Job Description
The Senior Legal Assistant will work to support the attorneys by performing legal work in addition to clerical duties. The Senior Legal Assistant communicates on a daily basis with members of the public, attorneys, judges, and department heads.
The Senior Legal Assistant will work with, or supervise, the Legal Assistants and Administrative Assistant as part of a team to ensure that the responsibilities of the unit are met.
Essential Functions
Administrative duties
- Compile the quarterly report
- Compile daily / weekly reports as needed for the Chief, the Chief’s chain of command, discovery and Right To Know Requests
- Input data into case management system regarding all matters handled by the unit
- Assist in preparing witnesses for hearings and requesting discovery
- Coordinate appearance of court reporters and technology providers
- Prepare court notices, subpoenas for documents and witnesses, trial exhibits
- Schedule Independent Medical / Psychological Examinations, depositions
- Interview City employees as part of investigations to determine liability and prepare the witnesses for hearings
- Follow up on action items
- Liaise with client departments, including Police Labor Relations and Mayor’s Office of Labor Relations, and opposing counsel to achieve the above
Clerical work
- Set up all new cases files, typically for Arbitration and PLRB matters
- Maintain attorney and group calendars for all hearings
- Copy, scan, fax and hand-deliver documents
- Redact sensitive information from discoverable documents
- Preserve electronic copies of documents all grievances / ULP packages received from MOLR (grievance demand, notification of hearing date, arbitrator resume / arb letter (if one exists)
Miscellaneous
- Duties as the Chief require
- Assisting attorneys with the logistics of case management, document preparation and trial.
Competencies, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
- Ability to maintain large volumes of documents and data utilizing databases such as SharePoint;
- Qualified candidates must be hard working, organized, attend to detail, and have an eager, helpful attitude;
- Knowledge of City procedures is a plus;
- Excellent time management and organizational skills;
- Excellent written and oral communication;
- Ability to work in a demanding and fast-paced setting;
- Ability to work productively on one’s own, and collaboratively;
- Knowledge of legal concepts such as attorney-client privilege and relevance.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree or paralegal certificate and / or experience as an administrative assistant with specific experience with contract drafting and management.