Staff Attorney

City of Cleveland; Cleveland (OH); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Cleveland is seeking a Staff Attorney for the Housing Court to provide legal research and administrative support to the Judge and Magistrates. The role demands impeccable time management, strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to multitask without direct oversight.

Responsibilities include drafting memoranda and opinions, assisting with trials/hearings, and guiding the public on case procedures. Ohio Bar admission is preferred, and mediation training is a plus.

Qualifications

• Excellent legal research and legal analysis.
• Well-developed expedient legal research and writing skills.
• Knowledge of the methods, techniques, and procedures used in court proceedings.
• Ability to organize and prioritize duties.
• Highly organized work habits.
• Ability to maintain high volume caseloads
• Solid computer skills and the ability to navigate case management systems.
• Video conference platform knowledge and experience preferred

Responsibilities

• Perform legal research.
• Prepare memoranda, draft opinions, judgment entries, and decisions.
• Assist the Judge and magistrates in preparation for trials and hearings.
• Conduct civil pretrials, settlement conferences and mediations.
• Complete special projects as requested by the Judge and magistrates.
• Provide information to Housing Court staff regarding procedure and law.
• Assist the public in obtaining information about pending cases including links.
• Attend meetings as needed.

Skills

Legal research

Legal analysis

Court procedures

Time management

Interpersonal skills

Multitasking

Communication with attorneys

Education

Law degree

Ohio Bar Admission preferred

Mediation training preferred

Tools

Case management systems

Video conferencing platforms

Job description

Staff Attorney

JOB PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW

The Staff Attorney should be a highly organized individual with impeccable time management skills, exceptional interpersonal skills, problem solving skills as well as considerable initiative and independent judgment, and the competence to multitask several ongoing projects without Court oversight or undue delay. The Staff Attorney is responsible for providing legal research and administrative support to the Judge and Magistrates of the Housing Court.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE POSITION

1. Perform legal research.
2. Prepare memoranda, draft opinions, judgment entries, and decisions.
3. Assist the Judge and magistrates in preparation for trials and hearings.
4. Conduct civil pretrials, settlement conferences and mediations.
5. Complete special projects as requested by the Judge and magistrates.
6. Provide information to Housing Court staff regarding procedure and law.
7. Assist the public in obtaining information about pending cases including links.
8. Attend meetings as needed.
9. Locate files for staff, litigants/attorneys as necessary.
10. Act as Personal Bailiff to Magistrates as needed.
11. Provide assistance to landlords and tenants with processing filings.
12. Communicate on behalf of the Court with attorneys, parties, and the public.
13. Schedule non-routine hearings as requested by magistrates.
14. Perform other duties as assigned by the Court.

KNOWLEDGE, QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS and ABILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skills, and or ability required. Alternative qualifications may be substituted if sufficient to perform the duties. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

1. Excellent legal research and legal analysis.
   
2. Well-developed expedient legal research and writing skills.
3. Knowledge of the methods, techniques, and procedures used in court proceedings.
4. Ability to organize and prioritize duties.
5. Highly organized work habits.
6. Ability to maintain high volume caseloads
7. Solid computer skills and the ability to navigate case management systems.
8. Video conference platform knowledge and experience preferred,

EDUCATION and/ or EXPERIENCE

Law degree from accredited college or university. Ohio Bar Admission preferred or bar admission from other states. Completion of mediation training courses approved by the Supreme Court of Ohio is also preferred.

COURT EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEE

The Court expects all members of its staff to uphold the interest of the Court and to adhere to all Court policies, guidelines, practices and procedures; maintain high professionalism both inside and outside the Court; perform all duties as workload necessitates in a timely, accurate and thorough manner; be conscientious about meeting Court's productivity standards; and communicate regularly with supervisor about department issues. Additional requirements for employment with the Court include the following.

1. Strong analytical and organizational skills and the ability to function at a high level within a large, complex organization.
   
2. large, complex organization. Ability to prioritize work, work independently without daily direct supervision, and manage a variety of projects simultaneously in a high-pressure atmosphere under severe time constraints. Must have good time-management skills and be highly organized and detail oriented.
3. Excellent interpersonal skills including the ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with judges, Court employees, lawyers, outside agencies, businesses, and the general public.
4. Ability to maintain sensitive and confidential information.
5. Creativity and ability to conceive and implement innovative approaches to solve problems and meet objectives. Ability to recognize the need for change and respond with flexibility to changing program demands, propose solutions, and ensure that solutions are implemented.
6. Must be conscious of and sensitive to the diversity within the Court's jurisdiction and be able to interact professionally with this diverse population of people from many different geographic, socioeconomic, religious, racial, and ethnic backgrounds on a regular basis.
7. Must have patience, objectivity, maturity, effectiveness under stress, initiative, adaptability, and sound judgment.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT

The Staff Attorney is an at-will employee and serves at the pleasure of the Judge; he/she is not in the classified civil service system and is not a member of a bargaining unit. 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, or disability.

The City's guiding principles are as follows: Placing Clevelanders at the Center, Empowering Employees to Do Purposeful Work, Defining Clear and Pragmatic Objectives, Leading with Trust and Transparency, Striving for Equity in All We Do, and Embracing Change. All City employees are responsible for embracing and carrying out these principles in all that they do.