Senior Self-Help Center Specialist, Hennepin County, Self-Represented Litigant Program Apply
Hennepin County District Court is accepting applications for a Senior Self-Help Center Specialist position with the Minnesota Judicial Branch's Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) Program.
The SRL Program provides information to self-represented litigants (SRLs) with legal issues that can be addressed in District Court, pursuant to Minn. Gen. R. Prac. Rule 110. SRL Program staff cannot provide legal advice. The goals of the program include:
- Increasing access to justice for individuals without attorneys
- Improving the efficiency of the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch's SRL Program has three Self-Help Center (SHC) locations, including two walk-in centers and one statewide, virtual center. This is a full-time, benefits-earning position classified as a Senior Self-Help Center Specialist. The primary work location will be the Hennepin County Family Justice Center SHC helping SRLs with family court cases but may also occasionally provide assistance to SRLs at the Hennepin County Government Center SHC and the Statewide SHC. Each of the three Self-Help Centers is a diverse, professional environment that promotes equity for all court staff and court users. Together, these SHC locations have served over 40,000 customers in person and over 25,000 customers by phone and email annually in recent years. This position is currently working both onsite and remotely, which may change based on assignment and/or business need. Interviews may be conducted virtually via Zoom and/or in person.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch offers a comprehensive benefits package. To learn more about benefits, click here.
Example of Duties
- Provide legal information in plain language to SRLs. Tasks include assessing for and reviewing court forms and explaining court procedures.
- Assess SRLs need for legal advice and representation. If legal advice and representation is needed, provide applicable referrals.
- Manage contact from SRLs, in a variety of settings including in-person, over the phone, via email, and web-based technologies.
- Provide support, work direction, and coaching to SHC Specialists to ensure resources and training are available for SHC Specialists to effectively provide timely and accurate customer service.
- Assist with complex and/or difficult customer service matters.
- Identify the need for resources to address the current issues facing SRLs and promote access to the court. Assist with reviewing, creating, and revising these resources.
- Act as a resource to other court personnel, the bench, and stakeholders who assist SRLs to improve services.
Typical Qualifications
Minimum Education and Experience
- Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university in social services, law, criminal justice, court administration, or related field, and two (2) years of related experience, OR an equivalent amount of education and relevant experience totaling six years or more.
- Experience providing exceptional customer service.
- As this position will be working partially remotely, access to reliable, high-speed internet capable of successful remote access to the Judicial Branch network.
- Ability to apply knowledge of specific laws, statutes, and rules to individual cases without providing legal advice to the SRL.
- Ability to listen to a wide range of legal matters in order to apply knowledge of court practices and processes.
- Ability to simplify legal concepts and terminology to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, with SRLs.
- Ability to read and interpret legal documents of varying types and complexity.
- Ability to create forms, instructions, and educational materials on legal topics for non-lawyers.
- Ability to provide work direction and training to staff.
- Ability to assist SRLs in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment.
- Ability to exercise independent judgment and decision-making.
- Knowledge of issues facing people experiencing trauma, housing instability, violence and poverty.
- Commitment to working in an inclusive, multicultural environment that values diversity and relationships.
- Law degree from an accredited law school, or a master's degree in a related field.
- Current admission to the Bar of the State of Minnesota, in good standing.
- Experience working for the Minnesota Judicial Branch.
- Experience supervising or providing work direction to others.
- Fluency in a language other than English, such as Spanish, Somali, Hmong, Oromo, Amharic or American Sign Language.
- Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds.
- Experience creating or reviewing educational materials on legal topics.
Supplemental Information
The Minnesota Judicial Branch (MJB) is committed to providing fair and equal access to justice. If you share this same commitment, desire a meaningful career serving the public, and want the opportunity to make a difference for your community, consider a career with us. We celebrate and are committed to the principles of diversity and inclusion, and actively seek and encourage applications from persons with diverse backgrounds and characteristics. Minnesota Judicial Branch employees consistently express pride in their public service and in the quality of programs and services provided to customers, as well as appreciation for the teamwork and collaboration that is promoted within the MJB. To learn more about working for the Minnesota Judicial Branch, watch this video.
The expected starting salary range for external candidates is $34.67 - $44.18 per hour ($72,390.96 - $92,247.84 annually). The full salary range for this position is $34.67 - $53.69 per hour ($72,390.96 - $112,104.72 annually). The position is exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for State of Minnesota employee benefits.
Instructions to Apply:
Please apply for this position online. Resume and cover letter are encouraged as additional material.
All employment offers are contingent upon satisfactory results of a criminal background check. An employment offer may be rescinded if the background check identifies job related convictions. Please contact the Hennepin County District Court Human Resources Department with questions regarding this posting via email at 4th.Human.Resources@courts.state.mn.us or phone at 612-348-2298.
It is the policy of the Minnesota Judicial Branch that all decisions regarding employment are made without discrimination on the basis of disability. Please let us know if you need a reasonable accommodation for a disability to participate in the employee selection process by contacting Human Resources at 4th.Human.Resources@courts.state.mn.us.
The Minnesota Judicial Branch is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is the policy of the Minnesota Judicial Branch that all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotions, and other terms and conditions of employment be made without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, disability, sexual orientation, or age. We value and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds.
