AG 2007 01 22 - Laserfiche WebLink

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needs of the office; writing and verbal skills; and ability to handle pressure. Advertising the position widely will help draw in a wider group of candidates. The hiring committee should set clear criteria for screening candidates before interviews and should then conduct thorough interviews and post-interview discussions to choose the candidate with the best skills and strongest commitment. Reference checks should be done before making an offer.19 Commentary: Hiring high quality attorneys is essential to raising the level of representation and the level of services the agency receives. The agency attorney job is difficult. There are many tasks to complete in a short time. Since the agency attorneys often move the rest of the system, strong, committed attorneys can drastically improve the system. 8. Develop and implement an attorney evaluation process Action: The agency attorney manager should develop an evaluation system that focuses on consistency, constructive criticism, and improvement. Some factors to evaluate include: moving cases to permanency in a timely manner; preparation and trial skills; ability to work with agency and other professionals; and ability to work as a team player. During the evaluation process, the agency attorney manager should consider observing the attorney in court, reviewing the attorney's files, talking with colleagues and agency representatives about the attorney's performance, having the attorney fill out a self evaluation, and meeting in person with the attorney. The evaluation should be based on information, which the agency attorney manager will need to collect.20 Commentary: A solid attorney evaluation process helps attorneys know what they should be working on, what management believes are priorities, what they are doing well and where they need improvement. If a positive process is created, the attorneys will feel supported in their positions and empowered to improve. 9. Advocate for competitive salaries for staff attorneys Action: Agency attorney managers should advocate for salaries for the agency attorneys that are competitive with other government attorneys in the jurisdiction. To recruit and retain experienced attorneys, salaries must compare favorably with similarly situated attorneys. Commentary: While resources are scarce, agency attorneys deserve to be paid a competitive wage. They will not be able to stay in their position nor be motivated to work harder without a reasonable salary. High attorney turnover may decrease when attorneys are paid well. 10. Act as advisor, counselor, and trainer for the agencyZ' 23 c:°