Court Service Center Manager (Taunton)

Title:Court Service Center Manager (Taunton)

Pay Grade: Management

Starting Pay:  $88,695.37

Departmental Mission Statement: The Court Services and Law Libraries Department is responsible for providing key Court Services to support the administration of justice and advance access to justice in the Trial Court. These services include the Court Service Centers and the Trial Court Law Libraries.

Notes: Candidates are encouraged to include a cover letter with their application. 

Position Summary: Working within the Court Services and Law Libraries Department of the Office of Court Management, the Court Service Center Manager supports the functions of Trial Court operated Taunton Court Service Center. Court Service Centers provide accurate information and assistance for self-represented litigants to achieve better access to the Massachusetts justice system. The Court Service Center serves an integral role in the Trial Court’s efforts to improve access to justice for self-represented populations that may include survivors of domestic violence in civil protection order cases, as well as custody matters, child support, housing evictions or small claims matters.
The Court Service Center Manager uses professional legal experience and knowledge of social service agencies and organizations to provide self-represented litigants with the resources they need to navigate the court system and best address their issues. This position is responsible for providing assistance on an array of court information, forms, resources, and referrals, as well as supervising a staff that supports the Manager serving the self-represented litigants seeking assistance at the Court Service Center. The Manager answers questions, reviews documents, and directs self-represented litigants and members of the public to the proper court offices for additional assistance as appropriate.
The Manager's responsibilities will also include an educational component and other outreach activities in areas of family law, housing law, criminal defense, small claims, record sealing, and a variety of other court related matters. Through collaboration with local legal service providers and other social services, litigants seeking assistance at the Court Service Center are put in contact with the proper resources external to the court by the Manager and staff, achieving the goal of improving the lives of the public being served.  

Supervision Received: Receives general direction from the Director of Court Services and Law Libraries Department and Senior Manager of Court Service Centers of the Trial Court or his or her designee in performing duties in accordance with established guidelines.

Duties: Oversight and management of the in-person and remote daily operations of the Taunton Court Service Center including:
• Assisting self–represented litigants to gain access to Trial Court services by providing legal and procedural information;
• Developing and implementing strategies to increase the impact and efficiency of all court related services made available at the Court Service Center as well as oversee both in-person and virtual operations simultaneously;
• Assists in the development, management, and evaluation of new court assisted initiatives to enhance the services provided to self-represented litigants;
• Providing information and explanations about a variety of court processes, court rules, official documents, and forms;
• Reviewing completed court forms and papers being submitted to court divisions for adherence to court rules and protocols;
• Developing referral protocols for existing community and Court Service programs;
• Providing information and instructions on how to proceed with a small claim or other civil proceeding;
• Contributing to the development of service related, user-friendly informational materials and online content to supplement the court assisted support provided at the Court Service Center;
• Ensuring access for limited English proficient litigants and members of the public;
• Overseeing the selection, training, supervision and professional development of all court personnel working at the Court Service Center including all evaluations and any discipline as necessary;
• Conducts regular meetings with the staff of the Court Service Center, as well as court officials from local area court divisions, representing all Trial Court Departments in an effort to improve coordination and effectiveness;
• Initiates data driven best practices to improve efficiencies and meet metric related benchmarks and goals; and
• Assists with preparation of annual statistics and reports.

Job Competencies: All applicants must be able, through the interview process, to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the following areas:
Ethics and Values Communicates and demonstrates the ethics and values of the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Mission Understands, upholds, and communicates the Court Services and Law Libraries Department mission.
Applied Knowledge Ability to assist in the creation of management reporting tools for purpose of evaluating Court Service Center activities and initiatives for improving access to justice. 
Problem Solving Accurately can assesses operational and administrative problems in the Court Service Center and develop feasible solutions.  
Customer Service Conducts oneself in a courteous and professional manner to users of the Court Service Center. Responsive to the needs of self-represented litigants.
Collaboration Works with others cooperatively, accepts feedback, demonstrates a willingness to be a team player, and contributes to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals. 
Communication Excellent oral and written communication skills to maximize the effectiveness of the Court Service Center; Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with court officials, judges, and community resources is critical.
Continuous Learning Demonstrates a commitment to continuously improving himself or herself through professional development.

Minimum Requirements: These are the minimum requirements necessary to apply for the position of Court Service Center Manager – Taunton:
A Law Degree and skills and abilities acquired through Four (4) years of relevant work experience such as experience within a Trial Court division, and/or experience with legal service providers, social service agencies, and related allied service resources; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience; A law degree and admission to the Massachusetts Bar is preferred;
Bilingual skills and supervisory experience is preferred;
Ability to plan and supervise the work of direct reports as appropriate;
Considerable knowledge of relevant state statues, court rules and case law that prescribe the authority of the court and an ability to interpret and apply them to the cases before the court;
Considerable knowledge of court procedures, legal documents, and laws pertaining to the court;
Considerable knowledge of the organization, functions, jurisdiction and authority of the court;
Considerable knowledge of the work and role of legal service providers, social service state agencies, and related community resources;
Ability to maintain effective working relationships with Judges, court officials, attorneys, court employees and the general public;
Demonstrate ability to remain responsive to local court departments and ensure multi­lingual access to court related services;
Ability to identify and resolve customer service and queuing issues experienced at the Court Service Centers;
Ability to utilize data to monitor trends operational efficiency of a customer service operation;
Demonstrated ability to independently initiate action, complete assignments and to handle multiple assignments simultaneously;
Exceptional skills in using multi­media techniques: social media, web-based initiatives and digital resources to access and use local resources for referrals; Ability to identify and pursue grant opportunities in the position;