Legal Technician - Non-Merit

Baltimore County, MD; Towson (MD); On-site; USD 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Baltimore County, MD is seeking a Legal Technician to assist self-represented litigants in family law and guardianship matters. The role requires strong interpersonal and communication skills, and knowledge of legal terminology and court procedures.

The position is full-time, non-merit, with the Access to Justice Resource Center reporting to the Director. A bachelor’s or associate’s degree with legal experience is required, and Spanish-speaking candidates are preferred.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree plus one year of experience in a legal setting or Associate’s degree plus three years of experience in a legal setting or a combination of five years of relevant education and experience in a legal setting.
• Spanish-speaking individuals are especially preferred for this role.
• Ideal candidates would have at least one year of experience working in domestic and family law.

Responsibilities

• Assists self-represented litigants with Family Law and Adult Guardianship court forms.
• Reviews case information and history to best assist customers and answers general questions about court processes and procedures.
• Monitors and responds to email inquiries.
• Acts as a referral to other resources such as: the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service; Maryland Legal Aid; the Protection Order Advocacy and Representation Project and the County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Reduced Fee programs.
• Assists with coordinating volunteers and in-person appointments.
• Assists Director with community outreach related to family law.
• Provides back-up to the Access to Justice Administrator as needed.
• Performs other assigned duties or tasks as required.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Customer service

Legal terminology knowledge

Court procedures knowledge

Organizational skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in legal field

Associate’s degree in legal field

Five years of relevant legal experience

Job description

Regular Schedule: 35 hours per week.

Two full-time, non-merit vacancies, with full County benefits, exist in the Circuit Court of Baltimore County. Non-Merit positions are not classified within the Baltimore County Government Classification and Compensation Plan.

A list of eligible applicants will be established based on the examination as outlined below. Current and future vacancies occurring in this class may be filled from the list of eligible applicants. All interested candidates must apply at this time.

List all promotions and changes in job duties due to reclassification as separate work experience on your application. Applicants must include the dates of the promotions and/or reclassifications.

Note: Failure to complete all fields of the "Work Experience" section of the application will result in your application not being considered. A resume will not be considered in determining your qualifications for a position. Applicants selected for an interview may provide a resume at that time.

You MUST attach your transcript(s) or license(s) to your application.

Failure to submit proof of Licenses, Certifications and Education will result in your application not being considered. Proof of licenses, certifications, and/or education must be submitted with each application. Unofficial copies are accepted.

Definition of Responsibility

The Legal Technician works in the Court’s Access to Justice Resource Center assisting self-represented litigants with their domestic cases. This position provides information about the Court’s policies and procedures related to domestic cases in-person, virtually and by telephone. This is a full-time position and reports directly to the Director of the Access to Justice Resource Center.

Essential Job Duties

• Assists self-represented litigants with Family Law and Adult Guardianship court forms.
• Reviews case information and history to best assist customers and answers general questions about court processes and procedures.
• Monitors and responds to email inquiries.
• Acts as a referral to other resources such as: the Maryland Volunteer Lawyers Service; Maryland Legal Aid; the Protection Order Advocacy and Representation Project and the County Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Reduced Fee programs.
• Assists with coordinating volunteers and in-person appointments.
• Assists Director with community outreach related to family law.
• Provides back-up to the Access to Justice Administrator as needed.

Examples of Other Duties

• Performs other assigned duties or tasks as required.

Bachelor’s degree, plus one year of experience in a legal setting or Associate’s degree, plus three years of experience in a legal setting or A combination of five years of relevant education and experience in a legal setting.

Preferred Qualifications

Spanish-speaking individuals are especially preferred for this role. Individuals who possess a bachelor’s degree in legal studies or similar field and at least two years of experience working for a lawyer, law firm, a court or a public or non-profit organization are preferred. Ideal candidates would have at least one year of experience working in domestic and family law.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Because this position has considerable direct contact with the public, individuals must have excellent interpersonal, communications and customer service skills. Candidates for this position should possess knowledge of applicable legal terminology and basic knowledge of court procedures, especially in domestic/family law. The candidate will need to be highly organized and have basic office and computer skills, including experience working with Microsoft Office. The ability to work independently is

Proof of Licenses, Certifications and Education

Applicants are required to submit proof of licenses, certifications and education beyond high school to meet the required and preferred qualifications of the position. Diplomas or transcripts must show the applicant's major field of study. Copies and unofficial transcripts are acceptable. Failure to submit proof of Licenses, Certifications and Education will result in your application not being considered. Proof of licenses, certifications, and/or education must be submitted with each application.

Proof of Degree Equivalency

Applicants who have obtained a degree from outside the United States of America are required to submit degree equivalence documentation from World Education Services, Inc. www.WES.org.

Mailing address

Mail or deliver documents to: ATTN: Legal Technician - Non-Merit Office of Human Resources Baltimore County Government 308 Allegheny Ave. Towson, MD 21204.

EXAMINATION PROCEDURE

Applicants will be qualified based on an evaluation of their training and experience, as stated on their application. Applicants must state the dates and duties of past and present experience clearly and completely for evaluation purposes. This position is a non-merit unclassified position with the Circuit Court for Baltimore County and subject to the personnel policies and procedures of the Court. This position is part of the Court’s Family Division, which is funded by a grant from the Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts.

Physical and Environmental Conditions

The work of this classification is essentially sedentary, but may include occasional walking, standing, lifting of boxes or other limited physical activities.

Employment Background Investigation

Applicants selected for employment with Baltimore County must successfully complete an employment investigation, including, but not limited to criminal background, education, and fingerprinting checks.