Legal Self Help Center Specialist

Salary: $27.82 – $36.18 Hourly

Location : Grand Haven Courthouse: 414 Washington Ave. Grand Haven, MI

Job Type: Full-Time

Job Number: 0000-1

Department: Legal Self-Help Center

Opening Date: 10/03/2023

Closing Date: Continuous

FLSA: Exempt

Bargaining Unit: Unclassified

Job Description
Under the direction of the Legal Self-Help Center Director, serves in a customer service capacity by responding to questions from the public in person, by phone, and by email. Helps recruit, train and monitor LSHC volunteers. Helps develop, improve, and publicize information about various court processes and procedures. Assists patrons in filling out and organizing forms. Assists in managing ATM and other LSHC deposits.

This is a full-time benefited position working out of the Grand Haven Court House and at the Fillmore Complex in West Olive. Travel to other county locations as needed. Working hours: Monday – Friday 8:00am-5:00pm.

This is a grant-funded position, with additional funding anticipated. The continuation of employment after the grant ends is not guaranteed.
Essential Job Functions
The essential job functions of this position include, but are not limited to, any combination of the following:

1. Answers questions in person, by phone, email, or other electronic means.
2. Refers patrons to appropriate court offices.
3. Provides patrons with a variety of forms required for use in petitioning the Court.
4. Assists patrons in filling out forms. Reviews forms for proper completion.
5. Reviews documents for substantive and procedural compliance with the Michigan Court Rules.
6. Coordinates with other court divisions and community agencies to provide appropriate referrals to patrons.
7. Provides training to other court divisions on services offered by the LSHC.
8. Serves as back-up to LSHC Administrative Assistant (6164).
9. Recruits, trains, and monitors LSHC volunteers.
10. Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education, Training and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in legal studies or other human services field, with experience in a position requiring extensive public contact, or other equivalent/relevant experience and training.
Additional Requirements and Information
Required Knowledge and Skills:

1. Excellent customer relation/customer service skills
2. Good oral and written communication skills
3. Ability to interact positively and professionally with judges, attorneys, prosecutors, law enforcement officers, employees, community and business representatives, plaintiffs, defendants, other parties to litigation and members of the public with widely divergent socio-economic and cultural backgrounds and varying levels of communication skills
4. Good working knowledge of basic court processes and procedures, legal terminology, and legal documents
5. Good working knowledge of Friend of the Court policy and procedures for child support, custody, and parenting time matters.
6. Working knowledge of privacy requirements related to court records
7. Accurate mathematical skills and ability to run Michigan Child Support Formula Calculations.
8. Computer literacy and good working knowledge of word-processing and spreadsheet software.
9. Knowledge of document imaging software
10. Excellent interpersonal and human relations skills
11. Good time management and organizational skills
12. Excellent problem-solving skills

NOTE: an ability to communicate in Spanish, Lao, Cambodian or other language spoken by ethnic groups residing in the county will be helpful.

Working Conditions:
Work is generally performed in a normal office environment.

Physical Requirements:
Must be able to perform essential job functions with or without reasonable accommodations, including, but not limited to, visual and/or audiological appliances and devices to increase mobility.

Disclaimer:

This position has access to FTI; therefore, applicants must undergo an FBI fingerprint-based background investigation as detailed in the IRS Publication 1075.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

Ottawa County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

This position is benefited and is subject to the Unclassified group manual.

Ottawa County offers a wide range of benefits to support you in your career. View the for more information.

The current Unclassified group manual can be The 2023 Ottawa County Universal Wage Scale can be found