Legal Forms Specialist

Posting Date

Application Deadline

Pay Range

What We Offer

We offer generous paid time off, paid sick leave, and 10 paid holidays! We have affordable medical, dental, and vision insurance, and our employees are entitled to coverage by one of several State-sponsored retirement pension plans, our employee assistance program, and wellness incentives. Additionally, our employees have the option of life insurance, disability, a group legal plan, and pet insurance. Under the current guidelines for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, the Maricopa County Superior Court is a qualifying employer. Therefore, any full time Judicial Branch employee, who meets other eligibility criteria may be eligible for loan forgiveness under this program. Click here to learn more!

Job Type

Department

About the Position

The Legal Forms Specialist researches the law, drafts court forms and instructions, and drafts legal information and educational materials with pertinent legal information designed to educate and assist litigants with the necessary tools to represent themselves to the court.  The Legal Forms Specialist provides direct patron assistance and education.

About The Superior Court:

The Superior Court of the Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County is dedicated to providing a safe, fair and impartial forum for resolving disputes, enhancing access to our services, and providing innovative, evidenced-based practices that improve the safety of our community and ensure the public’s trust and confidence in the Judicial Branch. The Superior Court in Maricopa County, one of the largest, most innovative and progressive trial courts in the nation, seeks innovative individuals to join our team who will embrace our vision of excellence and the principles inherent in the Rule of Law...every person, every day, every time.  We fulfill these principles through a culture that values fairness, respect, integrity, innovation, and safety.

Position Qualifications

We recognize your time is valuable, so please apply if you meet the following required qualifications:

Education:

• Associate’s degree in Law, Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies, Legal Assistant, or similar field

Experience:

• Two (2) years of experience as a Legal Assistant, Paralegal, or conducting legal research and/or developing court forms.

Combined Education And Experience Qualifications:

• An Associate’s degree in any field plus a certificate in legal assisting or paralegal studies may substitute for the education requirement
• Graduation from an accredited law school substitutes for the education and experience requirements

Our Preferred Candidate Has:

• Experience leveraging legal technology software products to provide new access-to-justice solutions to the public.
• Experience in business operations, ability to identify or establish efficient solutions to complicated problems.
• Experience in effectively learning new or unfamiliar software to complete job tasks

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities:

Knowledge Of:

• Conducting legal research.
• Court processes.
• Legal terminology.

Skill In:

• Using Westlaw and other available databases to conduct research.
• Microsoft Word and Outlook.
• Adobe Acrobat Professional.
• Learning new technology.
• Attention to detail.
• Providing excellent customer service

Ability To:

• Efficiently learn how to use new or unfamiliar software
• Analyze law and reach sound legal conclusions, within a reasonable timeframe.
• Simplify forms, instructions, and informational material.
• Prioritize, meet deadlines, and multi-task.

Essential Job Tasks

(This is not an all-inclusive list of all job duties that may be required; employees will be required to perform other related duties as assigned.)

• Drafts new and revises existing Court forms and easy-to-follow instructions for litigants in compliance with law and procedure.
• Leverages legal technology software products as directed to provide access-to-justice solutions to the public.
• Applies detailed formatting standards and edits to legal documents using expert Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat Professional skills.
• Converts documents into fillable PDF files and applies fillable PDF logic as directed.    
• Provides individualized Forms Assistance and Reference Desk help to patrons on scheduled and back up basis.
• Research Arizona statutes and case law, court rules and procedures.
• Prepares materials for and conducts educational workshops on completing forms and court procedures.

Working Conditions: 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to speak clearly and hear; see details of objects that are less than a few feet away; sit for long periods of time; stand, walk, use hands to finger handle or feel; reach with hands and arms; and occasionally push, pull or lift up to 20 pounds.

Judicial Branch facilities are located throughout Maricopa County.  This position may be reassigned to other locations.  Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the department.

Additional Information

Judicial Branch Human Resources reserves the right to move forward candidates based on the information provided directly on the application. The hiring authority will select the successful candidate based on departmental needs. 

Typically, successful candidates are hired at a salary rate up to the midpoint of the range, based on applicable experience, internal equity, and budgetary allowances. 

All Judicial Branch offers of employment and continued employment are contingent upon passing a thorough background and/or fingerprint check. Applicants must completely and fully answer any questions regarding felony and misdemeanor convictions including any convictions that have been expunged or set aside. Failure to include criminal history information is grounds for termination of an offer and employment. A conviction may not automatically disqualify an applicant. 

The Judicial Branch of Arizona in Maricopa County participates in the State Retirement systems ASRS or PSPRS. As such, mandatory membership for all full-time employees includes payroll deducted contributions consistent with each retirement system's requirements. The current contribution rate for ASRS is 12.27% and the current contribution rate for PSPRS is 5.84% and up for the defined contribution plan and 8.82% for the defined benefit plan. For more information about contributions and benefits of these plans visit https://www.azasrs.gov/ or https://www.psprs.com/corrections-officer/

Judicial Branch facilities are located throughout Maricopa County.  This position may be reassigned to other locations.  Assignments will be made based upon the needs of the department.

The Judicial Branch in Maricopa County is an EEO/ADA Reasonable Accommodation Employer.