Legal Secretary-Conflict Defender Division

Legal Secretary-Conflict Defender Division

The Legal Secretary is instrumental in ensuring the effective operations of Public Defender offices by performing a variety of high level administrative and legal office support activities. This position's responsibilities are to ensure the smooth and effective operations of the office which include but are not limited to data input and maintaining files, scheduling appointments, providing correspondence, assisting clients and office staff with information requests, and that all court requirements are met throughout the designated location. The Legal Secretary provides exceptional customer services to all clients, courts and internal customers in support of Public Defender Offices and reports to the Administrative Support Manager.

Essential Functions (Major Duties or Responsibilities):

• Manages and provides information regarding requests from clients, courts and office staff.
• Arranges meetings, conferences and schedules appointments for clients, staff and management; Coordinates office functions with other state and local government offices.
• Creates, reviews and maintains court calendars and provides complete and factual court calendars to appropriate parties and makes sure attorneys are notified.
• Receives and screens office visitors and telephone calls.
• Formats, drafts, prepares a wide variety of time sensitive and official legal documents such as legal pleadings, affidavits, warrants, motions and orders, summonses, subpoenas, correspondence, briefs, complaints, appeals, and pretrial agreements, stipulations, finding of facts, judgments, dismissals, and related documents in criminal cases and other public defender cases in accordance with instructions established in policies and procedures.
• Reads and analyzes incoming correspondence, faxes, e-mail, memos, submissions, and reports to determine their significance and plan their distribution.
• Reviews and distributes mail includes mailing, fax, or arranging delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses, and court officials.
• Prepares open cases and submits referrals to the conflict Defender Office.
• Establish and maintain case files and ensures that such files are complete, up to date and in proper format and order, for criminal, dependent neglect, mental, and juvenile cases; retrieves legal documents, records, and reports.
• Inputs data into Case Management System concerning all clients, case information, closes cases and runs reports from the OPD Case Management System.
• Scans or copies correspondence, documents, evidence, and other printed material and enters into Case Management System.
• Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements and other routine documents and inquiries.
• Maintains filing system and records for criminal, dependent neglect, mental, and juvenile cases, opens files, closes files and files documents.
• Assists attorneys in collecting information such as employment, medical, and other records.
• Provides various administrative Services to management staff and clients such as order placement or case information.
• Proofread documents, records, or other files to ensure accuracy.

Physical and Environmental Demands: Typical office environment, utilizing a computer, telephone system and other office equipment. Minimal travel may be required approximately 5% of the time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (Behaviors): Required for the first day of work:

• Knowledge of office administrative processes and procedures.
• Knowledge of bookkeeping and recordkeeping.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.
• Professional customer service skills.
• Ability to operate personal computer and general office equipment as necessary to complete essential functions, including using spreadsheets, word processing, database, email, internet, and other computer programs.
• Ability to develop and maintain cooperative working relationships.
• Ability to follow written and verbal instructions.
• Ability to plan, organize, and gather information.
• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to maintain confidential information.
• Ability to accurately track numerous details simultaneously.
• Ability to perform tasks with accuracy while under pressure of strict deadlines.

Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience): High school diploma or equivalent. One year of directly related office experience of performing a variety of office support or clerical work. Other combinations of directly related education and experience may be considered on a case-by-case basis.