Juvenile Paralegal/Legal Assistant

Job Summary:

This is an administrative professional position performing legal support work in a Juvenile Office. Duties require initiative, independent judgement and discretion in handling delegated details and the performance of various support duties.  

The duties and responsibilities in this Job Description are not a comprehensive list and Buchanan County reserves the right to assign, reassign or eliminate the duties and responsibilities of this job either orally or in writing. The scope of the job may be changed at any time due to reasonable accommodations or other reasons deemed appropriate by the County. This Job Description does not constitute an Employment Agreement between the employer and employee and is subject to change, according to the business needs of Buchanan County.

Passing of a drug screening required prior to appointment

Passing of a background check prior to appointment

Buchanan County is an

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Assists attorney with legal research, contested hearing preparation including contacting witnesses and preparing hearing notebook, and preparing draft pleadings
• Responsible for new case initiation and maintenance
• Drafts and electronically files hearing notices and service documents 
• Responsible for service tracking and formal case tracking
• Ensures all exhibits are ready for court appearances
• Identifies critical or important calls and advises appropriate staff
• Enters information into the database systems and performs relevant data processing activities
• Processes discovery and associated tasks
• Processes and maintains paper and electronic documents and files or stores as may be appropriate
• Processes and maintains shared calendars
• Prepares basic reports and information for juvenile officers and attorney for the juvenile officer

Other Duties and Responsibilities:

Education/Experience:

High school diploma required.

Must have at least three years of legal secretarial or general clerical experience. 

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Working knowledge of administrative support staff practices and procedures
• Knowledge of business English, spelling, punctuation, and arithmetic
• Working knowledge of court procedures and policies, legal documents, law and legal factors pertaining to the court
• Working knowledge of organization and court operations, functions and scope of authority of the Juvenile Officer
• Working knowledge of modern office practices and procedures and e-filing requirements
• Ability to understand and follow complex oral and written instructions
• Ability to make work decisions in accordance with laws, regulations and office policies and procedures
• Ability to maintain a variety of complex records and prepare reports from such records
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others and demonstrate superior communication and inter-personal skills
• Must be skilled in the operation of standard office equipment
• Must be able to protect highly confidential information 
• Must have a positive attitude
• Must be motivated and eager to be part of a team that is dedicated to the best interests of children
• Must be able to work independently 
• Must have the ability to professionally handle confidential personal and case information
• Must be able to multitask and be organized
• Strong attention to detail and organization skills

Working Environment/Physical Requirements:

The majority of work is performed in a professional office setting and is generally sedentary. Must possess vision to read printed materials and computer screen and to correspond via email. Must possess hearing and speech to communicate in person and over the telephone. Ability to operate a motor vehicle. Cognitive ability to understand and convey complex information is a must. 

Employee Behavior and Conduct:

County employees shall conduct themselves in a professional manner.    Employees should respect their colleagues, and extend courtesy to those with whom they come in contact both internally and externally during the performance of their job duties.