Legal Secretary

Centrally located in the heart of Iowa, Ames is a vibrant, progressive community with more than 66,000 residents providing an excellent quality of life. Home to Iowa State University, Ames offers year-round recreation opportunities, diverse cultural offerings, a stable economy, safe neighborhoods, and a high-achieving school district.

The City of Ames is conducting a recruitment to establish a Civil Service eligibility list for this classification. The list will be valid for up to one year from the date of certification by the Ames Civil Service Commission and may be used to fill one or more vacancies in this classification. In addition, City of Ames Civil Service employees who have previously held Civil Service status in this classification and are interested in voluntarily demoting or laterally transferring into the current vacancy must submit their application by the deadline. Under general supervision, provides full service legal secretarial support for the City Attorney and legal staff requiring knowledge of legal terminology and processes and involving material of a confidential and complex nature; performs related work as required. In order to be considered for this position, all applicants must submit their online application by the deadline listed on this posting. Your application includes complete responses to the supplemental questions. Please keep in mind that submission of a resume in lieu of work history on your application or answering the supplemental questions is not sufficient.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program:  The PSLF Program is a federal program that is intended to encourage individuals to work in public service by forgiving the balance of their federal student loans. To qualify, the individual must have made 120 qualifying payments while employed by a qualifying employer. For more information, please visit: PSLF

Examples of Essential Job Functions: Prepares correspondence, legal documents, opinions, official publications, transcriptions, reports, lists, draft discovery and other similar documents as instructed and requested by attorneys; serves as department receptionist and greets and screens visitors and telephone calls; responds to citizens' questions and comments in a courteous and timely manner; holds primary responsibility for creating paper and electronic files; proofreads material for accuracy, completeness, grammar and punctuation; assists with and coordinates work of support staff of outside counsel; files electronical pleadings in District Court, Appellate Court and other quasi-judicial/administrative bodies; assists with witness notification, preparation, depositions and other aspects of discovery; tracks discovery and filing deadlines for attorneys to assure preparation and filing of pleadings to meet legal deadlines; completes forms and documents to effect internal City transactions; copies, packages and distributes a variety of written materials, including mail, as requested by other office personnel; gathers, assembles, updates, distributes and/or files a variety of information, forms, records and data as requested using an electronic document management system; maintains an effective and efficient office filing system; exercises discretion and independent judgment in applying policies and procedures to division, department, or organization-wide situations; assists attorneys in handling sensitive and confidential matters.

Each employee is expected to continually strive to bring shared values to life through our Excellence Through People organizational culture. ETP values include: committing to continuous improvement; inspiring creativity and innovation; being customer driven; making data-driven decisions; committing to diversity, equity and inclusion; championing employee involvement; striving for excellence; having fiscal stewardship; acting with honesty and integrity; exhibiting leadership; choosing a positive attitude; respecting one another; promoting safety and wellness; and cultivating teamwork. For leaders, this includes creating a work culture that brings these values to life. For all employees, this includes maintaining a Total City Perspective. The purpose of ETP is to deliver exceptional services to the public at the best price, and for employees to experience an enjoyable and stimulating work environment. 

Other Job Functions: Logs and distributes mail, faxes and messages directed to office personnel; schedules appointments and makes meeting arrangements; maintains inventory of office supplies; may serve as the recording secretary to a board or commission.

Education and Experience: Graduation from high school, HiSet, or possession of a GED; and two years of legal secretarial experience or a degree/certification in legal secretarial or paralegal studies. An equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the work may also be considered.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge of legal terminology, forms, methods and procedures. Working knowledge of all legal and court procedures; knowledge of citation rules, rules of the court, the discovery process, trial preparation processes and case file management. Knowledge of what legal information can be provided by a support staff person and what can only be provided by a licensed attorney. Proficient knowledge in Office 2007 and Adobe Acrobat, experience in electronic court filing (EDMS) and use of an electronic document management system. Thorough knowledge of modern office practices and procedures including the utilization of automated technology to enhance office efficiency and effectiveness; considerable knowledge of business English, spelling, business correspondence formats;

Considerable skill in the use of sophisticated computer software.

Ability and willingness to quickly learn and put to use new skills and knowledge brought about by rapidly changing information and/or technology; ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing; ability to serve in a confidential work relationship. Ability to present a positive attitude, deal courteously with customers and coworkers, and to maintain effective relationships; ability to perform basic legal research and prepare legal documents. Ability to type a minimum of 60 net words per minute.

Required Physical Activities: Talking, hearing, walking, reaching, grasping, pushing, pulling, feeling, lifting, repetitive motions, stooping, kneeling, crouching, and finger dexterity.

Physical Characteristics of Work: Work is primarily sedentary and requires sitting and/or using various computer equipment 80% of the time; and standing and/or walking 20% of the time. Frequently requires the exertion of up to 10 pounds of force, and infrequently requires the exertion of 10-50 pounds of force to lift or otherwise move objects.

Vision Requirements: The minimum standard for those whose work is involved primarily with preparing and analyzing data and written information, accounting, transcription, computer terminal, and/or extensive reading.

Environmental Conditions:  The employee ordinarily works in an office environment and is not substantially exposed to adverse environmental conditions.

Equipment Used to Perform Essential Functions: Computer hardware including keyboard, monitor, mouse, and printer; a variety of word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and specialized software, including ProLaw, FMS, EDMS and HTE; general office equipment such as writing utensils, copier, paper fasteners, paper cutter, files and file cabinets, photocopy machine, calculator and scanner; communications equipment such as telephone, fax machine and e-mail. 

Selection Process: The selection process consists of an evaluation of education and experience, review of completed application to include; fully completed supplemental questionnaire , a phone interview (depending on the number of candidates), a combination of an oral examination and online skills testing (scores weighted), and the successful completion of a criminal background check, which includes a sex offender registry check and motor vehicle records check. All candidates will be notified by email of their application status. **Preference may be given to applicants possessing qualifications above the minimum.** Depending on the number of qualified candidates, the City may forego phone interviews.
Veteran's Preference Points  The City of Ames provides Veteran's Preference Points for Civil Service positions. A copy of your DD214 and, if applicable, proof of disability, must be attached with your application (or faxed to 515-239-5297) prior to the close date of the posting in order to receive Veteran's Preference Points. NOTE: Persons with disabilities must submit requests for ADA testing accommodations to the Human Resources Department prior to the application deadline. The City of Ames is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Human Resources Department at 515-239-5199.

E-Verify Process:

The City of Ames participates in E-Verify and will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with information from each applicant’s Form I-9 to confirm work authorization. All candidates who are offered a position with the City of Ames must complete Section 1 of Form I-9 along with the required proof of their right to work in the United States and proof of their identity on their first day of employment. Please be prepared to provide required documents on your first day of employment. For additional information regarding acceptable documents for this purpose, please contact Human Resources at 515-239-5199 or go to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services web page at: http://www.uscis.gov. 

NOTE: Applicants with disabilities may submit requests for ADA testing or interview accommodations to the Human Resources Department prior to the test or interview.

The City of Ames is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, ancestry, national origin, marital status, disability, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against. Inquiries can be directed to the Human Resources Department at 515-239-5199.