Deputy Court Administrator, Family - Lehigh County

Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts • Allentown, PA

17d

About The Position

The Court of Common Pleas of Lehigh County is seeking an experienced, licensed Pennsylvania attorney to serve as a Deputy Court Administrator to oversee and manage the operations of the Family Court Office. This leadership role is crucial in ensuring the effective functions of the Family Court Division and in providing support to various court professionals and staff.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Judicial, Business, or Public Administration, or a closely related field; PLUS Three years of experience in court management OR four years of varied office management work, including professional-level experience in human resource management. An equivalent combination of education, experience, and/or training may be considered.
• Satisfactory criminal background check required.
• Juris Doctor degree.
• Admission to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a family law practitioner preferred.

Responsibilities

• Supervises and provides guidance to the Family Court Office’s child custody and divorce hearing officers and conciliators, office manager, and administrative staff.
• Establishes policies and procedures to improve family court operations in child custody, divorce, and PFA matters and ensures compliance with legal standards.
• Monitors and prioritizes the family court workload.
• Reviews existing and proposed state and federal rules and statutes to advise family court judges and professional and administrative staff appropriately.
• Maintains a caseload of custody cases.
• Conducts custody conferences and hearings.
• Drafts orders and memoranda.
• Develops and implements procedures for the coordination of family court matters, including the development of a unified family court.
• Assesses and addresses problems and concerns relating to family court matters, including interaction with the public and family law bar.
• Develops and implements new case management systems for family court cases.
• Assists judges regarding family court procedures.
• Reviews e-filed custody stipulations and special relief petitions and provides summaries and recommendations to judges.
• Reviews and edits as necessary the written work product of hearing officers for quality control.
• Meets and works closely with the Family Court Administrative Judge on a regular basis to review family court operations and implement any necessary changes.
• Plans and presents continuing legal education programs.
• Works closely with the local county bar family law committees and keeps them informed of changes in family court policies and procedures.
• Interviews, hires, trains, promotes, disciplines, and terminates Family Court Office personnel as necessary.
• Interacts with other court and county departments such as the Office of Children and Youth Services, Domestic Relations Section, and Clerk of Judicial Records.
• Attends Department Head and Security Committee meetings.
• Communicates with the language access testing agency utilized by the court on a regular basis and maintains court employees’ assessment results.
• Serves on various court, state, and professional association committees.
• Works with the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Department to implement and maintain adequate security in and outside the Family Court Office.
• Coordinates procedures with the court-selected substance abuse testing provider for referrals to that provider.
• Maintains a list of providers of services in family court-related matters for use by the judges, hearing officers, family law bar, and litigants.

Benefits

• Excellent benefits program, including comprehensive, low-cost medical, dental, vision, and prescription plans for employees and eligible family members beginning on the first day of employment.
• 13 paid holidays, 12 paid sick days, and 12+ paid vacation days per year.
• Salary increases, employee assistance programs, and State retirement plans.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time