Job Description

Requisition No: 862232 

Agency: State Courts System

Working Title: SUPERVISING TRIAL COURT STAFF ATTORNEY - 22010842

 Pay Plan: State Courts System

Position Number: 22010842 

Salary: $83,857.78 Annually* 

Posting Closing Date: 12/10/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator 

Position Number

2201842

Position Title

Supervising Trial Court Staff Attorney

Job Location

20th Judicial Circuit Court; Lee County, FL

Salary Range

$83,857.78 Annually*

Job Description

The essential function of the position within the organization is to conduct and coordinate legal research activities at the trial court level. This is a highly responsible position that assists trial court judges on a variety of case issues, including: criminal and civil pretrial and trial motions; criminal postconviction relief motions filed pursuant to rules 3.800, 3.801, and 3.850; capital cases in which the State is seeking the death penalty, including pretrial, trial and postconviction relief motions filed pursuant to rule 3.851; inmate petitions and motions; administrative appeals; petitions for extraordinary relief; civil traffic appeals; miscellaneous pleadings and matters. The assigned work involves considerable research, interpretation, and judgment in the analysis of legal issues in the areas of criminal, civil, appellate, and/or administrative law, as well as drafting proposed orders and recommendations. This position supervises the Staff Attorneys throughout all five counties of the Twentieth Judicial Circuit, and coordinates work assignments, trains new Staff Attorneys and Interns/Externs, and evaluates performance of assigned employees. This position works under the direct supervision of General Counsel.

The primary responsibilities include the following: (1) Judicial Support; (2) Supervision of Trial Court Staff Attorneys and Support Staff; (3) Appellate Process; (4) Supervision of Law School Interns/Externs; (5) Other Duties as Assigned.

Examples of Duties

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.

The following duties are normal for this position. The omission of specific statements of the duties does not exclude them from the classification if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment for this classification.

(1)Judicial Support

• Assists and responds to circuit and county judge inquiries and requests for trial court assistance.
• Conducts research of substantive and procedural legal matters.
• Drafts proposed orders addressing criminal postconviction motions filed pursuant to rules 3.800, 3.801, 3.850; or other pretrial, trial or post-trial motions or matters.
• Drafts proposed orders in capital cases in which the State seeks the death penalty, including pretrial orders, sentencing orders and orders addressing capital postconviction motions filed pursuant to rule 3.851. Monitors all capital cases in which the State seeks the death penalty, at the pretrial, trial, and postconviction stages, and prepares mandatory quarterly reports for each pending capital postconviction proceeding. 
• Drafts proposed orders addressing inmate petitions, petitions for extraordinary relief, and administrative appeals.
• Addresses miscellaneous requests for assistance from criminal, civil, and family law judges.

(2)Supervision of Trial Court Staff Attorneys and Support Staff 

• Provides supervision of all Staff Attorneys and support staff circuitwide.
• Provides guidance and advice to Staff Attorneys, as needed. Ensures necessary tools and materials are available to Staff Attorneys and support staff.
• Trains new Staff Attorneys, which includes teaching, reviewing proposed orders, and providing feedback, and determines when and to what extent new Staff Attorneys are ready to submit proposed orders to the judiciary without the need to obtain supervisory approval. 
• Conducts coaching and counseling, as may be appropriate.
• Manages the distribution of work assignments and monitors workloads.
• Tracks performance of Staff Attorneys, maintains and regularly reviews reports of office and individual Staff Attorney workloads and productivity, makes necessary adjustments, and reports findings to General Counsel. 
• Monitors and approves time and attendance.
• Conducts performance evaluations and reviews.
• Reviews applications, conducts interviews, and makes hiring recommendations for new Staff Attorneys and support staff. 
• Conducts regular staff meetings.
• Assists General Counsel with departmental budgeting and strategic planning.
• Provides written reports as to caseloads, case types, and assignments, as may be requested.
• Meets regularly with General Counsel and reports any issues or problems involving the office or any individual Staff Attorney or support staff.

(3)Appellate Process

• Assigns and Monitors county traffic court appeals, which are reviewed by a three-judge Circuit Appellate Banc, and ensures that appeals are timely addressed.
• Trains and offers guidance to Staff Attorneys as to the applicable appellate rules and timelines.
• Trains and offers guidance to Staff Attorneys as to the drafting of proposed appellate orders and memoranda making recommendations to the three-judge Circuit Appellate Banc.
• Ensures that three-judge Circuit Appellate Banc is provided with appellate support.

(4)Supervision of Law School Interns/Externs

• Recruits, interviews, and makes recommendations as to which students should be offered an internship/externship.
• Trains and supervises legal interns/externs.
• Monitors work product of interns, provides feedback, and approves all work product before being submitted to the judiciary.
• Completes all required paperwork, including written reviews of interns/externs. 

(5) Other Duties as Assigned

• Addresses any other anticipated or unanticipated requests from the judiciary.
• Addresses any other anticipated or unanticipated special projects assigned by the Chief Judge, the Trial Court Administrator, or General Counsel.

Education and Training Guidelines

• Juris doctorate degree from an accredited law school.
• Five (5) years of experience as an attorney licensed in the State of Florida, preferably as a Staff Attorney or law clerk in an appellate or trial court capacity, and which preferably includes at least two (2) years of managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience. Lead worker experience or applicable education or certifications may count toward managerial, administrative, or supervisory experience to be determined by the employer.
• Additional relevant education or experience may substitute for the recommended experience on a year-for-year basis, to be determined by the employer.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• General supervision of Staff Attorneys and support staff;
• Supervision of intern program and interns/externs.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

• Requires membership in good standing with the Florida Bar
• A valid Class “E” Florida Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record is required

Competencies

Knowledge of: 

• Legal principles, statutory case law, court rules and procedures
• Florida State Courts System
• Legal publications and legal research tools and the ability to use them efficiently
• Code of Judicial Conduct
• Basic employment law
• Supervision, coaching, and counseling techniques and best practices

Ability to:

• Conduct legal research 
• Perform legal writing and drafting
• Edit one’s own work effectively
• Reason logically and analytically
• Grasp, comprehend, and analyze complex legal issues and complicated factual details
• Perform exacting work, attentive to issues in matters before the court
• Digest and communicate ideas and concepts orally and in writing
• Exercise discretion, confidentiality, impartiality, and honesty in handling matters before the court
• Maintain organization and meet deadlines
• Prepare legal reports, orders, and other documents
• Communicate ideas and concepts effectively verbally and in writing
• Effectively manage and supervise professional staff
• Formulate and implement policies to comply with statutory and rule requirements
• Work effectively with the Chief Judge, Court Administrator, General Counsel, and other elected and appointed officials

Special Comments

*This position is eligible for a Competitive Area Differential (CAD) as approved by the Florida State Court System up to $4,601.04 annually.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed in this document are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

How to Apply

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

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