Staff Attorney

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ABOUT FRANKLIN COUNTY MUNICIPAL COURT

The Franklin County Municipal Court is the largest and busiest municipal Court in the State of Ohio. The Court has fourteen judges in the General Division and one judge in the Environmental Division. Judges preside over civil, criminal, and traffic cases and conduct both jury and court trials. The Court’s jurisdiction includes traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases where the amount at issue is $15,000 or less. The Environmental Division has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce local codes and regulations affecting real property, such as fire and building codes. The geographic jurisdiction of the Court is all of Franklin County and those portions of the City of Columbus that extend beyond the boundaries of Franklin County. Despite its jurisdiction and name, the Franklin County Municipal Court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government.

JOB PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW

The Legal Department provides legal research and drafts decisions, entries, and memoranda for the judges of the Franklin County Municipal Court. The Department may also provide legal opinions, reports, and other documents to other court personnel on administrative and procedural matters. The Department supports the Court’s Rules and Policy Committee by monitoring developments in the law and providing recommendations to the Court on implementing any necessary changes in practice.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Researching legal issues.
2. Reviewing transcripts of proceedings.
3. Evaluating and summarizing evidence.
4. Summarizing case pleadings and filings.
5. Preparing bench memoranda.
6. Drafting decisions and entries.
7. Reviewing and preparing written updates regarding amendments to the Ohio Rules of Court, the Ohio Revised Code, and other applicable authorities.
8. Occasional project work, as assigned, regarding items before the Court Rules and Policy Committee.
9. Occasional light supervision over law student intern(s).
10. Possible cross-training to occasionally provide coverage for the Self-Help Resource Center or other departments, as needed and depending on availability, relating to core job duties.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Juris Doctorate.

License: Active member and in good standing with the State Bar of Ohio.

Experience: One to three years of experience in practice as a licensed attorney required.

Experience working as a judicial law clerk or judicial staff attorney preferred.

KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

Knowledge of:

• Ohio judicial branch operations; court policies, procedures, and processes; Ohio Rules of Court and Local Rules of the Franklin County Municipal Court.
• Ohio Revised Code and applicable laws and regulations.
• Citation form, style, and judicial opinion structure per the Supreme Court of Ohio Writing Manual.

Ability to:

• Exercise excellent time management, triage, and multitasking skills.
• Prepare clear and concise correspondence, reports, and related written materials; read, understand, interpret, and apply a variety of statutes, rules, and regulations; analyze complex issues, apply applicable legal authorities, and reach legally sound decisions.
• Exercise excellent independent judgment in dealing with complex and/or sensitive matters; maintain confidentiality.
• Exercise initiative and proactively identify and make improvements to existing processes throughout the Court.
• Ability to mentor interns to provide insight into court and judicial branch operations and provide a meaningful learning experience.
• Work cooperatively and professionally, communicate effectively, and interact with judicial officers, court personnel, clerk personnel, and, occasionally, the public.
• Analyze complex matters, formulate recommendations and alternatives, anticipate problems, and present ideas and solutions logically and justifiably, often while under pressure.
• Operate modern office equipment, including computers, smartphones, tablets, and software applications designed to assist self-represented litigants.

BENEFITS

The Franklin County Municipal Court offers an excellent benefits package that includes medical, prescription, vision, dental, and life insurance; short-term disability; generous vacation, sick, and personal leave; 11 paid holidays; longevity service payments; sick-leave reciprocity; employee assistance and deferred-compensation programs; tuition reimbursement; and credit-union membership.

Court employees are members of the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System, which provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits for public employees. The Court pays the required employer 14 percent of the employee’s salary. Court employees do not have Social Security taxes withheld from their paychecks because they are members of OPERS.

COURT EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEE

In completing the duties and responsibilities of the position, the Court expects the employee to adhere to all Court policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures; act as a role model both inside and outside the Court; perform duties as workload necessitates in a timely, accurate, and thorough manne;d be conscientious about meeting department productivity standards; and communicate regularly with the supervisor about department issues.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT

Employees of the Court are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the Court; they are not in the classified civil service system and are not members of bargaining units.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The Court is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, religion, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, military status, or genetic information.