Services Attorney

State of Maryland • Dorchester, MD

1d • Onsite

About The Position

When you join the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), you join a team of more than 5,000 employees across the state dedicated to positively changing the lives of more than 1 million Marylanders each year. We do this by providing economic support, preventive services, and caring for children and adults. We aim to deliver services so that we more quickly meet the needs of the people we serve. At DHS, we grapple with hard questions to find new ways to foster a culture of bold innovation. We do this to ensure that in Maryland, we leave no one behind. The Social Services Attorney is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland who performs professional legal work for the Dorchester County Department of Social Services including representation in the District Courts of this State and in administrative hearings before the Office of Administrative Hearings to enable the Department to protect vulnerable children and adults, obtain permanency for children in out-of-home placements, and protect the confidentiality of agency records and information.

Requirements

• A Juris Doctor degree or equivalent degree from an accredited school of law.
• Experience as a practicing Attorney.
• Candidates for this classification must be members of the Maryland Bar at the time of appointment.
• The above requirements are set by the Department of Human Services in accordance with an Opinion of the Attorney General dated June 13, 1988.
• Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer in General Attorney classifications or General Attorney specialty codes in the Legal and Kindred field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required education and experience.

Nice To Haves

• Experience or expressed interest in representing a government agency such as the Department of Human Services, State Department of Health, local department of Social Services, or employment as an assistant state's attorney.
• Experience or expressed interest in public service law or serving as an advocate in an unrelated field, such as community activist/services, teaching, etc.
• Current experience in juvenile law, child welfare or Human Services.
• Previous experience working in juvenile or child welfare law or representing a government agency.
• Experience as a Judicial Clerk, or in public service law or serving as an advocate in an unrelated field, such as community activist/service, teaching, etc.
• For applicants recently admitted to the Maryland Bar, an expression of interest in the field of human services through the completion of relevant courses and clinical programs.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and litigates cases and matters on behalf of Dorchester County Department of Social Services before the Circuit, Juvenile, and District Courts, as assigned, to enable the agency to meet its child welfare, adult protective service, and confidentiality mandates.
• Provides legal advice to agency staff, which shall include an assessment of the options available to accomplish staff goals and minimize the potential for agency liability.
• Provides legal advice and representation to the agency on evenings, weekends, and holidays when assigned 'on call' coverage.
• Provides training to agency adult and child welfare staff on legal issues relevant to the performance of duties.
• Comments on proposed legislation and changes in court rules, recommends changes in agency and Legal Services policies and procedures to improve the work of the division and the agency. Alerts appropriate Legal Service supervisory staff of problems, if any, with the adequacy of the work of the legal assistants, secretaries and other support personnel.

Benefits

• health insurance, dental, and vision plans offered at a low cost
• Personal Leave - new State employees are awarded six (6) personnel days annually (prorated based on start date).
• Annual Leave - ten (10) days of accumulated annual leave per year.
• Sick Leave - fifteen (15) days of accumulated sick leave per year.
• Parental Leave - up to sixty (60) days of paid parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child.
• Holidays - State employees also celebrate at least twelve (12) holidays per year.
• Pension - State employees earn credit towards a retirement pension.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees