INTERNAL Managing Attorney IV / 61012513

State of South Carolina; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Dis/

Life Insurance

15 days vacation

15 days sick leave

13 paid holidays

Paid Parental Leave

State Retirement Plan

Deferred Compensation

Job summary

The State of South Carolina Department of Social Services in Columbia seeks an Attorney IV to provide professional legal services and lead a large team handling Family Court litigation related to child protection, foster care, adoption, and adult protection.

You will supervise attorneys and paralegals, coordinate with human services staff, ensure timely court filings, leverage LCMS and CAPSS, and maintain compliance with laws and agency policies while supporting permanency decisions.

Qualifications

• Juris Doctor Degree from an accredited law school.
• 8 years as practicing attorney or 3 years as DSS attorney.
• Must be a member of the SC BAR.
• Willingness to travel as required.

Responsibilities

• Provides professional legal services and representation for assigned county and regional offices, including Family Court matters.
• Leads a large metro-area legal office with attorneys and paralegals, overseeing office protocol and staff.
• Ensures timely filings, orders, and compliance with laws and statutes within deadlines.
• Represents the agency in emergency or non-emergency removals, termination of parental rights, and related proceedings.
• Trains staff on office systems, scheduling, docketing, LCMS/CAPSS usage, and workflow.
• Maintains liaison with court personnel, human services staff, and community partners; monitors progress and ensures collaboration.
• Manages LCMS implementation and ensures data integrity and staff training in LCMS.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Legal research

Team supervision

Education

Juris Doctor Degree

Tools

LCMS

CAPSS

Job description

This is a South Carolina Department of Social Services Internal Position. Only current South Carolina Department of Social Services employees are eligible for this position.

Do you have a passion to provide meaningful contributions to your community? Would you like to be part of an organization whose central mission is helping to protect, stabilize and strengthen the lives of South Carolina's children, families, and vulnerable adults? If so, the SC Department of Social Services has the right job opportunity for you!

Job Duties:

• The Attorney IV, under general supervision, provides professional legal services and representation for assigned county offices and regional adoption offices, including representation in Family Court on issues relative to child protection, foster care, adoption, adult protection and economic services. Manages one of the largest teams of DSS Family Court litigation attorneys in the State to achieve case progression and timely permanency for children.
• Provides management and leadership for a large and high-volume metro-area legal office with a team of attorneys and paralegals, including oversight of paralegals and attorneys to achieve effective office performance. Provides oversight regarding office protocol and information systems. Provides leadership in developing effective interoffice collaboration and relationships with human services staff and community partners. Serves as a liaison and problem-solves issues with court personnel, human services staff, other program areas and the Legal Department. Responsible for ensuring proper utilization of all office systems; administrative duties of the office; overseeing the office staff; and coordination and monitoring legal activities. Communicates with human services leaders and staff. Implements logistics solutions between legal staff and human services staff. Monitors the status of pending matters. Follows up on Permanency Planning and Termination of Parental Rights hearings, keeps attorneys and human services staff informed of progress.
• Manages work flow for timeliness and statutory compliance. Monitors Title IV-E activity ensuring the legal department has timely and adequately complied with laws, policy, and statutes in timely delivering the required Orders to Judges and all other parties and case managers within twenty (20) days of the decision.
• Represents the agency in all matters pertaining to emergency or non-emergency removal of children and vulnerable adults, termination of parental rights, inspection warrants, in-home protective services, permanency planning, judicial review of children or adults receiving services and any appeals resulting from such actions. Timely prepares, files, and serves or ensures the timely preparation, filing and service of all pleadings, motions, Orders, notices, rules to show cause and other court documents related to representation of the agency.
• Effectively trains support staff in the use of office systems, maintenance, protocols, scheduling, and docketing procedures. Utilizes LCMS and CAPSS and monitors progress. Tracks Court Information Summaries, scheduling, supply management, office staffing, and human resources functions for all administrative support staff, paralegals and attorneys; assigns follow-up duties to ensure timely compliance.
• Assumes circuit-wide and county-wide responsibility for ensuring good working relationship and communications between county legal office(s) and other system stakeholders. Ensures that an effective system of regular and ongoing legal trainings for human services staff is carried out.
• Utilizes and ensures the utilization of the Legal Case Management System (LCMS) for legal operations and documentation of legal activity in cases. Ensures LCMS compliance, obtains and provides feedback for improvement of LCMS. Ensures that new employees receive appropriate and timely training in LCMS.
• Ensures that personal identifying information (Pll) is properly used, accessed, gathered, shared and disposed. Protects the Agency networks and applications by safeguarding systems, equipment and data.
• Performs other duties as assigned or required.

A Juris Doctor Degree or its equivalent from an accredited law school and eight (8) years experience as a practicing attorney or three (3) years of experience as a DSS attorney.

Necessary Special Requirement: Must be a member of the SC BAR.

Must possess a valid driver's license. The employee must be able to communicate effectively (written and orally) and write legibly. May be required to work after hours and/or some overnight travel and must be able to lift approximately 15-20 lbs.

Benefits:

• Health, Dental, Vision, Long Term Disability, and Life Insurance for Employee, Spouse, and Children
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid Parental Leave
• State Retirement Plan and Deferred Compensation Programs

Division: Office of General Counsel / Richland County