Deputy Legal Counsel – Research Services - Superior Court

Title: Deputy Legal Counsel – Research Services - Superior Court

Pay Grade: Senior Management 1

Starting Pay: $109,034.12 – $160,799.86

Departmental Mission Statement: The Superior Court, the primary trial court for significant civil and criminal matters for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is committed to delivering high quality justice in a timely and fair manner in accordance with the rule of law.

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

https://www.mass.gov/orgs/superior-court

Notes:

• This position is designated as management position and is covered by the Trial Court Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual.

Position Summary: Working with the Chief Justice and the Administrative Office of the Superior Court, the Deputy Legal Counsel–Research Services is responsible for managing legal research and writing staff and resources that support the Justices of the Superior Court. The Deputy Legal Counsel supervises all research employees, composed of permanent Research Attorneys and one-year Law Fellows, and coordinates the hiring of judicial interns. This position also provides legal research support to the Chief Justice and the Administrative Office of the Superior Court, as needed.

Supervision Received: Receives direction from and works closely with the Chief Justice of the Superior Court, the Deputy Court Administrator, and the Chief Legal Counsel–Assistant Deputy Court Administrator of the Superior Court, who issue assignments and evaluate work for professional competence and ability to accomplish objectives.

Duties:

• Manages all legal research staff employed by the Superior Court, including work schedules, geographical deployment throughout Massachusetts, professional performance evaluations, and personnel administration;
• Manages work assignments among Research Attorneys and Law Fellows to assure timely responses to requests from the Justices for legal research and writing services;
• Coordinates hiring of Research Attorneys and Law Fellows, including acting as liaison with law schools, responding to inquiries for legal research jobs and internships, screening applicants for Research Attorney and Law Fellow positions, interviewing candidates, and providing administrative support to judges on the selection committee;
• Coordinates placement of judicial interns with the Justices;
• Coordinates training programs for legal research staff, develops training materials, and provides training as needed;
• Coordinates the preparation, continuing revision, and distribution of in-house reference materials used by judges and legal research staff (e.g., bench books and other court-produced legal research materials);
• Coordinates with the Deputy Court Administrator and Assistant Deputy Court Administrator to address matters concerning office space, furniture, and equipment for legal research staff, including computers;
• Ensures that judges and legal research staff have access to online and hard-copy legal research resources, including Westlaw, Lexis, and related services;
• Coordinates and facilitates the Superior Court judicial educational conferences, and participates in the development of educational materials for the Justices;
• Travels statewide to all counties to meet with legal research staff;
• Performs legal research for the Chief Justice and the Administrative Office of the Superior Court, as needed; and
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

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 Trial Court.
Mission Understands, upholds, and communicates the Trial Court missions.
Applied Knowledge Understands research, information services operations, specialized tools, applications, and software, with some understanding of the various court departments and divisions.
Problem Solving Ability to successfully address data issues, draw conclusions, and make recommendations.
Customer Service Conducts oneself in a courteous and professional manner towards both Trial Court employees and the public.
Performance Measurement Understands the value and importance of performance measures as a basis for both individual and departmental assessments.
Commitment to Diversity Promotes an environment of diversity through understanding, respect, and positive communication with persons of varied economic and cultural backgrounds.
Collaboration Works with others cooperatively, demonstrating a willingness to be a team player, and contributing to a work environment that focuses on shared departmental goals.
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 Deputy Legal Counsel–Research Services in the Superior Court:

• Law degree and admission to the practice of law in Massachusetts;
• At least 6 years of legal experience, with professional experience managing a large professional staff, preferably in a legal, academic, or research environment;
• One or more years of post-law school professional experience researching and drafting written materials analyzing legal questions and applying legal principles to various factual situations, often under short deadlines;
• Excellent legal writing and communication skills;
• Excellent legal research and analytical skills, using both online and book resources;
• High professional and ethical standards;
• Ability to travel to courthouses throughout Massachusetts as needed;
• Proficiency in using personal computers, including all components of the Microsoft Office suite, as well as Westlaw, Lexis, and similar legal research services; and
• Training or experience in judicial, public, or business administration, in addition to a law degree, is preferred.