Senior Counsel, Children & Youth Services

County of Berks, PA; Reading (Berks County); On-site; USD 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

County of Berks, PA in Reading, PA seeks an experienced attorney to provide legal services, direction, and counsel for the Children and Youth Services Department from detention hearings through termination of parental rights, including appellate work.

The role involves advising on criminal, labor and employment, and contract law; supervising paralegals; coordinating with caseworkers and courts to ensure compliance with orders and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Meet with caseworkers and supervisors prior to court proceedings and thoroughly communicate with them to gain and give information relevant to the proceeding, including preparing for testimony and counseling the caseworker and supervisor concerning litigation, the court process, and BCCYS' rights and responsibilities.
• Inform all parties that the Solicitor is representing BCCYS and make efforts to resolve the case through informal means and take steps to stay notified of all-important changes or actions involving the case.
• Participate in negotiations, discovery, pre-trial conferences, and family group decision-making conferences.
• Participate in all dependency proceedings including, but not limited to, shelter care, adjudication, disposition, permanency review, and motions hearings. Participate in appeals. Participate in Criminal Proceedings, Civil Proceedings, including custody and support, Termination of Parental Rights hearings in Orphans' Court, and Administrative hearings through the Bureau of Hearings and Appeals.
• Investigate the facts of each case by speaking with the child, parent and/or parent attorney, guardian ad litem, caseworker, case supervisor and any other relevant witnesses, including expert witnesses, reviewing relevant records and court files, speaking with the court appointed special advocates, speaking with and/or meeting with the guardians or caretakers of the children, conducting site visits, interviewing other individuals involved with the children, reviewing relevant photographs, reviewing school records, reviewing medical records, reviewing reports from outside agencies and talking to professionals, reviewing drug test or mental health reports, etc.
• Draft, review and revise petitions, motions, stipulations, orders, objections, briefs and/or responses related to dependency, civil, custody, criminal, support, termination, administrative and orphan's court proceedings.
• Present testimony of witnesses and legal argument concerning the safety and best interest of the child.
• Help ensure that the caseworker and/or supervisor and all other necessary witnesses are present for every hearing and all necessary exhibits have been prepared and distributed to all parties.
• Help identify appropriate family and professional resources for the children.
• Communicate all court orders and other case information to the caseworker and case supervisor and discuss any questions and ensure the accuracy and compliance with all court orders, laws and regulations.
• Monitor the implementation of court orders and take appropriate steps where non-compliance is affecting BCCYS and/or the child's best interest.
• Attend bi-monthly meetings with the judge in charge of dependency.
• Attend bi-monthly roundtable meetings with court staff and CYS staff.
• Stay current on all relevant law, including case law.
• Explain new legislation, including case law, and draft and/or revise policies and procedures to ensure compliance.
• Remain an active attorney in good standing with the PA Supreme Court, include dependency, custody, criminal and/or support CLEs in annual CLE requirements.
• Supervise and train paralegals on CYS practices and procedures; hold regular supervision to update paralegals on revised policies and procedures as well as changes in the law; discuss workload, forms, court orders, and answer any questions.
• Meet with administration, caseworkers, case supervisors, and paralegals to dis uss and review new cases to determine if court intervention is necessary and/or appropriate.
• Prepare all witnesses for court.
• Meet with caseworkers, case supervisors, and administrators to discuss and strategize pending cases to ensure compliance with court orders and permanency goals and to discuss if modification is necessary and/or appropriate.
• Review and revise petitions, motions, stipulations and court orders to ensure requisite funding language is included and to ensure compliance related to funding, reimbursement and applicable regulations and laws.
• Request and obtain court authorization to assist with funding and/or reimbursement for services or to have the costs placed on the parent/caretaker.
• Address family finding efforts and discuss other permanency efforts, including reasonable efforts to avoid placement and/or to achieve permanency as expeditiously as possible in the best interest of the child and to reduce placement costs and obtain reimbursement.
• Provide routine trainings to CYS, CYS providers, attorneys, and the community as requested, related to applicable regulations and laws governing CYS, including case law, as well as court procedures, reports, and testifying in court.
• Meet with expert witnesses and negotiate contractual relationships with skilled experts to provide services, opinions, and testimony related to CYS cases.
• Review and revise subsidy agreements and related court orders and address and resolve subsidy issues with foster parents and adoptive parents related to stop payments, overpayments, and other contractual issues.
• Respond to all file requests by letter, formal objection by motion and argument, draft proposed orders, and ensure all files are redacted prior to release.
• Maintain a cooperative working relationship with law enforcement and respond to questions related to cases and requests for information.
• Respond to Judicial requests for information.
• Train new CYS solicitors regarding laws, regulations, policies, practices, forms and procedures.
• Regularly meet with clerical staff to discuss filings, pending court orders, signed court orders, procedures, exhibits, summons, subpoenas, witnesses, forms, hearings and other issues. Draft, review, and revise all filings and litigate civil, custody, support, criminal, and protection from

Job description

County of Berks, PA in Reading, PA seeks an experienced attorney to provide legal services, direction, and counsel for the Children and Youth Services Department from detention hearings through termination of parental rights, including appellate work.

The role involves advising on criminal, labor and employment, and contract law; supervising paralegals; coordinating with caseworkers and courts to ensure compliance with orders and regulations.