Legal Secretary III

About the Role

This is a highly responsible advanced legal secretarial position requiring proficiency in legal secretarial skills, file management, and general secretarial skills for the preparation and maintenance of litigation files, general correspondence, contracts, and construction agreements. Employees in this class deal with subjects primarily legal in nature and must be familiar with legal terminology. Duties include a wide variety of clerical tasks which require the application of independent judgment and knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

• Performs experienced paraprofessional litigation and advanced legal secretarial support to the County Attorney's Office.
• Schedules and coordinates appointments, meetings, and conferences, communicating with all levels of personnel and the public.
• Reviews incoming mail and sets priorities or diverts to the correct staff person.
• Drafts and types memos, reports, and other documents as required.
• Sets up files, files letters, legal pleadings, and related materials, and assembles information for supervisor's use.
• Receives and screens callers, provides information on office operations, and refers callers to other employees, officials, or departments as warranted.
• Takes and transcribes a variety of correspondence and legal documents, including resolutions, ordinances, legal opinions, contracts, briefs, leases, agreements, and litigation documents.
• Prepares and processes correspondence, legal papers, and documents requiring knowledge of legal format, terminology, and procedures.
• Notifies necessary parties of dates and times of court hearings, depositions, conferences, meetings, and appointments.
• Compiles and organizes agenda materials and information for the County Attorney's use in preparing documents for the BOCC agenda and in providing legal assistance.
• Controls workflow, managing time and workload independently and efficiently.
• Researches and composes a variety of materials including letters, memoranda, statistical tables, legal documents, reports, and other materials.
• Prepares legal instruments such as pleadings, ordinances, legal briefs, agreements, legislation, subpoenas, deeds, resolutions, and related documents.
• Prepares case files and maintains docket sheets on pending litigation.
• Researches and compiles source data for completion of legal forms and documents.
• Prepares deposition and expert witness report summaries, legal notices, acknowledgements, affidavits, summonses, subpoenas, and other basic legal forms and documents from source data.
• Researches legal questions, procures and organizes evidence for litigation, and prepares memoranda on various legal problems when necessary.
• Works independently and performs multiple tasks throughout the workday.
• Works for more than one staff attorney.
• Communicates with the general public as well as the media.
• Interacts daily with department heads including Commissioners and their support staff, including training support staff regarding county procedures.
• Performs related work as assigned or required.

Requirements

• Knowledge of administrative and clerical office procedures and systems such as word processing, spreadsheet applications, filing, and records management systems.
• Knowledge of general office practices and procedures, as well as an understanding of organizational and political setups and planning.
• Knowledge of the structure and content of business English, including spelling, grammar, and composition.
• Knowledge of county ordinances, regulations, rules, procedures, functions, and personnel, and the ability to apply this knowledge to complex problems and situations.
• Knowledge of local, state, and federal court systems, regulations, rules, procedures, functions, and personnel, and the ability to apply this knowledge to complex problems and situations.
• Knowledge of legal publications and the ability to keep such publications organized and up to date.
• Knowledge of legal terminology and the forms and documents used in legal secretarial work.
• Knowledge of legal procedures and practices involved in composing, processing, and filing a variety of legal documents.
• Skill in communication with all levels of personnel and the public.
• Skill in operating and implementing applicable computer equipment, office machines, and software applications including word processing and spreadsheets.
• Ability to analyze complex reports, legal documents, and communications.
• Ability to solve problems independently and/or creatively.
• Ability to take shorthand or other means of taking accurate notes to transcribe into clear and concise formats for correspondence, reports, documents, and other written material.
• Ability to work independently and make decisions on a variety of assigned tasks.
• Ability to work well under pressure with good organizational skills.
• Ability to perform responsible, difficult, sensitive, and confidential legal secretarial work involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative.
• Ability to understand the organization and operation of the County Attorney's Office and outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities.
• Ability to analyze situations carefully and adopt effective courses of action.
• Ability to prepare clear and comprehensive reports, recommendations, and correspondence, both verbally and in writing.
• Ability to independently prepare agendas, legal documents, ordinances, resolutions, and related complex or confidential correspondence.
• Ability to act independently to set up conferences and meetings.
• Ability to search for, organize, and compile legal data received from staff and other departments.
• Ability to prepare and process legal documents, official reports, and/or papers as required.
• Ability to prepare graphic aids, tables, slides, and other audio/visual devices when necessary.
• Ability to deal with diverse elements simultaneously and handle frequent interruptions.
• Ability to work independently as well as a team player.
• Ability to utilize office procedures and systems such as word processing, spreadsheet applications, filing, records management systems, stenography, transcription, and legal document form design.
• Ability to deal with the public in an effective and courteous manner and establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, County officials, employees, court officials, other organizations, and the general public.
• Ability to perform basic legal research when necessary.

Qualifications

Graduation from an accredited college or university with an Associate degree and three (3) years of experience using modern business equipment and working with Microsoft Office Suite with the ability to transcribe/type dictation, prepare memoranda, legal documents, resolutions, ordinances, and other correspondence. Alternatively, graduation from high school or possession of an acceptable equivalency diploma and five (5) years of experience.

Physical Requirements

Ability to communicate effectively using verbal, written, and visual communication.

Additional Information

Possession of a valid Florida driver's license is required.