City of Yakima · 8 hours ago
Legal Assistant III - Civil Division
Yakima, WA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$5,602.13/mo - $6,792.93/mo
4+ years expThe City of Yakima is looking to add a talented new Legal Assistant to the Civil division. The successful candidate will perform a variety of case management and litigation support work involving complex paraprofessional tasks, supporting the civil division staff members of the City Attorney’s Office.
GovernmentOffice Administration
Responsibilities
Performs the duties of either a Legal Assistant I or II, while applying higher level of operational knowledge and experience in drafting, formatting, and filing pleadings in municipal, district, superior court or higher
Provides ongoing leadership, assistance, guidance, training, direction and support to subordinate staff members
Performs as a resource to other employees; possesses and demonstrates a high level of knowledge and skill concerning policies, procedures and techniques necessary to handle issues as they arise
Provides information and feedback to the office supervisor or City attorneys on process improvements, policy issues, and/or subordinate performance and may contribute to the performance evaluation process
Prepares, organizes, reviews, and files a variety of legal pleadings such as trial briefs, motions and orders, judgments, notices of appearance, answers to summons and complaints, depositions, affidavits, interrogatories, and subpoenas
Prepares and finalizes discovery, both propounded and responsive
Reviews discovery requests provided by opposing party and identifies necessary information needed to obtain appropriate records
May provide assistance to attorneys during trial
Organizes, drafts, prepares, types and processes a variety of legal forms and documents such as ordinances, resolutions, legislation, leases, agreements, contracts, easements, legal descriptions, jury instructions, memoranda, and briefs for trial and appellate advocacy; submits to attorneys for approval, revision or signature; ensures proper completion within legally mandated time frames
Is responsible for completed work being neat, orderly and professionally presented without requiring oversight
Drafts, prepares, and types correspondence and other written materials independently or from a rough draft, notes or verbal instructions
Proofreads and edits legal documents and other written materials to ensure accuracy and completeness; corrects errors and omissions
Assists with a variety of complex, technical, and administrative duties for the Risk Management division; intakes, tracks and prepares contracts for attorney review, approval, signature, and routing; administers and tracks claims against the City; performs case management for the Civil division
Assists attorney in reviewing and redacting documents subject to public disclosure, assesses and applies exemptions from disclosure pursuant to case law and RCWs, and responds to such requests as needed; stays current with public record laws and best practices to ensure compliance; and works closely with the City Clerk’s office
Performs legal research to ascertain most current decisions by state and federal courts; searches for documents in the computer data base; retrieves, stores, edits, and prints documents as needed
Assists attorneys in preparation for trial or other court proceedings by contacting and preparing subpoenas for witnesses
Receives, screens, and answers a variety of inquiries from witnesses, attorneys, and staff within scope of authority, by phone or in person, regarding pending claims, or litigation, and address issues that do not require attorney attention; explains policies and regulations; refers to other offices and agencies as appropriate
May assist in supervising the organization and maintenance of complex and confidential departmental files and records; pulls files and makes appropriate notations regarding legal actions
May assist in assigning, prioritizing and monitoring work
Provides training and assists in developing and implementing procedures that encourage consistency and ensure the smooth operation of the division
May assist in coordinating the preparation of division and departmental budgets; may act as liaison with the Department of Finance and Budget
May be asked to review operational and budget reports and assist in setting priorities and scheduling reports to the City Manager and City Council
Attends department staff meetings and may attend off-site meetings, including but not limited to City Council meetings and other public forums on behalf of the department at times to make presentations
May lead, oversee and coordinate office support activities; may train and provide work direction to subordinate employees
May assist in departmental clerical hiring and personnel procedures to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures
Delivers/picks-up mail or other documents as needed
Acts in a safe, efficient and responsible manner, legally adhering to traffic laws, rules and regulations when driving/operating vehicles to perform required off-site duties
Contributes to the effectiveness of the Legal Department and City government by demonstrating and fostering an attitude that encourages cooperation and coordination of efforts, productive time management, and efficient use of resources
Provides continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively to provide exceptional customer service to internal and external customers
May perform the duties of the Legal Department Office Supervisor during absences
May be asked to aid the Legal Assistant III – Criminal Division or other legal assistants working in the criminal division with tasks/duties when short-staffed or as assigned
Requires regular, reliable, and punctual attendance
Perform other related duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
High school diploma or equivalent
Four (4) years of increasingly responsible legal paralegal, legal assistant and/or legal administrative work experience in civil litigation, civil municipal law and/or in direct support of an attorney
Must pass Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) background check and become CJIS ACCESS approved by the Washington State Patrol before hire date
Must have the ability to become bonded as a notary public of the State of Washington
Preferred
A Bachelor's degree in one or more of the following fields: pre-law, economics, business, political science, English, communication or sociology from an accredited college or university may substitute for one year of experience
Two (2) years of paralegal, legal assistant and/or legal administrative work experience PLUS legal certification(s) to include: Professional Legal Assistant (PLS); Legal Studies; Accredited Legal Professional (ALP); Certified Paralegal; or directly related
Previous experience in a municipal legal department or private law firm with a focus on municipal law (i.e. civil municipal law, not criminal prosecution or defense) or civil litigation
Benefits
Comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage
FREE healthcare clinic!
WA State PERS pension plan
3% contribution to a 457 deferred compensation plan
Employee contribution to Teamsters Pension Plan
Leave accruals:
Vacation – Starting at 8 hours/month
Sick – 8 hours/month
Personal holiday – 3 days
Observed holiday – 11 holidays
Up to 5% bilingual/biliterate English/Spanish special pay
Longevity pay
$100,000 Life Insurance
Much more!
Company
City of Yakima
City of Yakima has been the cultural, business, educational, health services, and governmental focal point of the Central Washington region.
501-1000 employees
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$1MKey Investors
Washington state Department of Commerce
2022-04-04Grant· $1M
Recent News
Washington State Department of Commerce
2022-04-27
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