Legal Specialist

About the Role:
As a Legal Specialist, you will be a key member of our Legal Department, ensuring compliance with legal obligations and providing timely guidance to internal clients. This role requires a trustworthy, conscientious, and discrete individual who exercises good judgment and is assertive enough to escalate matters that could expose the bank to legal or reputational harm. You will handle confidential matters of great sensitivity to United Community, its customers, and employees.

What You’ll Do:

• Branch Support: Provide technical guidance to branch personnel regarding account opening and related matters.
• Legal Compliance: Receive, log, and respond to court orders, garnishments, and levies.
• Information Requests: Handle subpoenas and other requests for information, including detailed searches of bank systems and communication with law enforcement and external litigants.
• Collaboration: Work directly with internal and external counsel on garnishment, levy, and subpoena-related activities.
• Research: Perform archived email searches and other research in support of litigation discovery.
• Complaint Handling: Expeditiously receive and respond to legal complaints.
• Reconciliation: Reconcile general ledger items, checking accounts, and credit cards; manage IOLTA accounts for interest report submissions.
• Administrative Tasks: Order Legal Department supplies and ensure compliance with procedures.
• Risk Management: Escalate matters that expose the bank to significant legal or reputational risk.
• Mentorship: Train and mentor less-seasoned members of the Legal Specialist team.
• Additional Duties: Perform other related duties as assigned.

What We’re Looking For:

Experience:

• Minimum 5 years of experience in banking or related field required; CSR or operational experience preferred.

Education:

• High school diploma or equivalent required; college degree preferred.

Required Skills:

• Highly efficient and able to perform a full range of Legal Specialist functions.
• Discrete and able to maintain confidentiality and work on highly-sensitive matters.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office programs and utilizing bank systems.
• Extraordinary attention to detail, accuracy, and conscientiousness in completing job functions.
• Superior communication and interpersonal skills, including the ability to fluently discuss technical aspects of job functions.
• Service-oriented, with a natural inclination to treat external customers and co-workers from other departments with respect and kindness.
• Diligently participate and complete all required compliance training, including Bank Secrecy Act/anti-money laundering training, as well as internal, external, and online training programs, meetings, etc.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience in a legal or compliance role within a banking environment.

Work Environment:

• In person. Blairsville, GA or Greenville, SC.

Position Type:

• Full-time position requiring schedule flexibility to work evenings and weekends as needed.

Travel:

• N/A

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state, or local protected class.

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.