DCSS: Department 134 Changes

On March 25, 2025, our 005 meet and confer team met with DCSS management for our fourth session regarding the opening of Department 134. We had several follow-up questions from our previous meetings, and here are the key takeaways:

Key Points Discussed:

• Hearings Together and Updated Procedures

  We raised concerns about the complexity of the Court’s proposed process for scheduling hearings. The goal is to simplify this by inserting specific wording into motions to help expedite the calendaring process. This should make things move faster without the need for the overly complicated process the Court suggested.

• Supervisor Position Cut for More Legal Secretary Positions

  As part of efforts to address staffing shortages, DCSS will be reallocating resources by cutting a supervisor position. This will allow for the creation of more Legal Secretary (LS) positions and the addition of Office Specialists (OS). The new positions should be filled by the end of April, and this will help with the increasing workload.

• Court’s Proposal to Schedule Hearings 5 Weeks Out

  The Court has implemented a trial run of scheduling hearings only five weeks out, beginning in mid-March. This trial period aims to assess the effectiveness of the 5-week scheduling window and could potentially help with serve-by issues. Additionally, the Court is making changes to the route slips for out-of-country services, which we hope will lead to more streamlined processes.

  
  

Progress and Advocacy:

As a result of our continued meetings and advocacy efforts, DCSS has been more proactive in addressing our concerns and working to mitigate the impact of these changes on our members. The Assistant Director has been attending meetings with Court Legal to hear directly from impacted employees and is collaborating with the union to update policies and procedures in an effort to smooth out the workflow.

Ongoing Challenges:

While we’ve made progress, there are still challenges. For example, DCSS didn’t receive the Court’s budget until late in the year, which created a difficult situation for planning and staffing. We’re continuing to work through these issues and will follow up with additional updates as we meet.

Thanks to Our Advocates:

We’d like to take a moment to thank the advocates who have been instrumental in pushing for these changes and advocating for our members: Esperanza Gilbert, Gabby Ortiz, John Wise, Michelle Crews, Karen Montgomery, Sylvia Garcia, and Zack Kollross. Your efforts are making a difference!

TOGETHER WE ARE STRONG!