Legal Secretary - County Attorney

THIS RECRUITMENT IS TO ESTABLISH A REGISTER for current and future LEGAL SECRETARY vacancies which serves all levels / assignments of Legal Secretary in the offices of the Pima County Attorney's Office.

Job Type: Classified

In direct support of legal functions, the Legal Secretary performs a variety of specialized legal secretarial tasks, which require distinct knowledge of legal procedures, documentation and legal time constraints. This classification makes independent decisions regarding the processing of legal documents and has primary responsibility for completion of assigned tasks and functions by an attorney or paralegal.

For more information about the Pima County Attorney's Office, please visit their website at http://www.pcao.pima.gov

Essential Functions:

As defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, this classification may include any of the following tasks, knowledge, skills, and other characteristics. This list is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by incumbents of this class. Work assignments may vary depending on the department’s need and will be communicated to the applicant or incumbent by the supervisor.

• Gathers information, prepares legal documents, completes legal forms, correspondence, documents such as briefs, opinions, complaints, warrants, affidavits, depositions and monitors to ensure legal requirements and deadlines are met;

• Reviews new cases and sets up interviews between clients, law enforcement personnel and attorneys;

• Reviews materials received, sets up files and initiates paperwork;

• Takes and/or transcribes from electronic dictation, prepares legal reports, correspondence, forms such as petitions, jury instructions and disclosures;

• Determines prioritization of trials, sets up and maintains calendars of hearings, trials, depositions and response times to pending litigation;

• Compiles statistical data concerning unit operations, at the direction of the attorney and/or paralegal, prepares periodic and special reports;

• Prepares motions for continuance, suspension or dismissal through the court system;

• Coordinates work activities with trial teams and/or divisions;

• Acts as liaison for attorney and/or paralegal regarding case preparation, discovery and prepares appropriate legal documents as required;

• Communicates with clients or witnesses to obtain or verify legal information for cases;

• Word processes a variety of technical and confidential documents, contracts, ordinances, case dispositions and privileged attorney client information;

• Reviews, sorts and proofreads legal documents for attorney and/or paralegal;

• Files and indexes legal documents produced and received in the case files;

• Edits legal documents for appropriateness of legal or technical terminology, grammar, punctuation and spelling;

• Operates a variety of office equipment.

Minimum Qualifications:

Successful completion of course work in legal terminology or legal office procedures from an accredited school AND one year of legal clerical experience involving the preparation and processing of legal documents or providing legal clerical support to an attorney.

(An Associate’s degree or a certificate of completion from an accredited college or technical school as a legal secretary may substitute for one year of experience.)

OR:

One year with Pima County in a Legal Processing Support or closely-related position as determined by the department head at the time of recruitment.

(Relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college or university may be substituted.)

Qualifying education and experience must be clearly documented in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of the application. Do not substitute a resume for your application or write "see resume" on your application.

Selection Process: 
Pima County Human Resources Department reserves the right to admit to the selection process only those candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. All applications will be assessed based on an evaluation of the listed education and experience. Candidates meeting the minimum qualifications may be further evaluated/scored against any advertised Preferred Qualifications. The hiring authority will interview and select the successful candidate from a referral list provided by Human Resources. Additional assessments/testing may be required as part of the selection process.      

Supplemental Information:

Licenses and Certificates: Valid driver license is required at time of application. Valid AZ driver license is required at time of appointment. The successful applicant will be subject to a 39-month DOT Motor Vehicle Record review to determine applicant’s suitability to operate county vehicles in accordance with Pima County administrative procedures. Failure to obtain and maintain the required licenses and certifications shall be grounds for termination. Any offer of employment resulting from this recruitment is contingent upon Fleet Services’ review and approval of the candidate’s driving record.  

Special Notice Items: Some positions may require satisfactory completion of a personal background investigation by the court or law enforcement agencies, due to the need for access to County Attorney and Court facilities, records, and communication systems. The County requires pre-employment background checks. Successful candidates will receive a post-offer, pre-employment background screening to include verification of work history, education, and criminal conviction history.

Physical/Sensory Requirements: Physical and sensory abilities will be determined by position.

Working Conditions: Working conditions will be determined by position.

EEO Information: Pima County Government is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer. We are committed to an inclusive and diverse workforce and will not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, kinship, political interest, or any other characteristic protected by law.