Legal Secretary Job at City of Reno in Reno

Legal Secretary Print Subscribe Class Title Legal Secretary Class Code 1557 Salary $65,998.40 - $88,441.60 Annually Definition Benefits Classification Description Summary Under general supervision, performs a variety of legal secretarial and clerical duties in support of an assigned division within the City Attorney's Office; types and proofreads various documents and verifies data for accuracy; and researches information relevant to cases or projects assigned. DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS This is the entry/journey level class in the Legal Secretary series. This class is distinguished from the Senior Legal Secretary by the performance of the more routine tasks and duties assigned to positions within the series including a range of assignments within the Criminal Division or the more routine assignments within the Civil Division. Since this class is often used as a training class, employees may have only limited or no directly legal secretarial related work experience. Incumbents in this class are expected to learn and perform a variety of technical and/or specialized legal office support duties. Essential Functions The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. Perform a wide variety of legal secretarial and clerical duties in support of legal staff. Calendar appointments, meetings, and deadlines using various types of standard and legal applications. Index and file legal documents, correspondence, and reports; compile and assemble various legal materials from files and other sources for use by legal staff. Operate a variety of office equipment including transcription machines, copiers, facsimile machine, scanners, computers, and printers. Providing information and assistance to the public; screen telephone calls and requests for information; route calls and requests to appropriate staff member, department, or agency. Maintain a variety of statistics for assigned area. Coordinate the serving and filing of documents including through the use of messenger services. Prepare travel arrangements for assigned staff. Process incoming and outgoing mail. As assigned, assist with a variety of special events and projects in support of assigned operations. Perform related duties as required. Civil Division: Prepare and process a variety of correspondence and legal documents including complaints, notices, resolutions, motions, ordinances, summonses, contracts, briefs, judgments, real estate transaction documents (including deeds, easements, leases, and purchase and sale agreements), other agreements, and collections and bankruptcy documents; may take and transcribe correspondence. Perform a wide variety of legal secretarial and clerical duties in support of assigned Civil Division Deputy City Attorney's cases including those concerned with City staff, City policies, fraudulent activities, non-labor contractual negotiations, ethics laws, open meeting laws, and proposed legislation. Perform legal and factual research as required including that pertaining to litigation, human resources, labor relations, and labor negotiations issues and topics; locate and obtain information from courts and administrative office locally and nationwide; determine applicability and prepare summary of results. Gather, organize, and maintain confidential litigation and arbitration documents and evidence including compiling the official record for the court; prepare and maintain assignment logs, calendars, and open and closed files; record follow-up dates and deadlines; schedule meetings, hearings, arbitrations, and depositions. Draft a variety of legal documents under the supervision of an attorney; prepare litigation discovery responses and requests; prepare initial pleadings for attorney review. Assist attorney in trial preparation including summarizing depositions, locating and interviewing witnesses and other parties involved in the case, preparing exhibits, maintaining logs, and preparing documentation to comply with the rules of various courts; attend and assist attorney at trial. Prepare a variety of early case conference, employment, and litigation arbitration and administrative hearing documents, ordinances, resolutions, and transactional documents. Coordinate with Mayor's Office, City Council Offices, City Manager's Office, City Clerk's Office, and department management and staff to locate, gather, and compile case documents and evidence. Assist attorneys with a variety of assignments; compile information or documents for City Council Agenda. Criminal Division: Assist prosecutors in preparing misdemeanor cases for trial. Order prior convictions, evidence, booking, accident or battery photos, TPO/EPO violations, and certified copies of breathalyzer tests, intoxilizer printouts, and toxicology and phlebotomy reports. Perform inquiry and dissemination of NCIC criminal history. Performs meticulous data entry tasks for Municipal Court trials and warrants; maintain computer files. Provide discovery for private attorney, legal defender, or defendant; mail Notice of Availability of Discovery to the defendant or attorney; copy evidence CDs as required. Notify police officers, witnesses, and victims of trial dates; assist witnesses and victims with any questions or concerns regarding their case. Prepare weekly dockets for attorneys; maintain criminal court calendar. Calendar and track appeals; prepare motions to dismiss; order and request for submission; maintain status list. Request interpreter services and translation of statements for specific cases. Maintain log of Petitions to Seal; run criminal history and contact Court for disposition of case. Prepare training materials and calendar training for the Criminal Division. As assigned, assist in grant preparation and administration. Minimum Qualifications The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties. Knowledge of: Legal terminology, procedures, forms, and documents. Procedures and practices involved in composing, processing, and filing a variety of legal documents. Standard legal references and their contents. Basic operations and procedures of the court system. English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Principles of business letter writing and basic report preparation. Principles and procedures of record keeping and reporting. Pertinent federal, state, and local codes, laws, and regulations. Principles and practices used to establish and maintain files and information retrieval systems. Office procedures, methods, and equipment including computers and applicable software applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, and databases. Ability to: Perform responsible legal secretarial work involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative. Understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities. Independently prepare routine legal documents, correspondence, and memoranda. Understand information available in legal databases in order to determine its applicability to case being researched. Operate office equipment including computers and supporting word processing, spreadsheet, and database applications. Calendar meetings and deadlines using various types of standard and legal computer applications. Type or enter data at a speed necessary for successful job performance. Take and transcribe dictation, if required by the position, at a speed necessary for successful job performance. Maintain accurate and complete legal files and cases. Respond to requests and inquiries from the general public. Plan and organize work to meet changing priorities and deadlines. Work in a team based environment to achieve common goals. Coordinate multiple projects and complex tasks simultaneously. Meet the physical requirements to safely and effectively perform the assigned duties. Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing. Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work. Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Education/Training: Equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade supplemented by specialized legal secretarial training. Experience: Two years of increasingly responsible secretarial support experience. License or Certificate: Possession of, or ability to obtain, Notary Public Certification may be required for some positions. When assigned to the Criminal Division, possession of, or ability to obtain within six months of hire, NCIC Certification. Supplemental Information PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT The conditions herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions. Environment: Work is performed primarily in a standard office setting. Physical:Primary functions require sufficient physical ability and mobility to work in an office setting; to stand or sit for prolonged periods of time; to occasionally stoop, bend, kneel, crouch, reach, and twist; to lift, carry, push, and/or pull light to moderate amounts of weight; to operate office equipment requiring repetitive hand movement and fine coordination including use of a computer keyboard; and to verbally communicate to exchange information. Other Requirements Confidential C21 Last Update: 1/4/2019 JD 11/2018 Please use this Health and Welfare Benefit Link (http://www.reno.gov/government/departments/human-resources/benefits) to learn more about the City of Reno's great employee benefit plans and wellness programs. Subscribe Please verify your email address Verify Email