Social Services Attorney III

State of Maryland • Baltimore City, 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. This is a Management Service position, and serves at the pleasure of the Appointing Authority. GRADE 22 LOCATION OF POSITION Baltimore City Department of Social Services Legal Services 1510 Guilford Avenue Baltimore, MD 21213 Main Purpose of Job The Social Services Attorney is an attorney licensed to practice law in the State of Maryland who performs professional legal work for the Baltimore City Department of Social Services including representation of the Department in Administrative Hearings and in the Circuit Courts, Juvenile Courts and District Court of this State 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.
• 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

• One year of experience in representing a government agency, public service law, or serving as an advocate in a community activist/services compacity.
• One year of experience in juvenile law, Child Welfare or Human Services.
• One year experience as a judicial clerk.
• Completion of at least two relevant courses in human services or public policy, OR successful completion of a clinical program or internship in a legal setting serving human services clients.

Responsibilities

• Prepares and litigates cases and matters on behalf of BCDSS 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, with the adequacy of the work of the legal assistants, secretaries and other support personnel.

Benefits

• health insurance
• dental
• vision plans
• six (6) personnel days annually (prorated based on start date)
• ten (10) days of accumulated annual leave per year
• fifteen (15) days of accumulated sick leave per year
• up to sixty (60) days of paid parental leave upon the birth or adoption of a child
• at least twelve (12) holidays per year
• State employees earn credit towards a retirement pension

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level