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Tarrant County College · 1 month ago

STAFF ATTORNEY, Probate Court 1

Fort Worth, TX

Full-time

Onsite

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

2+ years exp

Tarrant County College is seeking a Staff Attorney for the Probate Court. The Staff Attorney will assist the Court in reviewing and preparing cases, ensuring efficient operations and providing legal guidance to attorneys.

Higher Education

Responsibilities

Reviews case files for both the contested and uncontested dockets

Prepares internal briefing memorandum for the Judge and other staff as appropriate

Contacts counsel to ensure the efficient operation of the Court. Reviews incoming pleadings and points out legal deficiencies that need to be corrected to ensure the Court has the authority to proceed without cancelling or creating multiple hearings. Provides attorneys with guidance on Court policies and procedures

Answers attorneys’ questions about upcoming matters

Attends hearings and chambers conferences

Monitors cases "taken under advisement" and briefing issues as assigned by the judge and drafts summaries or opinion letters as appropriate

Reviews applications for determining heir-ships and prepares and submits orders of appointment for Attorneys ad Litem

Assists the Associate Judge, Court Administrator, Court Coordinator, and Court Investigators in management of the various dockets of the court including the contested docket, the compliance docket, and the show cause docket

Reviews proposed orders, proofreads the judge’s orders and opinions, and writes initial drafts of other orders and opinions

Analyzes proposed jury charges

Conducts legal and statistical research

Provides editing input and updates to citations in speeches and papers

When appropriate, responds to correspondence from persons writing to the Court

Compiles reports of cases heard and acted upon by the Court

Performs other duties as assigned by the Court

Qualification

Juris Doctorate (JD)License to practice lawProbateGuardianship lawCivil procedure knowledgeLegal researchAnalytical abilityDiplomacyTactComputer literacyOral communicationWritten communication

Required

Bachelor's and Juris Doctorate (JD) degrees

Continuing Legal Education: 15 hours required annually, plus self-study and training to maintain current knowledge of a variety of fields pertinent to probate and guardianship issues

Two (2) full-time years of work experience in the relevant areas of law

License to practice law in the State of Texas. Member in good standing of the State Bar of Texas

A working knowledge of civil procedure and the Texas civil court system is important

Ability to work efficiently and effectively in high-pressure situations and ability to communicate effectively

Excellent, advanced oral and written communication and court presentation skills

Ability to complete tasks despite constant interruptions to deal with other issues regarding probate and guardianship cases

Must possess an advanced senior professional level of analytical ability and be very well professionally polished and versed in the art of being diplomatic and tactful, in addition to the use of good judgment and common sense

Must be able to handle all stressful situations with an even temperament and work effectively with others in the achievement of tasks

Must possess necessary writing skills at a well-advanced and professionally creative level to communicate information and directions to attorneys, agencies, and citizens

Must have solid, current working knowledge and understanding of probate and guardianship statutes and other relevant state laws, as well as full comprehension of case holdings and departmental policies

Must be computer literate