Juvenile Court Hearing Officer - Juvenile Branch, Family Court

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 First Judicial District of Pennsylvania (“FJD”) is the Philadelphia County Court System and is composed of two courts:  the Court of Common Pleas and the Municipal Court. The mission of the FJD is to adjudicate cases and provide services to the community within our jurisdiction while ensuring fair, timely, and accessible justice to the people of Philadelphia. The FJD is part of the Unified Judicial System reporting into the Pennsylvania Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

Working hours are 40 hours per week.  This is a full-time, in person position with the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Position Summary

This is highly professional legal work serving in the capacity of a Juvenile Court Hearing Officer with the Juvenile Branch of Family Court.  The candidate selected will be assigned to hear Delinquency and/or Dependency and/or Truancy matters (offsite), as determined by the operational needs of the court on an ongoing basis.

This work is performed in a quasi-judicial setting and involves conducting delinquency, dependency, and truancy hearings. These hearings are held in accordance with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Rules of Civil Procedure, the Juvenile Act, the Rules of Juvenile Court Procedure for Dependency Matters and the Rules of Juvenile Court for Delinquency Matters.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Essential Functions

The following duties are normal for this position.  These are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive, other duties may be required and assigned:

The following duties are normal for this position. They are not to be construed as exclusive or all-inclusive. Other duties may be assigned and required.

Dependency Court

• Conduct shelter care hearings to determine whether “to allow the child to remain in the home would be contrary to the welfare of the child;” whether “reasonable efforts were made to prevent or eliminate the need for removal of the child from the home” or not required “due to the emergency nature of the situation, safety considerations, and circumstances of the family.”
• Conducts  permanency hearings to determine or review the permanency plan of a child, to determine the date by which the goal of permanency for the child might be achieved, and to determine whether placement continues to be best suited to the safety, protection and physical, mental and moral welfare of the child. 
• Hold case management conferences for cases involving contested goal change/termination of parental rights and contested permanent legal custody.
• Issue case management orders setting forth deadlines relating to management of the case prior to the contested hearing.
• Conduct mandatory pre-trial conferences to determine compliance with the case management order and to establish the readiness of the case to proceed as scheduled.
• Conduct Truancy hearings at offsite Regional Court locations pursuant to the Education, Health, and Welfare section of the Juvenile Dependency Rules and other applicable law.

Delinquency Court

• Conduct detention hearings  

• Conduct review hearings of juveniles placed on  Recorded Consent Decrees (RCD), deferred adjudication and adjudicated delinquent to determine whether the youth’s community based programming and services or placement  continues to be consistent with the protection of the public interest and is best suited to the child’s treatment, supervision, rehabilitation, safety, protection and welfare.
•  Evaluate whether placement is necessary to provide balanced attention to the protection of the community, the imposition of accountability for offenses committed and the development of competencies to enable the child to become a responsible and productive member of the community.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

Standard office conditions.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Thorough knowledge of the Pennsylvania Juvenile Rules of Civil Procedure governing actions for Delinquency and Dependency.
• Thorough knowledge of statutory and case law relating to Delinquent and Dependent cases.
• Thorough knowledge of the proper conduct of hearings held in accordance with Pennsylvania laws.
• Thorough knowledge of the preparation of legal documents and court orders.
• Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in applying law to factual situations and support recommendations made by appropriate legal authority.
• Ability to fairly and objectively rule on a multitude of cases that involve highly emotional issues.
• Ability to present ideas effectively, both orally and in writing.

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

1. Member in good standing of the Bar of the Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

AND

2. Five (5) years of experience with an active law practice; practice including the field of delinquency and/or dependency law desirable; OR Experience as a Judicial Law Clerk to a Family Court Judge or as a Court appointed litigator for five (5) years.

AND

3. Compliance with all Qualifications of Juvenile Court Hearing Officer set forth in Pa.R.J.C.P. 182 AND Pa.R.J.C.P. 1182 prior to undertaking duties, and ongoing compliance with said requirements throughout the course of employment.

OR

4. Equivalent combination of training and experience which provide the characteristics required to perform the essential functions of the class including being a member in good standing of the bar.

5. After meeting minimum application standards by a panel review, must complete an evaluation and interview process.

6. Ability to perform essential functions of the position.

7. Successful completion of a criminal background investigation.

8. Must work in person (not remote).

In order to apply and be considered for this position, please visit https://fjdcareers.phila.gov/Cyberweb/ to complete an application and upload a resume.

Salary Range: $87,639

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 8 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!

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 [email protected].

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