SUPERVISORY REGIONAL COUNSEL

Position Overview

The Illinois Department of Children and Family Services is seeking an organized, professional, and results oriented individual to serve as Supervisory Regional Counsel.  Under administrative direction, this position will represent the Department at all hearings on calendars in the juvenile courts of assigned counties, including temporary custody, adjudication, disposition, permanency, status, progress, termination of parental rights, and motion hearings.  Additionally, the position will provide technical advice and counsel to Agency personnel conducting all levels of administrative “fair hearings” and serve as the Department’s representative in the “fair hearing” process, while supervising a subordinate attorney or paralegal.  This position is a great opportunity for anyone who would like to use their skills as an attorney to benefit child welfare services.  DCFS offers a competitive compensation plan, excellent benefits, and a pension program.  The ideal candidate for this position will have excellent legal and organizational skills and strong leadership capabilities.  We invite all qualified applicants to apply to join our innovative team to help make a difference in the lives of children and families.

Essential Functions

• Serves as Supervisory Regional Counsel
• Provides technical advice and counsel to Agency personnel conducting all levels of administrative “fair hearings”
• Serves as full line supervisor
• Serves as legal advisor to the Regional Administrator
• Plans, directs, and conducts technical legal screening and provides case consultation to caseworkers and supervisors to help prepare cases for termination of parental rights (TPR), to determine when cases are trial ready for TPR, and to provide case consideration for case plan writing in all offices throughout the region
• Serves as agency liaison to judiciary, State’s Attorney offices, and various court personnel in each county in the region
• Serves as local agency liaison to the Attorney General’s Office in cases in which the agency is represented by an Assistant Attorney General and represents the Department when the Attorney General’s Office authorizes self-representation by the agency
• Maintains current working knowledge of new legislation, agency rules and policy, and all relevant law
• As legal counsel to the Region, provides recommendations to regional management in the discipline process, arbitration preparation, and grievance preparation concerning regional staff
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires possession of a valid license to practice law in Illinois
• Requires three years of experience in the practice of law

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers experience as an attorney in cases involving child welfare or juvenile law
• Prefers experience as an attorney presenting and arguing legal cases in court and/or administrative hearings
• Prefers experience as an attorney conducting legal analysis
• Prefers substantive legal writing experience as an attorney in the areas of motions, pleadings, briefs, and memoranda
• Prefers professional experience working in collaboration with various internal and external entities
• Prefers thorough knowledge of Illinois statutes and rules that have a substantial impact on Illinois juvenile court proceedings and/or DCFS’s administrative hearings

Conditions of Employment

1. Requires the ability to pass a background check

2. Requires possession of a valid driver’s license and ability to travel

3. The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job description

About the Agency

DCFS is deeply committed to the welfare and protection of children. Our goal is to protect children by strengthening and supporting families. In every effort, from receiving hotline calls to reaching family reunification or foster care and adoption, children and families are our focus. The Office of Legal Services works in a supportive capacity to ensure Departmental adherence to all applicable laws, statutes, regulations, and court orders.