Career Center

The SC Supreme Court Commission on CLE and Specialization is currently seeking a highly qualified attorney to join its collaborative team as the Specialization Coordinator. Under the direct supervision of the Executive Director, the position will involve working in a dynamic office that administers the SC Supreme Court’s Continuing Legal Education and Specialization Programs. The ideal candidate will have experience or familiarity with the operations of the SC Judicial Branch. The Specialization Coordinator manages the daily operation of the Specialization Program to include the SC Supreme Court’s specializations and the approved specializations of Independent Certifying Organizations (ICOs).  The Commission has six (6) permanent staff members, and seasonal temporary staff as needed.

Key Duties

• Review, verify, and process applications and fees from attorneys seeking specialization certification and recertification in the SC Supreme Court’s specialization programs; draft Court Orders and correspondence
•  Track certification timelines to ensure specialists make application for recertification in a timely manner. Issue recertification materials to specialists six (6) months prior to the date their current 5-year certification period expires
• Assist the Specialization Advisory Boards and the Executive Director in the preparation, administration, and grading of specialization examinations. Responsible for coordinating with the chairs and members of the Specialization Advisory Boards for the preparation and finalization of each specialization written examination
• Assist the Executive Director in preparing and distributing written materials for the annual Specialization Advisory Board meetings. Prepares detailed CLE compliance charts for original certification applicants
• Advise and assist certified specialists as to the CLE specialty credit hours needed to establish annual CLE compliance and recertification compliance; assists prospective specialists with the CLE specialty credit requirements for original certification
• Prepare, process, and verify receipt of Annual Statements for specialists. Assess all Annual Statements for adherence to the regulations for legal specialization. Report any irregularities to the Executive Director and conduct follow-up with specialists as appropriate
• Enter, maintain, and update lawyers’ specialization status in the membership computer system; Enter and update data regarding original certification and recertification dates; Enter attendance records for specialists who have obtained specialty CLE credit; Maintain and update the specialists’ annual specialty CLE records to ensure compliance with the five-year recertification CLE requirements
• During the compliance reporting period, provide comprehensive administrative assistance to include processing the annual compliance reports and payments; answering telephone calls; contacting non-compliant Bar members to provide detailed assistance to establish compliance
• Assist the Accreditation Coordinator with evaluating continuing legal education courses for specialty credit
• Assist the Assistant Director, Computer Programmer, and Accreditation Coordinator to generate, test, and review interim and final CLE compliance reports for certified specialists, including those certified by ICOs
• All phases of management of independent certifying organizations: Serve as the primary contact for ICOs; Manage the application process for ICOs seeking approval from the Commission and those seeking renewal of their approval;  Assess ICO applicants’ compliance with applicable regulations and report the evaluation of ICO applications to the Executive Director; Maintain membership directories of the SC attorneys licensed as specialists by ICOs approved by the Commission; Invoice ICOs for authorization and triennial approval fees
• Other duties as assigned

Education & Qualifications

• A law degree and a license in good standing to practice law
• Minimum of 2 (two) years’ experience in a law office or law-related organization

Required skills

• Excellent professional communication skills and strong writing skills
• Strong intellectual ability and interpersonal skills
• Proficient computer skills that include all Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Adobe/Acrobat and SQL
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent organizational skills