Legal Secretary Job Openings at City of Detroit

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Under general supervision, enhances attorney effectiveness by providing information-management support.

The Law Department is comprised of seven divisions: Administration, FOIA, Governmental Affairs, Litigation, Labor / Employment & Workers Compensation, Transaction & Economic Development, Criminal Enforcement and Quality of Life. Each division, with the exception of the Administration Division, is responsible for a discrete area of the law and is made up of several sections.

The Law Department is required by Charter to represent the City of Detroit in all civil actions or proceedings filed against the city. The Corporation Counsel may also prosecute any action or proceeding in which the city has a legal interest when directed to do so by the Mayor. The Corporation Counsel is the City’s Prosecutor and shall institute, on behalf of the people, cases arising from the provisions of the Charter or City ordinances, and prosecute all actions for the recovery of fines, penalties, and forfeitures.

The Law Department is responsible for providing advice and opinions to the Mayor, City Council, and all city agencies. The Law Department is also accountable for approving all contracts, bonds, and written instruments. Upon the request of the Mayor or any member of City Council, the Law Department drafts any ordinance or resolution for introduction before City Council.

• Receives clients and office visitors.
• Screens calls, takes messages and informs attorneys of urgent messages.
• Provides information regarding the status of cases and obtains information necessary to process cases.
• Operates personal computers to produce legal documents such as pleadings, briefs, opinions, complaints, orders, contracts, and subpoenas based upon verbal or written instructions, shorthand notes, rough drafts, or other materials.
• Composes routine letters and memoranda and prepares reports based upon verbal or written instruction and guidelines.
• Proofreads and corrects prepared materials for proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, syntax, and content.
• Review legal documents to ensure they are in the proper format and contain all necessary exhibits/attachments.
• Inputs retrieve, update information using computerized databases.
• Distributes, files, and serves documents in accordance with the court, administrative, City, Departmental and other governmental agencies procedures; and efiles documents in all courts.
• Communicates with other parties as directed; following-up on delegated assignments; knowing when to act and when to refer matters to attorneys.
• Sorts and prioritizes attorneys’ mail, including correspondence, motions, legal and/or court documents, and brings important or urgent matters to the attorneys’ attention.
• Maintains, organizes and updates attorneys’ calendar, tickler files, and file management.
• Schedules court appearances, assembles documents and exhibits, keeps a check on pending cases to avoid default in filing pleadings, and maintains court dockets and diaries.
• Assists attorneys in organizing and responding to multiple priorities.
• Accepts service of a variety of legal documents, including, but not limited to motions, briefs, and notarizes documents.
• Ensures all billable hours are accurately recorded.
• Schedules and arranges depositions, IMEs and other requested meetings, conferences and hearings.
• Prepares vouchers for payment of authorized expenses.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; and participating in professional organizations.
• Performs other duties as assigned

• High School diploma or GED and completion of a Legal Secretarial Training Program or other closely related training programs.
• Six months of clerical experience, preferably in a legal office.

-OR-

• One year of progressive clerical experience in a legal office environment.

LICENSE, CERTIFICATION AND OTHER SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Candidate must be able to qualify to become a Notary Public.

EQUIVALENCY

• Equivalent combinations of education and experience that provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities will be evaluated on an individual basis.

EVALUATION PLAN:

• Oral Interview – 70%
• Evaluation of Training, Experience and Personal (TEP) Qualifications – 30%
• Total of Computerized Assessment, Oral Interview & Evaluation of TEP – 100%
• Detroit Residency Credit: 15 points
• Veterans’ Points: 0 to 15 points

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• Legal terminology and syntax, and of the content, organization, and format of legal documents and correspondence.
• Court and administrative systems rules and procedures.
• Office organization, workflow, and procedures.

SKILL IN:

• Use of personal computers, common office word processing, database, and spreadsheet software.
• Accurate transcription of recorded dictation at a moderate speed.
• Performing basic arithmetic calculations.
• Preparing statistical reports.
• Information management.
• Use of technology as a tool to provide support to attorneys.
• Interpreting instructions and guidelines in order to make decisions and take necessary action(s).

ABILITY TO:

• Compose routine legal documents, letters, reports and summaries of complex material.
• Proofread and edit routine correspondence and legal documents for proper grammar, spelling and punctuation usage.
• Interpret and follow complex instructions and guidelines.
• Determine work priorities.
• Use business English with proficiency.
• Organize documents and files and handle changing priorities.
• Communicate effectively; use diplomacy and discretion in giving out information.
• Follow instructions.
• Maintain composure during stressful situations occurring as a result of workloads and/or deadlines.
• Effectively manage time.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

• None.

Candidates considered for placement in this classification may be subject to a Criminal Background Investigation based on the requirements of the position.

The above statements describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to the class. Incumbents may be required to perform job-related responsibilities and tasks other than those stated in this specification. Specific job duties may vary from position to position.