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Position Summary
The legal secretary will be responsible for supporting attorneys by performing a variety of duties, including preparation of legal forms, electronic filing, electronic service, mail service, overnight mail service, arranging for personal service through a third-party vendor, preparation of proofs of service, processing incoming mail, preparing and mailing outgoing mail, coordination with third-party vendors, interfacing with court personnel to determine the status of filing of documents and court appearance calendars, translation of documents as needed, scanning incoming documents, case file organization, supply ordering, and management/organization of team supplies.
About the Organization
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens our communities by redressing our clients’ legal problems; empowering our clients to access and effectively participate within the legal, governmental, and social systems; and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed, and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshere
Essential Functions:
• Prepares letters, pleadings, court forms including proofs of service for filing and serving
• E-files and coordinates with attorneys to ensure proper filing of court pleadings
• Opens and organizes files
• Contacts a variety of third-party vendors to coordinate the provision of essential litigation support services
• Contacts court personnel to schedule hearings and determine status of case filings
• Contacts court reporters for depositions and court hearings
• Maintains form book for pleadings and administrative forms or documents for reference
• Translates documents from English to Spanish and vice versa
• Operates a variety of office machines such as postage machine, typewriter, multifunction copier/scanner/printer/fax
• Processes and inventories closed cases
• Processes incoming and outgoing mail
• Orders supplies
• Manages and organizes the team’s supplies
• Complies with all program and grant requirements
• Other tasks as assigned
Qualifications:
• High School Diploma or GED
• Must have knowledge of Adobe Professional and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams), and have the ability to learn firm specific software/databases
• Type 60 wpm net
• Must be familiar with court procedures (Federal and State), court documents, electronic court filings, and methods of service
• Ability to work independently, as well as support team efforts
• Must have reliable transportation
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills
• Ability to multitask and prioritize
Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish
• At least one year of legal secretarial experience
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people
• Ability to work successfully with people from diverse backgrounds
• Ability to multitask and prioritize
• Experience with e-filing in state and federal court using the One Legal platform
• Experience with preparing legal documents using the Clio Draft (formerly Law Yaw) platform
Salary and Benefits:
The Legal Secretary position is a non-exempt position with an hourly pay range of $23.63 - $33.10. The starting pay rate is $27.50. In addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold languages other than English.
LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as dental, vision, and life benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts (FSA). LASSD has its own law school loan repayment program and is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program.
LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.
Hybrid Work Environment:
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (“LASSD”) has adopted a hybrid work environment in which most staff are required to work in the office part of the week and permitted to work remotely for the remainder of the week, provided their job duties allow. All employees are issued LASSD computers and provided with appropriate supplies to perform their work. LASSD has implemented and continues to explore additional technologies to make our hybrid working environment as efficient and connected as possible. All employees must be available to travel to LASSD offices and service locations throughout San Diego County as needed and in compliance with public health advisories. Applicants must reside in or near San Diego County or plan to relocate in or near the County prior to their start date and must be able to commute to the physical Legal Aid Society of San Diego office locations or service delivery locations within San Diego County. LASSD’s normal business hours are 9am-5pm, but we are open to providing flexible work schedules to the extent feasible for the position. LASSD reserves the right to change these policies at any time.
- $23.63 - $33.10
