Legal Assistant

Job Title

Legal Clerk

Job Description

Positions assigned to this class perform a variety of entry-level legal clerical and administrative assistance to the City Attorney, Assistant City Attorney, and office staff. Work may involve data entry of a complex and technical nature.

Essential Duties

The following are intended to describe core work functions of this classification. While the level and broad nature of essential duties may not change, specific work tasks may vary over time depending on the city's needs.

• Answer phones, assist the public with legal inquiries and information requests; resolve citizen concerns and complaints and answer non-legal questions; respond to letters and general correspondence of a routine nature.
• Open and calendar mail which includes date stamping, forwarding to appropriate individuals; maintain appointment schedules and calendars for the City Attorney and/or Assistant City Attorney.
• Maintain civil and criminal database; create civil and criminal reports.
• Type and assemble a variety of materials, prepare and edit for attorney signature memos, general correspondence, contracts, agreements and other documents from written attorney notes.
• Proofread documents for accuracy and completeness; contact City departments to keep them informed of the status of files, cases and scheduled hearing dates.
• Maintain file system for legal projects; file and index office records, file legal documents; maintain a filing system and file retention and destruction system for civil and criminal files, including periodic review of files for retention or disposition.
• Track grants and generate quarterly and monthly reports.
• May provide assistance to the victim advocate function.
• Support the City's policies, goals and objectives and work with management and other staff to ethically achieve such goals and objectives; ensure compliance with safety procedures.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience Graduation from a college or university accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education or Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) with an associate's degree and one (1) year paid fulltime clerical experience in an office environment; or six (6) months paid full time legal clerical experience in a law enforcement records unit, judiciary setting, or law office, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge City and Department procedures, policies and guidelines; City Code; Arizona Revised Statutes; Code of Ethics; criminal database administration procedures; Arizona State Legislature. Proper procedure for handling confidential documents and record keeping. Legal software systems and databases. Victim rights, advocacy and grant fund qualifications and protocols. Skills Assessing and prioritizing multiple tasks and demands to meet deadlines; presenting a professional demeanor while working in stressful situations. Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with contractors, coworkers and other individuals in contact during the course of work; communicating clearly and concisely. Operating a personal computer utilizing standard software such as Microsoft Office and specialized software; functioning standard office equipment. Communicating with the use of proper grammar and telephone etiquette.

Pre-employment Requirements Candidates who are selected for appointment may be fingerprinted, if 18 or older; successfully complete a background investigation, employment verification and may be subject to a drug/alcohol test, medical, polygraph and/or psychological evaluation. Candidates who are appointed will be required to possess a valid driver's license to operate a vehicle in Arizona, or meet the transportation needs of the position. Physical Demands and Work Environment Work is performed in a standard office environment. May require frequent sitting and continuous operation of a personal computer. May be required to perform a full range of motion with lifting and/or carrying items weighing up to 25 pounds.