Legal Assistant

Reports To: General Counsel

Purpose and Scope: Provides skilled assistance to General Counsel in the area of Tax Deed Applications, research and writing

Essential Functions: 

• Processes documentation relating to Tax Deed Applications
• Assists General Counsel with research, memos, and letters for review
• Researches applicable statutes, rules, and regulations
• Uses multiple websites and Tax Collector programs to review, research and document property title history relating to Tax Deeds

Qualifications and Experience: 

• The position requires real estate property and title research experience supplemented by two years of experience or training that includes real estate paralegal or legal assistant work.  A bachelor’s degree and experience with legal research relating to real estate or property title review is preferred.  An individual with an associate’s degree and relevant experience will be considered.
• In accordance with Florida Statute 322, selected applicant must possess a valid Class E or higher driver's license; not learner's license and be at least 21 years of age.  Selected applicants must have no cancellations, suspensions, or revocations of the driving privilege for a minimum of three (3) years prior to employment and must also maintain a driving record with no more than three (3) chargeable motor vehicle crash or any violation defined in Chapter 316, Florida Statutes during any consecutive (3) year period of employment.
• Applicants being considered for employment will be required to submit to a fingerprint-based background investigation, which will include a check of the criminal history records of the FBI.  Driver Licenses Examiners must meet the background standards outlined in Florida Statute 435.04, and Federal Regulations 384.228 and 1572.103.  This includes, but is not limited to, not having any criminal convictions for alcohol or drug-related offenses within 10 years prior to employment and maintaining this throughout employment.

Critical Competencies for Success:

Interpersonal Skills:

• Strong commitment to client service (internal and external)
• Ability to communicate complex thoughts, ideas and concepts effectively to ensure understanding
• Self-motivated and results-oriented; a self-starter driven to succeed in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrates a sense of urgency and commitment to achieve goals
• Takes initiative to pro-actively address client concerns and issues
• Superior written communication skills

Agility:

• Ability to be adaptable to procedural changes and statutory interpretations
• Thrives in a fast-paced service culture and is tenacious about achieving operational excellence

Learning:

• Proactively continues growth by seeking opportunities to learn new things
• Uses a “lessons learned” approach in evaluating activities
• Puts new concepts and information to use quickly

Teamwork:

• Works cooperatively with others
• Listens and is open to team members ideas
• Offers constructive feedback
• Provides assistance when asked