Hennepin County District Court invites qualified applications for a Bilingual (Somali-English) Self-Help Center Specialist position with the Minnesota Judicial Branch's Self-Represented Litigant (SRL) Program. This is a diverse, inclusive, and professional environment that promotes equity for all court staff and court users.

The SRL Program provides legal information and assistance with legal issues to self-represented litigants (SRLs) in a fast-paced, customer service setting pursuant to Minn. Gen. R. Prac. Rule 110. The goals of the SRL Program include increasing access to justice for individuals who cannot afford to hire or who choose not to hire an attorney to represent them and 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 located in downtown Minneapolis and one statewide, virtual center. Together, the SHCs have served over 75,000 customers annually in person, via phone, and via email. Self-Help Center Specialists work individually and in teams using independent judgment and available resources to assist SRLs by responding to a variety of SRL questions across different case types. This role requires dedication to providing excellent customer service, strong attention to detail, and technological skills to match our high-performance environment. Much of the work for this position will focus on assisting customers who speak Somali, but the position will also assist English speaking SHC customers.

The expected starting salary for external candidates is at least $27.48 per hour and may be higher, depending on qualifications. This position is non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for State of Minnesota employee benefits.

The position is full-time, non-exempt, benefits-earning and classified as Self-Help Center Specialist. The position will work primarily with the walk-in center located at the Hennepin County Government Center but may also provide assistance to SRLs at the Hennepin County Family Justice Center Self-Help Center and Statewide Self-Help Center. This position is currently working both onsite and remote, which may change based on assignments and/or business need. Interviews may be conducted virtually via Zoom or in person.

The Minnesota Judicial Branch offers a comprehensive benefits package. To learn more about benefits, click here.

• Provide legal information in plain language to SRLs and assess their need for legal advice and representation, without providing legal advice, in a variety of settings: in-person, over the phone, and via email and web-based technologies to ensure SRLs’ goals are met and questions are answered.
• Provide information regarding court forms, processes, policies, and procedures; assist SRLs in determining the appropriate forms needed to address individual legal circumstances; assist SRLs in form completion; review court forms prepared by SRLs for completeness, comprehensiveness, and minimum legal standards.
• Develop Self-Help Center instructions, signage, educational materials, and other resources to meet customer needs.

Minimum Education and Experience:

• Associate's degree from an accredited college or university in social services, law, criminal justice, court administration, paralegal studies or a related field, and one (1) year of related experience.
  • OR an equivalent amount of education and relevant experience totaling three (3) years or more.
• Fluency in English and Somali (speaking, reading, and writing).
• Selected candidate will be required to pass an oral Somali-language proficiency exam.
• As this position will be working partially remotely, access to reliable high speed internet connection is required during this time.

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of court procedures and policies, legal documents and terminology, laws, and legal functions pertaining to the court.
• Ability to listen and interpret the nature of a problem and the relevant context in order to apply knowledge of court practices and processes to address individual court customer's issues.
• Ability to simplify legal concepts and terminology to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, with SRLs.
• Ability to prioritize work in a fast-paced, sometimes stressful environment.
• Knowledge of issues facing people experiencing homelessness, violence, and poverty.
• Ability to work in an inclusive, multicultural environment that values diversity and relationships.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or certification as a paralegal through an approved ABA program or through the PACE or CLA/CP certification exam.
• Two years of legal or court experience.
• Experience drafting and/or reviewing civil law pleadings.
• Experience reading and interpreting legal documents of varying types and complexity and apply knowledge of specific laws, statutes, and rules to individual cases without providing legal advice.
• Experience working with people from diverse backgrounds.

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.

Instructions to Apply:
Please complete your application for this position online. A resume and cover letter are encouraged as additional material.

The selection process is a resume-based, skill-matching process. If your skills match the required skills for this position, the department may contact you.

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.