Legal Assistant

Position: Legal Assistant

Department: Public Defender Office

Status: Full time salary position with full benefits package

Job Summary

Provides a wide variety of clerical and administrative duties to support the Branch County Public Defender’s Office. Drafts, transcribes, types, edits, copies and/or distributes correspondence, minutes, reports, and legal documents. Receives and responds to telephone calls in a timely and professional manner, providing requested information and/or referring individuals to the appropriate staff members. Creates and maintains case files and documents in both paper and electronic format. This position handles highly confidential information and must function efficiently and effectively in a fast-paced, professional environment. Assist attorneys and staff by investigating facts, preparing legal documents, or researching legal precedents to support a legal proceeding and/or to formulate a defense.

Duties and Responsibilities

The primary job duties and responsibilities include and are not limited to:

• Maintain the order of legal documents by preparing files and other documents, such as legal correspondence, and organizing and maintaining the documents in paper and electronic form.
• Prepare legal documents, including briefs, pleadings, witness/exhibit lists, appearance and demands and subpoenas, etc.
• Prepare for trial by performing tasks such as organizing exhibits.
• Assist with researching relevant legal materials as directed by the attorneys.
• File pleadings with court clerk.
• Gather and analyze research data, such as statutes, court decisions, and legal articles, codes, and documents.
• Evaluate information related to legal matters in public or personal records.
• Mail, fax, or arrange for delivery of legal correspondence to clients, witnesses and court officials.
• Receive and place telephone calls, direct calls and send messages.
• Schedule and make appointments.
• Make photocopies of correspondence, documents, and other printed matters.
• Assist attorneys in collecting information such as employment, phone and other records.
• Perform general office activities, such as typing, answering telephones, operating office machines, processing mail, or securing confidential materials.
• Sort or classify information according to guidelines, such as content, purpose, user criteria, or chronological, alphabetical, or numerical order.
• Add new material to file records or create new records as necessary.
• Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.
• Other duties may be assigned.

Minimum Requirements and Qualifications

This position requires knowledge normally acquired through an associate’s degree in a related field of study and/or two to three years of experience providing legal administrative support, preferably in criminal defense. Computer skills necessary to effectively utilize word processing, databases, spreadsheets, scanning and imaging, e-mail, internet, and meeting scheduling are required. The minimum qualifications required to successfully perform this job include a knowledge of legal procedure, an understanding of criminal representation and knowledge obtained by preparing and submitting legal documents.

Qualifications include:

• Minimum of two years’ work experience in a legal environment, criminal defense preferred.
• Computer skills and experience with Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Outlook and others as may be required.
• Ability to send and receive e-mails, scan and copy utilizing a copier/scanner.
• Knowledge of internet functions with the ability to search, locate and process information.
• Professionalism regarding appropriately handling both confidential information and sensitive situations. Must maintain absolute confidentiality in matters related to attorney-client communications.

Working conditions

This position works in a normal office environment that may be affected by occasional discomfort due to cold, heat, dust, and noise. Occasional travel may be required between County building locations. Extended workdays may be required occasionally. Occasional lifting of office supply boxes may be required.

Physical requirements

This job requires activities consistent with a normal office environment.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $19.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday

Ability to Commute:

• Coldwater, MI 49036 (Required)

Ability to Relocate:

• Coldwater, MI 49036: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $19