Legal Assistant - Child Welfare Unit
About The Position
The City of Philadelphia Law Department's Child Welfare Unit (CWU) represents the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) in all aspects of its work in investigating reports of child abuse and child neglect and providing services to children and families in need. The CWU is a collegial, fast-paced, and challenging unit in which, with appropriate training and supervision, attorneys are expected to manage their case files from start to finish independently. Legal Assistants in the Child Welfare Unit meet with Department of Human Services (“DHS”) social work service managers and Community Umbrella Agencies (“CUA”) case managers to discuss proposed and pending court cases, draft dependent petitions which are filed in the Dependent Branch of Family Court following these interviews, and review DHS case records in order to prepare petitions seeking either Voluntary Or Involuntary Termination Of Parental Rights, or Permanent Legal Custody. They also prepare related documents and gather necessary information in order to supplement these pleadings. The legal assistants occasionally expunge DHS case records of confidential information for review by outside parties and appear at Pre-Hearing Conferences at Family Court on behalf of the Law Department.
Requirements
- Excellent organizational skills
- Effective and professional oral and written communication
- Ability to work independently and think proactively
- Ability to manage and prioritize numerous assignments
- MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access)
- Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms)
- Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, OpenOffice Calc)
- Email (mail merge, filters, folders, rules)
- Presentations/Slideshows (PowerPoint, Google Slides, OpenOffice Impress, Tableu)
- Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other virtual platforms
- Experience with electronic filing through PACfile
- Ability to complete work projects in a timely and accurate manner
- Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Experience exercising discretion and confidentiality with sensitive information
- The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire
Nice To Haves
- An Associates degree, paralegal certificate or equivalent
- Executive assistant experience, preferably in a legal setting
Responsibilities
- Drafting dependent and permanency petitions
- Assisting attorneys with the logistics of case management, and document preparation and presentation
- Reviewing and expunging DHS and CUA case records of confidential information for review by parents, counsel, and other parties requesting these files
- Attending Pre-Hearing Conferences at Family court on behalf for the Law Department
Benefits
- Unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program
- 8 weeks of paid parental leave
- Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents
- Eligibility into the discounted medical plan through our wellness program
- Paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
- Generous retirement savings options
- Eligibility to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program
- Tuition discounts and scholarships (10% to 40% savings) at over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
High school or GED
