Duties

Summary

The Self-Help Center is a free walk-in service that provides unrepresented people with general legal information in a variety of family law matters such as divorce, custody, visitation and child support. The Family Law Facilitator provides administrative support to the Family Law Attorney of the Self-Help Center and facilitates access to the Courts by providing legal information and assistance to unrepresented persons with questions or matters in any branch of the Family Court.

Learn more about this agency

Responsibilities

Brief Description of Duties:

• Assists litigants with the preparation of pro se pleadings, related to custody, visitation, child support and divorce, and other materials approved for use in the Family Court.
• Assists volunteer attorneys by answering questions and providing information concerning office practices, court processes, and family law cases related to custody, visitation, child support and divorce.
• Provides referrals and resources for other legal and social services providers, organizations, agencies, or clinics that offer services to pro se and low-income litigants throughout the District of Columbia.
• Identifies potential issues of domestic violence or child abuse and neglect issues and makes referrals where appropriate.
• Reviews legal forms to determine litigant's qualification for services from the facilitator, including financial eligibility for possible referrals to free legal service providers.
• Assists with the development of informational literature and brochures for dissemination to the public, including the Court's website, to explain the role of the Self-Help Center.
• Assists with coverage of the Self-Help Center front desk during the Self-Help Center Deputy Clerk's lunch hour and absences from the office.

The DC Courts have employed many measures to keep employees and court users as safe as possible, including mandatory face coverings, social distancing, temperature checks, health screening questionnaire, enhanced air circulation, and intensified cleaning services. We encouraged employees to get vaccinated for their safety and the safety of their family, friends, colleagues, and others with whom they have contact. We also provided opportunities for employees to receive the vaccine. Such voluntary vaccination efforts have made significant progress in suppressing the spread of COVID-19, and yet the emergence of the highly contagious Delta variant has caused a rapid increase in infection transmission rates in the District of Columbia and elsewhere, particularly among the unvaccinated.

Vaccinations, being readily available, provide the best protection from infection with COVID-19, and the requirement of vaccinations is consistent with maintaining a safe and secure workplace. Therefore, effective immediately and throughout the remainder of the COVID-19 emergency period, all DC Courts employees, interns, volunteers, and on-site contractors, who have received a vaccination as required by the COVID-19 vaccination protocols, must provide proof of vaccination to Human Resources on the first day of employment. You may seek an exemption from providing a proof of vaccination on the grounds of a specific medical condition or a sincerely held religious belief. All employees who have not received the required number of vaccination doses, regardless of the reason or whether the employee has sought or been granted an exemption, will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result on a weekly basis in order to report to work in person or remotely.

Travel Required

Not required

Supervisory status
No

Promotion Potential
11

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

• Background and security investigation are required.
• A probationary period of one (1) year must be successfully completed.

To qualify for this position, you must submit the following:
1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or degree)
4. List of three (3) professional references

All required documentation must be received by the closing date of the announcement.

Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

GRADE 10: Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college and a minimum of two (2) years of experience providing administrative support in a general office, social services environment, or court setting.

Familiarity with D.C. Family Law, Family Rules of Procedures, and Court practices is required. Interpersonal and communication skills needed to successfully interact with the public, the judiciary, and other court personnel.

Education Substitution:

• Master's degree from an accredited university or college and a minimum of one (1) year of experience providing administrative support in a general office, social services environment, or court setting;
• or a Law or Doctoral degree from an accredited university or college in Social Work, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, or a related field.
• A certificate of completion from a paralegal studies program may substitute for two (2) years of experience providing administrative support in a general office, social services environment, or court setting.

GRADE 11: Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college and a minimum of three (3) years of experience providing administrative support in a general office, social services environment, or court setting.

The incumbent should be an enthusiastic and engaged professional who enjoys working with a diverse group of Court personnel and customers and lives the DC Courts' values of Accountability, Excellence, Fairness, Integrity, Respect, and Transparency.

Please note that authorization for the release of your adult criminal record revealing any convictions and forfeitures, and any criminal cases currently pending before the courts is required. If you are selected for the position, a criminal history records check will be conducted.

Education

To qualify based on education, upload a copy of your college transcript or degree. The transcript must show the name of the college or university, your name, list of courses with credit hours, major(s), and grade-point average or class ranking.

Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for District of Columbia Courts employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

Foreign Education: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must upload a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript at time of application to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit: https://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html.

Additional information

This job is being filled by an alternative hiring process and is not in the competitive Federal civil service.

Please note there is a mandatory one year probationary period for all non-judicial new employees.

All required information must be received by the vacancy announcement closing date.

The safety of DC Court employees, contractors and the public is a top priority. In compliance with the guidelines published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Courts has maximized its telework flexibilities. The ability and readiness for employees to telework impacts operational requirements and capabilities. This includes having a personal computer, tablet or mobile device which is not shared with secure internet connectivity.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Upon receipt of your complete application package, a review of your application will be made to ensure that you meet the minimum qualification requirements. Answers submitted in the questionnaire must be supported on your resume.

Your resume must reflect the relevant experience and that you meet the minimum qualifications or your application will not be considered.

To preview questions please click here .

Background checks and security clearance

Security clearance
Other

Drug test required
No

Required Documents

1. Resume
2. Completed Vacancy Questionnaire
3. Documentation /Proof of Education (e.g. copy of college transcript or diploma)
4. List of three (3) professional references

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.