a law clerk leaving and a new law clerk starting, review invoices submitted to the court by conflict counsel, general overall legal assistance on special projects, class actions, and any other matters as determined by the President Judge. Provide backup coverage for Orphan's Court Staff Attorney during absences. Ensure continuity of operations in Orphan's Court proceedings in absence of Orphan’s Court Staff Attorney.

Benefits

• The County of Lancaster offers comprehensive benefits to our employees.
• Read more about our benefits here.
• Lancaster County Government provides Equal Employment Opportunity for all persons regardless of race, religion, age, sex, national origin, genetic information or disability. The County also observes all applicable laws regarding Veterans status. The County reflects this action in all areas of employment and compensation practices and policies.
• Employment with the County is based upon the ability to perform the job as well as dependability and reliability once an individual is hired.
• The benefits package for full-time employees, including paid time off, health insurance and flexible healthcare plans, ensures that you feel valued and supported in your role.
• With employee assistance program, tuition reimbursement and more, you'll have the resources you need to provide excellent service to the 550,000 residents of Lancaster County.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree