Legal Assistant

Salary Range: $27.57/hr. - $34.46/hr.
This is a non-exempt position. Pay rates are based on education, skill, experience level and internal equity.

Follow Your Calling, Find Your Career The success of Mecklenburg County rests on strong, competent talent at all levels of the organization. The Office of the County Attorney strives to provide superior legal services, advice and counsel, advocacy and representation to the Board of County Commissioners, elected officials, County department directors and employees of Mecklenburg County while maintaining the highest professional and ethical standards of conduct. If you enjoy working with the public and are looking for a career where your work is important to the community, come be a part of Mecklenburg County Government and help us provide a community of pride and choice for people to live, learn, work, and recreate.

POSITION SUMMARY
Provides legal assistance to Child Support Enforcement (CSE), Youth and Family Services (YFS), or Services for Adults (SFA) attorneys. Perform secretarial or administrative duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents within assigned area. This position, under general supervision, prepares legal papers and correspondence as necessary and, for CSE, accompanies attorneys to court. Assistant will interface with CSE, YFS, or SFA staff, depending on the area assigned, and court staff to assist child support enforcement or youth and family or adult services attorneys by drafting pleadings, checking service, preparing discovery, conducting research, checking court records, preparing, completing, and filing court orders as required, communicating with private attorneys and other routine office duties as directed on a daily basis.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
• Perform general office duties associated with assigned area such as receiving and placing telephone calls; schedule and make appointments; and draft office memos
• Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials; make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed material
• Prepare and distribute invoices to bill clients or pay account expenses
• Prepare, process and file legal documents and papers, such as summonses, subpoenas, court orders, complaints, appeals, motions, and pretrial agreements
• Assist attorneys in collecting any necessary information such as employment, medical, or other records
• Complete various forms, such as reports, trial and courtroom requests, court orders and applications for clients
• Attend legal meetings, such as client interviews, hearings, or depositions, and take notes
• Review legal publications and perform database searches to identify laws and court decisions relevant to pending cases
• Submit articles and information from searches to attorneys for review and approval for use
• Organize and maintain law libraries, documents, and case files
• Performs other related duties as assigned

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Experience: Minimum of two years of directly related experience
Education: High School diploma or equivalent
Combination of relevant education and relevant experience accepted: N/A

Licenses and Certifications
May require a valid North Carolina or South Carolina Driver's License


KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES
Knowledge of
• Legal document formats such as contracts, complaints, summonses, briefs, and motions
• Administrative and clerical procedures and systems, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology
• The structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar
• Laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules and process
• Principles and processes for providing customer and personal services

Skills
• Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience
• Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents
• Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times
• Talking to others to convey information effectively
• Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems
• Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions
• Managing one's own time and the time of others
• Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do

Abilities
• Adaptability: Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work responsibilities or environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures
• Building Trust: Interacting with others in a way that instills confidence in one's intentions and those of the organization
• Collaboration: Working effectively and cooperatively with others; establishing and maintaining good working relationships with internal and external customers, co-workers, etc.
• Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the information provided
• Customer Focus: Effectively meeting customer needs; building productive customer relationships; taking responsibility for customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Initiating Action: Taking prompt action to accomplish objectives; take action to achieve goals beyond what is required; being proactive
• Planning and Organizing: Establishing courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently
• Stress tolerance: Maintaining stable performance under pressure or opposition; handling stress in a manner that is appropriate and acceptable to others and to the organization

COMPUTER SKILLS
Proficient in various computer applications including Microsoft Office Suite

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS STATEMENT
To accomplish this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform, with or without reasonable accommodation, each essential function satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to help enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


DISCLAIMER STATEMENT
This is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of job-related responsibilities, duties, skills, requirements or working conditions. Other duties may be assigned based on business need and the supervisor's request. Mecklenburg County reserves the right to revise the job description at any time. Designated positions may be required to assist in emergency and/or disaster situations.