Self Help Center Eviction Prevention Coordinator-Part Time

GRANT FUNDED: Classification- Limited employment, appointment to and continued services in this position is subject to the cessation of grant funding.

Current grant period ends December 31, 2025.

JOB PURPOSE AND OVERVIEW The Franklin County Municipal Court is the largest and busiest municipal court in the state.

The Court has fourteen judges in the General Division and one judge in the Environmental Division.

Judges preside over civil, criminal, and traffic cases and conduct both jury and non-jury trials.

The Court's jurisdiction includes traffic cases, misdemeanor criminal cases, and civil cases where the amount at issue is $15,000 or less.

The Environmental Division has exclusive jurisdiction to enforce local codes and regulations affecting real property, such as fire and building codes.

The geographic jurisdiction of the Court is all of Franklin County and those portions of the City of Columbus that extend beyond the boundaries of Franklin County.

Despite its jurisdiction and name, the Franklin County Municipal Court is the judicial branch of the City of Columbus government.

The Franklin County Municipal Court Self Help Center was created in 2015 as a cost-effective solution to Ohio's access to justice problem.

Center staff provide legal information, not legal advice, about civil matters in Municipal Court including the sealing of criminal records, landlord/tenant disputes, small claims and general claims lawsuits, and commercial debt collection.

The Center assists the Court through the three goals in its mission: to improve court filings, increase access to justice, and provide a positive point of contact between the Court and the community.

The Eviction Court Navigator program is an ERA-funded pilot project aimed at proving the efficacy of a permanent Eviction Court Navigator position.

Current funding is available for this position through December 2023.

Under the direction of the Managing Attorney, the Eviction Prevention Coordinator aids individuals who are in the Court building for eviction hearings.

The Navigator will assist both self-represented and represented litigants with accessing appropriate resources, wayfinding, and other basic court information along with other related duties as assigned by the Center's managing attorney and social worker.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES * Provides wayfinding information to assist litigants with checking in to court, finding hired counsel, and other similar questions.

* Provides basic information on resources available to landlords and tenants outside Eviction Court.

* Reduces the harmful impact of eviction by connecting individuals in crisis with the Center's social worker.

* Assists with triage of court users to ensure that all users are aware of and able to access all services available outside Eviction Court.

* Works closely with the Social Worker to ensure that all court users are given the opportunity to access the necessary resources to avoid or lessen the impact of an eviction judgment.

* Assists in the preparation of a variety of correspondence, periodic and special reports, narrative and statistical reports, informational publications, program documentation, policies, procedures and other written materials; and may access varied databases or use information from various sources to prepare such materials.

* Operates a variety of modern office hardware and software.

* Maintains effective working relationships with judicial officers, court staff, and justice partners engaged in the provision of services to Eviction Court users.

* Assists with the creation and implementation of surveys and other program evaluation methods.

* Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications: Education: High School diploma or equivalent.

And Experience: Experience in working with low-income individuals, especially related to landlord/tenant disputes.

Ability to serve as a strong advocate for the court and court programs to the public and to assist the court in providing services to self-represented litigants.

Experience working with judges and court staff and/or customer service experience is preferred.

Knowledge and Abilities: Knowledge of: Ohio judicial branch operations; court policies, procedures, and processes; Ohio Rules of Court; and Franklin County Municipal Court local rules COURT EXPECTATIONS OF EMPLOYEE The court expects the employee will adhere to all court policies, guidelines, practices, and procedures in completing the duties and responsibilities of the position; act as a role model both inside and outside the court; perform duties as workload necessitates in a timely, accurate and thorough manner and be conscientious about meeting department productivity standards; and communicate regularly with supervisor about department issues.

AT-WILL EMPLOYMENT AND EQUAL-OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER Employees of the court are at-will employees and serve at the pleasure of the court; they are not in the classified civil-service system and are not members of bargaining units.

The court is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on age, gender, religion, race, color, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, disability, military status, or genetic information.