Job Information
CITY OF ST GEORGE Legal Assistant in ST GEORGE, Utah
Legal Assistant 24-2-29
Department: Legal Salary Range: 43 ($42,708/year)
Reports to: Legal Assistant/Office Supervisor Supervises: None
* *
Salary and Benefits
Legal Assistant Salary: $42,708/year
Individuals hired in this position have the opportunity to progress up to $64,062/year, which is the maximum salary for this position as of December 2023.
Benefits: Full City Benefits Package. The City of St. George covers 100% of the premiums for the High Deductible health plan for full-time employees and their qualified dependents. New hires also receive 2 weeks of vacation time during their first year of employment, one of which is available to the employee the first day of employment. To find out more about our benefits package, please visit our website at careers.sgcity.org.
* *
Position Summary
Assists City of St. George legal services with a variety of legal and administrative functions: including, data entry, preparation of legal documents, scheduling hearings and meetings, assisting public, answering telephone and correspondence, assisting civil and criminal attorneys, and the Claims Adjuster and Risk Specialist.
Essential Functions (Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. The list of tasks is illustrative only and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions in this class).
1. Procures and reviews complaints, citations, booking sheets, police reports, and driving and criminal histories of defendants in preparation for prosecution; analyzes facts and the law; and drafts and prepares legal documents for attorney's signature for filing with the appropriate court.
2. Answers telephone for legal department, screens calls, and helps caller or directs caller to proper area. Assists customers in the legal reception area, answering questions, taking documentation, coordinating appointments and meetings, directs customer to proper area.
3. Performs legal research and discovery for opinions, court records and government records research and redactions under the direction of various City attorneys and outside counsel using both computer and manual resources.
4. Maintains master litigation schedule and document control system. Reviews and updates cases to determine on-going informational needs, case critical deadlines, and the tracking, tracing, and control of case documents. Assists in keeping cases on track.
5. Assists in the strategy for document production. Transcribes, types, and drafts formal routine legal documents under the direction of various City attorneys, including petitions, motions and supporting memoranda, stipulations, subpoenas and notices to appear, pre and post-trial statements, and discovery documents.
6. Prepares and processes complex correspondence, legal papers, and documents requiring knowledge of legal format, terminology, and procedures. Prepares legal stipulations, orders, answers to complaints, notices, declarations, resolutions, ordinances, legal opinions, contracts, briefs, leases, and agreements. Responds to discovery requests.
7. Maintains calendar of department activities, meetings, and various events and coordinates activities with other City departments, the public, and outside agencies.
8. Assists criminal prosecution with preparation and processing of criminal caseload, including but not limited to: traffic school plea in abeyances; code enforcement; new case entry and tracking of complaints, citations, and arrests; subpoenas; discovery requests; and calendaring and disp sition of cases.
9. Assists in a variety of department operations by performing duties related to special projects, assignments, as well as research and compilation of documentation.
10. Assist Claims Adjuster and Risk Specialist with subrogation claims, transcribing body cam footage, reviewing arrest reports, arranging, and calendaring employee training events, and other duties as needed.
11. Performs other related duties as required.
* *
Typical Physical/Mental Demands/Working Conditions
Typical office environment with comfortable working conditions working with computers and office equipment. Handling of light weights. May include sitting for extended periods of time, standing, and walking. Considerable exposure to stressful situations as a result of human behavior, a large workload and continually recurring deadlines. Contact with defendants, witnesses, victims, police officers, attorneys, and the public, in person and over the telephone. Required, within strict time frames, to organize and retain familiarity with numerous cases of varying complexity and circumstances.
Qualifications
Education: High school diploma or equivalent.
Experience: Minimum of two (2) years full-time paid related legal office or administrative secretarial experience preferred, but not required. Legal experience in a City Attorney's office desirable. Paralegal training desirable.
* *
Licenses and/or Certifications:
· Must possess a valid Utah driver license.
· Must meet BCI operator requirements for certification within 60 days of hire and be maintained throughout employment. A criminal background check is required for this position.
* *
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Knowledge of:
· English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
· Principles and practices used in legal secretarial work, legal forms, correspondence, and terminology .
· Principles and procedures, rules and regulations related to filing legal documents.
· Principles and processes for providing customer service.
· Modern office procedures, methods, and computer programs and equipment.
Ability to:
· Type at a minimum of 50 wpm (net) tested. (preferred)
· Perform responsible and difficult administrative and legal assistant work using independent judgment and personal initiative.
· Understand the organization and operation of the Legal Department and of outside agencies.
· Interpret and apply administrative and departmental policies and procedures.
· Independently prepare correspondence and memoranda.
· Maintain effective relationship with those contacted in the scope of work.
· Maintain familiarity with and knowledge of court procedures.
· Maintain familiarity with and knowledge of Government Records Access and Management Act ("GRAMA").
· Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
· Maintain schedules and draft legal documents.
* *