Legal Secretary

Legal Secretary Position

The Legal Secretary position in the City of Tucson's Attorney's office provides legal assistant support to attorneys and paralegals, including on litigation matters. Manages and maintains files and prepares legal documents.

Work is performed under the supervision of a Management Coordinator. This position does not supervise.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Creates templates for ordinances and resolutions for Mayor and Council items, creates and drafts pleadings (i.e., motions, summons, complaints, answers, notices, proof of claims) and pleading shells for different legal matters, creates documents for record requests, memorandums, communications using appropriate letterheads. Drafts communications and memorandums for Mayor and Council. Prepares additional legal documents for attorney review as needed. Redacts and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) documents. Reviews pleadings for formatting, consistency, and grammatical errors. Files the document electronically with the proper court and sends hard copies to the judge if required. Pulls down the conformed copies and files them in the case management software.
• Opens new matters in the case management software. Monitors the docket and pulls down all filings. Notifies appropriate parties of the new matter and collects all related documentation from city departments. Organizes the records received and scans them into the case management software. Assists with disclosure statements, including redaction and bates stamping. Conducts case investigations such as property records, social media of plaintiffs and witness information. Prepares and schedules service of subpoenas. Adheres to naming conventions when entering information into the case management software. Closes the matter and adheres to records retention rules.
• Date stamps, opens and routes incoming mail whether interoffice or regular mail. Responds to incoming calls from the public, city departments and the legal community, assists departments with documents needed for monthly Mayor and Council meetings and legal matters. Coordinates and schedules meetings (virtual or in person). Maintains attorney calendars.
• Prepares trial exhibits by printing, organizing and assembling binders for attorneys, witnesses, court and jurors. Takes notes, assists with witnesses and runs errands. Pulls deposition citations for witness notebooks.
• Research previous agenda items using City website and other software tools used in the office. Performs research using Westlaw and PACER websites for different topics as assigned. Searches other jurisdictions for different ordinances/resolutions on given topics. Compares code amendments with documents submitted by departments for approval and identifies potential errors or issues for the supervising attorney. Research rules of procedure for civil document filings.
• Performs other duties and tasks assigned.

Working Conditions

Mostly office environment.

All duties and responsibilities listed are subject to change.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: 6 months post high school Experience: Two (2) years of relevant experience License/Certifications: A valid and unrestricted driver's license with two (2) years of licensed driving is required. Any combination of relevant education and experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis. Preferred Qualifications: Two years of administrative support experience. Experience working in a related environment, such as a court or law office, including the handling of confidential information. Experience in litigation