Legal Secretary I - Trial/Litigation Team - City Attorney's Office (TPV 1458)

About the Trial/Litigation Team
Under supervision, the Legal Secretary I on the Litigation/Trial Team supports a high-volume, busy civil litigation and trial practice. The duties associated with the position include but are not limited to: preparing and editing a wide variety of legal documents in proper format such as briefs, correspondence, subpoenas, jury instructions, notices, exhibit lists and verdict forms; filing (including E-Filing) documents with State and Federal trial courts and courts of appeal; maintaining attorney calendars and case calendars; creating and maintaining files; answering requests for information from attorneys, opposing counsel, court staff and members of the public; and performing related duties as required.

Position Information and Responsibilities
Legal secretaries work under the direction of attorneys and provide a variety of secretarial and clerical duties in a fast-paced, civil litigation practice. The responsibilities listed below are representative of the range of duties assigned and are not intended as an exhaustive list.

• Preparing, editing and proofreading a wide variety of legal documents in proper format which may include pleadings and briefs with preparation of table of contents and table of authorities, motions, notices, declarations, complaints, discovery documents, correspondence and contracts utilizing multiple word processing systems, spreadsheet software, and case management systems/software.
• Legal filings and service of documents with state and federal courts as well as other government agencies. E-filings may include confidential underseal filings that accommodate multiple and voluminous media format.
• Scheduling of depositions, court reporters, witnesses and subpoenas.
• Opening, monitoring, organizing, closing legal case files; creating and updating file index, correspondence and electronic record files.
• Maintaining and updating attorney appointments and team calendar; keeping abreast of important court dates, local court rules and procedures regarding filing legal documents with courts as mandated including e-filing, and serving legal document as required by rules; prioritizing duties and deadlines to accommodate work schedules of attorneys.
• Reviewing, preparing, editing and finalizing resolutions and ordinances for submission to Board of Supervisors.
• Performing other duties and responsibilities as required including general administrative tasks; coordinating and setting up meetings.
• Managing retention contracts and invoicing process for multiple consultants and keeping attorneys informed on contract expirations/expenditures/budget.
• Assisting with special projects, i.e. research and public records request and backing up other teams for court E-filings when needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience:
1. Two (2) years of verifiable experience as a legal secretary transcribing dictation and typing legal documents including petitions, motions, briefs, complaints and other legal forms AND 
2. The ability to type 55 net WPM

Substitution: A certificate of completion in legal secretarial skills from a recognized college, university, or training program, which involved learning legal terminology and legal formats and forms, may substitute for six (6) months of the required legal secretarial experience. Proof of satisfactory completion must be submitted at the time of filing.

One year of full-time employment is equivalent to 2000 hours. (2000 hours of qualifying work experience is based on a 40-hour work week.) Any overtime hours that you work above forty (40) hours per week are not included in the calculation to determine full-time employment.

Desired Qualifications

• Excellent verbal and writing skills, and an ability to work independently, as well as collaboratively across multiple legal teams.
• Strong civil litigation experience
• Ability to handle multiple tasks and deadlines and accept and implement written and oral instructions.
• Communicate effectively and tactfully with attorneys, office personnel, court personnel, vendors, City personnel, and the general public.
• Working knowledge of civil litigation procedures, legal terminology and court rules.
• Adept in Microsoft Office Suite, with a focus on Word.
• Experience with Adobe Professional, Cisco WebEx, Microsoft Teams. NetDocs.
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• Commitment to valuing diversity and contributing to an inclusive working and learning environment.

Salary and Benefits
The position has a five-step salary scale ranging from $95,784-$116,402. ...