Legal Assistant

Hiring Preference : The Kalispel Tribe of Indians is an Equal opportunity employer. Consistent with federal law, the Kalispel Tribe of Indians applies Indian preference in employment.

It is the policy of the Kalispel Tribe of Indians to give preference in hiring, promotions, and transfers into vacant positions to qualified applicants in the following order : 1) Kalispel Tribal Members;

2) Descendant or Spouse of an enrolled Kalispel Tribal Member; 3) enrolled members of other Indian Tribes; 4) all other applicants.

At-Will Employment : Employment with the Kalispel Tribe of Indians is at-will and can be terminated with or without cause, and with or without notice, at any time, either at the option of the employee or the Kalispel Tribe of Indians.

Drug Testing : The Kalispel Tribe of Indians is a drug free work place. All applicants are subject to drug testing at the time of hire and at unannounced times during employment.

Background Investigation : All candidates and employees may be subject to a background investigation.

SUMMARY :

The Tribe’s Legal Department provides a wide variety of services to the Tribal government, its programs, and economic enterprises.

This position provides administrative and executive support to the Tribe’s Attorneys and support staff in the areas of intakes, legal review, file preparation, case management, research, and general administrative support.

The employee’s substantive work is supervised by the Senior Paralegal and / or an attorney.

DUTIES :

• Receive and appropriately greet and transfer all incoming calls in a polite, expedient, and accurate manner.
• Assist Tribal Members with referrals to other legal services and follow up on referrals and provide Notary services to Tribal Members and Tribal Businesses / Departments.
• Create, maintain, and update electronic and physical files on a regular basis.
• Tracking of statute of limitations and assist in audit reviews.
• Schedule and set up meetings and / or telephonic conferences; attend meetings and / or conferences and take minutes.
• Order and maintain an appropriate stock of office supplies.
• Manage the maintenance and proper operation of office equipment.
• Assist the Executive Assistance with budgetary duties including processing invoices, reimbursements, purchases, mileage, etc.
• Process incoming / outgoing mail and delivery requests including certified mail, mail holds, express delivery, etc.
• Manage logs and processing / delivery of archived files and documents.
• Maintain subscriptions for various legal resources and education courses.
• Maintain calendars and schedule administrative responsibilities to ensure deadlines are met, work is completed in a timely manner, and matters are monitored on a routine basis.
• Draft and review legal waivers, releases, and other documents as needed.
• Coordinate travel arrangements, including flight, hotel, and car reservations.
• Coordinate with the Executive Assistant to the Senior Attorney and the Senior Paralegal to track training, continuing education, licenses, etc.
• Track attorney and staff schedules; assist with timesheets as necessary.
• Coordinate the use of Tribal vehicles for attorneys and staff.
• Coordinate the use of conference rooms and order food / beverages as necessary.
• Assist the Senior Paralegal with assignment of cases as necessary.
• Create and maintain presentation documents and spreadsheets.
• Provide support to attorneys and staff in the completion of special projects as needed.
• Assist in the control / protection of Tribal assets including, but not limited to, computers, printers, cell phones, keys, badges, office equipment, etc.
• Assist with new hires including, but not limited to, scheduling interviews, scheduling background checks, ordering equipment, coordinating software access and network privileges with the IT Department, etc.
• Coordinate with the IT Department to maintain current and accurate information for the Legal Department on the Tribe’s website.
• Ensure all open work areas are organized and clean.
• Coordinate with other Tribal programs to assist in the delivery of services.
• Complete initial intake of matters.
• Must maintain the highest level of confidentiality in the utmost ethical manner.
• Exemplary communication skills must be provided to Kalispel Tribal Members, Tribal Departments and Tribal Enterprises, Executive and Director level staff, coworkers, other governmental and outside agencies, vendors, and enterprise guests.
• Ensure the highest possible standards of guest satisfaction and Team Member relations are maintained and carried out in a fair and equitable manner.
• Observe office arrangements and workflow to determine expediency of implementing new or improved equipment and / or procedures.
• Comprehend and comply with all applicable policies and procedures.
• Must have a demonstrated capacity to function with minimal guidance in a highly demanding fast paced environment with good follow-through.
• Computer literacy including advanced word processing skills, presentation design, spreadsheet construction and database software skills.
• Ability to independently understand, follow, and implement complex instructions.
• Prior experience composing routine correspondence and reports.
• Prior experience managing projects and meeting tight deadlines.
• Must be detail-oriented and skilled in analyzing documents with a high level of detail and accuracy.
• Perform necessary clerical and administrative functions including typing, opening files, filing, copying, scanning, faxing, preparing check requests, ordering supplies, and preparing legal projects.
• Use proper formatting, terminology, spelling, grammar, and punctuation in all correspondence and communications both internally and externally.
• Familiarity with Tribal, Federal, and State laws.
• Ability to obtain Notary credentials.
• Adhere to all applicable tribal, federal, or state privacy laws and regulations.
• Position may require some travel.
• Ability to work outside of usual business hours when needed.
• Maintain a good attendance record.
• This job description does not list all duties of this position. You may be instructed to perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS :

May consider a suitable combination of pertinent education, experience, or training.

Bachelor’s degree, Paralegal or Legal Secretary degree, or other applicable field of study plus a minimum of four (4) years recent experience in applicable job-related duties.

EXPERIENCE :

• Legal administrative experience with demonstrated necessary organizational and managerial responsibilities.
• Familiarity with pleading / filing requirements for Tribal, Federal and Washington State Courts or demonstrated experience of interpreting relevant court rules.

SKILLS :

• Ability to effectively communicate both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain the highest of ethical standards. Ability to maintain confidentiality and use tact and discretion.
• Demonstrated computer skills utilizing a personal computer to create, update, manipulate and maintain appointments / calendars, databases, spreadsheets, and word processing documents.

MS Office including Word, Excel, Outlook, Adobe, Access, and PowerPoint skills required. Type minimum 60 WPM.

Skills in organizing multiple tasks and managing time effectively to meet deadlines and balance priorities required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS :

Significant portions of the job require extended sedentary periods; constant work with computers, including extended periods of keyboarding;

and repetitive motion of hands and wrists.

• This position requires the ability to bend, stoop, lift, carry, and move items weighing up to 20 pounds.
• This position requires frequent local travel and some travel abroad for training.
• This position requires the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
• Occasional evening meetings, weekend work, and on-call status may be required.

WORK ENVIRONMENT :

This position is performed primarily in an office environment.

Disclaimer : Certain Licenses and Certification requirements can be obtained once hired.