Legal Secretary
This description is a general statement of required major duties and responsibilities performed on a regular and ongoing basis, and does not exclude other duties as may be assigned to ensure proper functioning of the program.
The Legal Secretary carries out routine duties and responsibilities and works with minimal supervision.. The Legal Secretary knows and understands office policies, procedures and practices necessary to conduct normal project functions. The Legal Secretary has an excellent grasp of the fundamentals of written communication in English and in Spanish, including excellent spelling, grammar, and punctuation usage. Duties include but are not limited to the following:
1. Provides administrative support to attorneys and legal advocates;
2. Answers telephones, screens callers, take accurate messages and greets visitors; opens, sorts and distributes mail;
3. Conducts intake interviews for clients who visit the office seeking assistance;
4. Prepares for attorney review and signature a variety of legal correspondence, petitions, pleadings, motions and interrogatories;
5. Prepares outgoing correspondence to insure all legal documents and enclosures are in proper processing order and that correspondence is grammatically correct;
6. Files documents with the court;
7. Maintains follow up records relating to legal matters in process, and ensures that legal requirements and deadlines are met;
8. Performs a variety of secretarial duties, such as setting up and/or maintaining filing systems and appointment calendars, answering inquiries over the phone or in person, and managing secretarial and administrative details with minimum direction;
9. Assists attorneys or legal staff with interpreting/translating for monolingual Spanish-speaking clients in attorney-client interviews, and correspondence;
10. Provides support in short term legal projects, including, but not limited to trial preparation tasks;
11. Assists with library maintenance;
12. Performs other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
1. At least two years prior secretarial experience or equivalent experience;
2. Legal Secretary certification or diploma from an accredited school;
3. Ability to type at least 70 words per minute;
4. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills; highly organized and effective in a fast-paced environment; ability to maintain confidentiality of consumers and organization;
5. Bilingual English/Spanish required, in both written and oral communication ;
6. Demonstrated ability to work effectively with diverse groups of individuals and organizations;
7. Ability to set priorities, meet deadlines, and a willingness to adapt to changing situations; Must exercise good judgment and demonstrate initiative in completion of job assignments and duties;
8. Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication skills; Ability to work well with others and deal with the public in a courteous and professional manner;
9. Competency with PC systems and standard software (Microsoft Office, Access, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and relevant databases);
10. Reliable transportation, a valid CA Drivers’ License with appropriate car insurance.
Please e-mail cover letter, resume, and three references along with a legal writing sample (no more than 3 pages) to: Manuel Romero, Director of Administration- mromero@centralcallegal.org
CCLS is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. All interested individuals, including women, people of color, people over forty, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply