Legal Secretary
Category: Classified
Pay Grade: C20
Job Code: 11150
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
Job Summary
Performs responsible advanced legal secretarial work; deals with subjects primarily legal in nature and must be familiar with legal terminology; performs a wide variety of clerical tasks which require the application of independent judgment and knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, and procedures; handles the receipt and disposition of office calls, visitors, and mail and may include the accurate recording and transcription of oral dictation utilizing stenography and/or tape-recording equipment; maintains appointment calendars and schedules of meetings.
Essential Job Functions (examples, not all inclusive)
- Keeps appointment calendars, schedules appointments, and legal hearings and advises supervisors of important meetings and hearings;
- Prepares legal instruments such as pleadings, ordinances, legal briefs, agreements, legislations, subpoenas, deeds, resolutions, and related documents;
- Files pleadings with the appropriate court;
- Sets up files, files letters, legal pleadings, and related materials and assembles information for supervisor’s use;
- Scans and converts documents received to ensure proper formatting and profiling;
- Transcribes handwritten documents for review and editing;
- Receives and screens callers, gives information on office operations, and refers callers to other employees, officials or departments as warranted;
- Researches case law in preparation for hearings/cases;
- Processes incoming mail and expense reports;
- Performs other related job duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Education and Experience:
Three (3) years of legal secretarial experience; or an Associate’s degree or two (2) years of college in a related field and one (1) year of legal secretarial experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.
Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):
- Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
- Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
- Ability to type at 55 words per minute.
- Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of local, state, and federal court procedures and policies;
- Knowledge of business English, spelling, punctuation, arithmetic, legal terminology, and legal instruments and formats;
- Knowledge of file systems, office procedures, and equipment and automated information systems equipment, functions, and capabilities;
- Skill in typing and the operation of word processing equipment;
- Ability to apply computer applications and software;
- Ability to prepare routine legal documents and compose correspondence;
- Ability to deal with the public in an effective and courteous manner and establish and maintain effective working relationships with supervisors, other organizations, and the general public.
Physical/Mental Demands
The work is sedentary work which requires exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
- Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
- Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
- Visual ability: Sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; and to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.
- Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recording on transcription device.
- Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.
- Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
- Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
- Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
- Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
Working Conditions
Work is performed in a relatively safe, secure, and stable work environment.