Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions. 
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it? 
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The City of Philadelphia Law Department acts as general counsel for the entire City government structure. We provide legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions concerning any matters related to the exercise of their official powers.

The Law Department's civil practice includes unique issues involving public interest in business, health, safety, commerce, civil rights, taxation, and community development. We employ more than 220 attorneys and 100 professional staff to support seamless operations, reduce legal liability for the City, and challenge threats to quality of life impacting the taxpayers of Philadelphia.

We are an ever-evolving Department where all are empowered to reach their full potential, to collaborate with clients as true partners, and to see their work have real impact on the city of Philadelphia. We celebrate the diversity of our staff, the City’s workforce, and the residents whom we serve and promote an environment of comradery, accountability, and inclusiveness.

The Law Department's Child Welfare Unit (CWU) represents the City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services (DHS) in all aspects of its work in investigating reports of child abuse and child neglect and providing services to children and families in need. The CWU is a collegial, fast-paced, challenging unit in which attorneys are, with appropriate training and supervision, expected to independently manage their case files from start to finish. 

Job Description

Legal assistants in the Child Welfare Unit meet with Department of Human Services (“DHS”) social work service managers and Community Umbrella Agencies (“CUA”) case managers to discuss proposed and pending court cases, draft dependent petitions which are filed in the Dependent Branch of Family Court following these interviews, and review DHS case records in order to prepare petitions seeking either Voluntary Or Involuntary Termination Of Parental Rights, or Permanent Legal Custody.  They also prepare related documents and gather necessary information in order to supplement these pleadings.  The legal assistants occasionally expunge DHS case records of confidential information for review by outside parties and appear at Pre-Hearing Conferences at Family Court on behalf of the Law Department.

Legal Assistant Supervisors in the Child Welfare Unit perform the above-described duties of a legal assistant in the unit.  Legal Assistant Supervisors, on a daily basis, review, revise when necessary, and electronically file dependent petitions in coordination with Family Court staff, and they appear weekly at Pre-Hearing Conferences at Family Court on behalf of the Law Department.  

Essential Functions

Duties of a Legal Assistant Supervisor in the CWU include but are not limited to:

• Participate in interviews of candidates for City of Philadelphia Legal Assistant positions
• Assist in new hire coordination and training of new legal assistant staff
• Schedule, prepare, and attend meetings specific to Child Welfare Unit legal assistant responsibilities
  • Assist with scheduling, preparing, and attending meetings specific to Child Welfare Unit area of practice
• Assist in the development/modification of Child Welfare Unit training modules/programs/materials
• Prepare monthly Child Welfare Unit legal assistant staff calendar for on-call dependent petition drafting assignments
• Assign work to subordinate staff and monitor work assignments
• Provide direct supervision/oversight for City of Philadelphia legal assistants and indirect supervision for Legal Service Initiative Paralegals (LSIP) assigned to draft dependent petitions
  • Prepare annual employee performance evaluations for City of Philadelphia legal assistants under direct supervision
  • Provide feedback to LSIP supervisory/management staff regarding LSIP employee performance related to dependent petition drafting
• Assist with drafting dependent petitions as needed
• Provide direct oversight of dependent filing submissions to the Juvenile Branch of Family Court, Division of the Court of Common Pleas
• Interact with Juvenile Branch of Family Court, Division of the Court of Common Pleas staff (Dependent Court Operations, Adoptions Unit, Truancy Unit) regarding dependency and adoption/permanent legal custody related filings
• Act as liaison between Juvenile Branch of Family Court, Division of the Court of Common Pleas staff and Child Welfare Unit staff to resolve filing impediments
• Report to Child Welfare Unit management and Human Resources regarding employee performance and work status
• Assist in resolving issues and disputes
• Develop, update, and maintain work and document logs/databases regarding dependency pleadings and maintain document quality control
• Assist with providing reports to interoffice/interdepartmental management and client representatives
• Assist attorneys with special due diligence efforts and other special projects
• Conduct research utilizing legal research tools and other databases/resources
• Handle an independent dependency and adoption/permanent legal custody related case load under the supervision of an assigned attorney and with assistance of a LSIP

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Excellent organizational skills
• Effective and professional oral and written communication
• Ability to work independently and think proactively
• Ability to manage and prioritize numerous assignments
• Computer skills required/desired for the position include:

MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, OneNote, Access)

Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms)

Spreadsheets (Excel, Google Sheets, OpenOffice Calc)....

Email (mail merge, filters, folders, rules)

Presentations/Slideshows (PowerPoint, Google Slides, OpenOffice Impress, Tableau)

Microsoft Teams, Zoom and other virtual platforms

• Experience with electronic filing through PACfile
• Ability to complete work projects in a timely and accurate manner
• Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Experience exercising discretion and confidentiality with sensitive information

Qualifications

Preferred candidate will possess an Associates degree, paralegal certificate or equivalent and have experience supervising employees formally or informally, preferably in a legal setting.  

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a cover letter and resume.

Salary Range: $59,834 to $74,488 - Commensurate with education and experience

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation: City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 6 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that  are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to faqpchr@phila.gov.

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: http://www.phila.gov/humanrelations/Pages/default.aspx