Legal Assistant

Pay:     ($15.38)         FLSA Status: Non-exempt

START DATE:         Immediately

POSITION INFORMATION:

Resume, cover letter, and county application are required for this position. Please submit all materials to Lorri Robb at lrobb@co.gooding.id.us 

JOB DESCRIPTION

The Legal Assistant is responsible for opening, preparing, organizing, maintaining and monitoring the ongoing status of legal case files.  The Legal Assistant must have strong organization skills, and attention to detail.  The Legal Assistant’s duties vary somewhat with job assignment between civil and criminal cases but include examining and correctly identifying case documentation to prepare legal documents and develop and maintain full and complete case files.  The Legal Assistant works closely with prosecuting attorneys and must be able to understand the facts of each case.  The Legal Assistant attends trials as needed with the prosecuting attorney, prepares exhibits, audios and videos and takes notes of court activities and testimony.  The position is thirty-five (35) hours per week, generally Monday-Thursday.  The principal duties of the Legal Assistant are performed in the office.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES (illustrative only and may vary by assignment)

• Works closely with prosecuting attorneys to ensure their case needs are met correctly, accurately and on schedule;

• Manages assigned cases from intake through disposition, including discovery requests and responses, pleadings, data entry, etc.;

• Monitors case files to ensure documents are ready for attorneys and data entry is complete and accurate, ensures that documents are filed into appropriate folders, updates and organizes file folders as needed and purges outdated files as directed and according to Office policies and procedures;

• Calendars and schedules hearings and appointments for the Gooding County Prosecuting Attorney, schedules and coordinates meetings, monitors calendar/schedule for required court appearances;

• Requests reports and certified documents for case preparation; 

• Prepares a large variety of legal forms, documents and reports; 

• Drafts discovery requests and responses, affidavits, and numerous other legal documents;

• Files documents with courts;

• Receives notice of hearings, enters hearing dates on the appropriate forms, notifies appropriate parties of hearings; 

• Maintains files throughout the pendency of the case;

• Operates standard office equipment, a personal computer, and operates and maintains specialized office and case data entry and tracking systems, and related equipment;

• Operates and maintains case management system including electronic and paper files, reviews and verifies file notes for accuracy and inputs into case management system;

• Answers inquiries and provides information from case files to law enforcement officers, defense attorneys, defendants, and appropriate parties according to Office policies and procedures;  

• Provides legal secretarial support to prosecuting attorneys and co-workers as needed; 

• Maintains strict confidentiality in all cases;

• Performs other duties as assigned by the Gooding County Prosecuting Attorney; 

• Performs all work duties and activities in accordance with Gooding County Prosecuting Attorney policies and procedures.

   

  POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

  The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and ability required to satisfactorily perform each essential duty required for this position. 

  Knowledge of:

• English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and composition; 

• Must possess basic office skills.

   

   Possess or have ability to learn:

• Work cooperatively and constructively with prosecuting attorneys, co-workers and members of the public to provide public service of the highest quality;

• Legal, court, and judicial procedures, rules, terminology, methods, documents, practices, and objectives;

• Prosecutorial ethics;

• Gooding County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office policies and procedures;

• Proficiently operate computers, software programs, such as Word Perfect, Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or similar office software to create documents and other materials, maintain information, and generate reports with attention to detail;

• Follow verbal and written instructions;

• Work independently and exercise initiative, with general guidance and supervision;  

• Maintain a professional demeanor at all times; 

• Perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of strict deadlines;

• Demonstrate integrity and ingenuity the performance of assigned tasks and solving problems; 

• Maintain strict confidentiality.

  MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING:

• Graduation from high school, preferably supplemented with an Associate’s Degree, and,

• Minimum of two (2) years office experience, or

• An equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the required skills, knowledge and abilities to successfully perform the essential functions of the position may be considered. 

PHYSICAL DEMANDS & WORK ENVIRONMENT:  

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.  

The Legal Assistant is frequently required to stand, sit, stoop, kneel, bend, use hands to type, handle materials or manipulate tools, and reach with hands and arms.  The Legal Assistant must have adequate vision, including close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus.  The Legal Assistant must have sufficient clarity of speech and hearing abilities to permit her to discern verbal instructions and communicate effectively in person and by telephone.  The Legal Assistant must occasionally lift or move up to 25 pounds.   The Legal Assistant works in an office where the noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.  The Legal Assistant is routinely exposed to interviews, audio recordings and photos that are sexually explicit, violent or graphic.     

County Application can be obtained on the main web page-how do I-employment opportunities-on the right you will see tools and download application.