Legal Assistant

Salary Range5,356.00 - 6,845.00Job SummaryAs one of the fastest growing cities in the Pacific Northwest, Vancouver is building a city of the future through innovation, sustainable development, excellent leadership and effectively working with an engaged community. Our growth is guided by our core values of livability, sustainability and resiliency, innovation, and equity and inclusion, and we accomplish our work through collaboration, innovation, compassion and empowerment.

If who we are speaks to you, and if you’re the type of person who is interested in joining the City Attorney’s Office team who is dedicated to carrying out their duties through means that are just, equitable, and consistent with nationally recognized standards and best practices then the City of Vancouver may be for you.

We’re currently recruiting for a Legal Assistant. The primary responsibilities of the job include performing a broad range of support to attorneys and staff in all the Divisions of the City Attorney’s Office. Duties include but are not limited to witness and victim contact to provide information regarding the court process, how to obtain information to help with safety planning, and the process for requesting restitution, and scheduling interviews and court appearances; discovery and case calendaring, drafting legal documents and correspondence, preparing and reviewing criminal history, organizing and filing pleadings, drafting legal documents and correspondence, attend court and administrative hearings as requested. Additionally, this position will provide secretarial and administrative support to the City Attorney’s Office as requested.

This is a full-time, regular, non-exempt union position. This position is covered under the provisions of an agreement between the City and the AFSCME union. The schedule for this position is M-F, 8am to 5pm.Job Details

Essential Functions:

• Manage cases throughout the court process and assist in preparation of cases for court; access numerous programs and databases for criminal history and case information
• Prepare and process legal documents and correspondence including but not limited to complaints, citations, motions, declarations, restitution requests, case notification letters, jury demands, subpoenas, omibus, bill of particulars, briefs, responses, dismissals, jury instructions and competency orders; format materials according to applicable court requirements and legal standards
• Schedule interviews with victims, witnesses, officers, attorneys, and investigators; attend and conduct interviews as requested
• Attend court hearings and trials as needed.  Some hearings and trials may require travel outside of the City and be for multiple days.
• Maintain calendars for attorneys and assist with hearing and trial support activities, such as ensuring technology is in working order, preparing copies of videos and recordings, preparing copies of evidence and jury instructions
• Assist with contacting victims and witnesses for case updates, hearing and trial updates, to request and obtain documents, restitution and impact statements, to communicate victim’s rights and protections, to discuss no contact orders and violations, and to provide additional resources as appropriate
• Locate contact information for victims and witnesses and arrange for process service as needed
• Secure a wide variety of confidential and sensitive information; including reports and other documents related to criminal matters from law enforcement agencies and other pertinent officials.
• Request and review evidence and discovery; including but not limited to videos, photos, certified documents; make redactions, bates stamp and provide in discovery
• Responsible for securing evidence from the appropriate law enforcement agencies and returning the evidence while maintaining the chain of custody.
• Receive and process correspondence, reports and pleadings
• Interpret City policies, procedures, laws and regulations in response to inquiries and complaints; refer inquiries as appropriate.  Research, compile and analyze data for special projects on an as-needed basis     
• Attend and actively participate in meetings scheduled, either in-person or virtually as required.
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

Experience and Education

• Five (5) years of experience performing legal secretarial / legal assistant / victim advocate services or related.
• Equivalent to HS Diploma/GED supplemented by specialized legal training is desirable. College level course work in law, business administration, computer science or a related field is desirable.

Computer Skills - Intermediate skills in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

Required Licenses and/or Certifications - ability to obtain a Washington Notary License

Knowledge

• Principles and practices of civil, criminal and administrative law
• Legal terminology and knowledge of legal forms and documents, their uses and formatting requirements
• Legal procedures and practices involved in composing, processing and filing a variety of legal documents
• Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes, regulations, policies and procedures that pertain to pleading practice, statutes, municipal code, records retention, public disclosure requests, courtroom and hearing procedures, legal courtesies and victim rights
• Laws and regulations related to victim/witness rights and the criminal justice system
• Standard legal references and their contents
• Business letter writing and basic report preparation
• General operations and practices of a legal office, filing system and statute requirements for updates and retention
• Laws and procedure related to the disclosure of exculpatory material to the prosecutor and defense
• Principles and practice of interviewing
• Principles and procedures of record keeping and reporting
• Use of modern office procedures, methods, computer equipment and basic software
• Use of methods and techniques of legal research and investigation
• Principles and practices of legal communication
• English usage, spelling, grammar and punctuation
• Work and act as a team player in all interactions with other City employees
• Develop and maintain collaborative and respectful working relationships with team members and others
• Provide a high level of customer service at all times
• Project and maintain a positive image with those contacted in the course of work

Abilities

• Work independently without supervision and as part of a team, set priorities and organize work to accomplish complex tasks efficiently within stringent deadlines
• Organize, coordinate and manage large volumes of cases, case documents and exhibits effectively and without error
• Use a high degree of tact, discretion and diplomacy in dealing with sensitive situations and concerned people
• Maintain sensitive and confidential information related to civil matters, criminal matters and all other areas of work
• Maintain confidentiality related to the area of work
• Analyze requests for documents and information to identify appropriate parameters regarding which records or information is responsive and locations where such records or information may reasonably be expected to be found
• Review voluminous records; identify and apply redactions as allowed or required by law
• Apply, track and justify appropriate redactions to local government records. Facilitate the export and transfer of records electronically and/or via regular mail
• Perform responsible and difficult secretarial work involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative
• Understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities
• Locate and communicate with victims and witnesses who may not wish to be involved
• Independently prepare routine legal documents, correspondence and memoranda
• Analyze situations carefully and adopt effective courses of action
• Work cooperatively with staff and other departments, City officials, and outside agencies
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work performance
• Operate a personal computer and appropriate software
• Work in a manner consistent with the City of Vancouver’s Core Values
• Work and act as a team player in all interactions with other City employees
• Project and maintain a positive image with those contacted in the course of work
• Develop and maintain collaborative and respectful working relationships with team members and others
• Consistently provide quality service
• Maintain regular and dependable attendance
• Demonstrate a commitment to valuing differences among people and to being inclusive
• Show the utmost respect for others, and act as a team player
• Promote safety as a guiding principle and a regular practice in accomplishing work by focusing on safe practices and complying with safety and health policies and procedures.
• Recognize unsafe conditions which may be hazardous to an employee or to the public.
• Works in safe and responsible manner; not putting self or others at risk. Complies with applicable policies and procedures including but not limited to using personal protective equipment, observing warning signs, learning about potential hazards, and reporting all unsafe conditions.

This position is subject to successful completion of pre-employment reference checks, basic criminal background check, a fingerprint based criminal history check, and CJIS Security Test.

The City of Vancouver is committed to advancing equity and creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace. We recognize that progress depends on more than just a verbal commitment; it depends on making meaningful organizational change. We developed and continue to develop strategies to enhance employee-centered programs, eliminate recruitment and advancement barriers, elevate employee understanding of DEI and cultural competency and build an inclusive and welcoming place to call work. We hope you’ll consider joining us on the journey!

Safety: The City of Vancouver believes every employee plays a role in maintaining a safe workplace. The City of Vancouver promotes safety as a guiding principle and practice and accomplishes work by creating safe work environments, complying with safety and health policies and procedures and consistently seeking improvements that support operational excellence.

Diversity and Inclusion: At the City of Vancouver, we value and foster a workplace comprised of people with a range of different backgrounds, experiences and cultures. We recognize that a diverse and inclusive team is key to innovation, effectiveness and a positive culture. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement: The City of Vancouver is dedicated to maintaining a work environment that extends equal opportunity to all individuals, regardless of their race, color, sex, age, religion, national origin, marital status, veteran status, disability sexual orientation or gender identity. Employment decisions will be made to further the principle of equal employment opportunity and to comply with state, federal and local laws. We affirm through this policy statement our continuing commitment to the principles of equity and nondiscrimination.

Veterans’ Preference: Under Washington law, qualified veterans may be eligible for Veterans’ preference when applying for City of Vancouver positions. Honorably discharged Veterans, their surviving spouses or spouses of honorably discharged Veterans with a permanent and total service-connected disability who would like to be considered for a Veterans’ preference for this job should provide the qualifying documents as instructed during the application process.

ADA Accommodation: Accommodations will be considered for applicants or candidates with a qualifying disability that prevents them from participating in this process. Accommodations will be made where the City can reasonably provide them without imposing an undue hardship on the business or compromising the integrity of the recruitment process. An applicant with any disability who believes that they need an accommodation should contact Human Resources: call 360-487-8417 or email hrfront1@cityofvancouver.us

Job Posting End DateMay 9, 2025