Law Office Assistant 1/2 (02-1563)

State of Alaska • Anchorage, AK

5d • Onsite

About The Position

The Public Defender Agency is hiring a Law Office Assistant at level 1 or 2. The role provides clerical support to attorneys and Agency administrators, helping keep office operations running smoothly and supporting the Agency’s representation of people who cannot afford counsel. No prior legal experience is required for the entry-level position, and the Agency provides formal and on-the-job training. The first six months are probationary and considered a training period. This is a flexibly staffed position: the level is determined by the applicant’s training and experience. An employee hired at level 1 may be assigned increasingly complex cases and promoted to level 2 after demonstrating proficiency and meeting its minimum qualifications.

Law Office Assistants work closely with attorneys, paralegals, investigators, and other staff, as well as serving as points of contact for the Court system, opposing counsel, clients, and the public. The office is in downtown Anchorage near the Nesbett and Boney courthouses. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with an hour lunch at noon. Downtown parking is provided near the office. The recruitment is open to Alaska residents only.

Requirements

• For level 1: One year of experience involving a combination of significant customer service; eliciting or exchanging information about requirements or procedures for securing services, authorizations, or goods; and/or standard administrative tasks such as preparing correspondence or reports, filing, data entry, receiving payments, or maintaining logs. Experience must include regular, proficient use of electronic management information systems, word processing, and other standard business software.
• For level 1, qualifying post-secondary education and/or applicable experience may substitute for the required experience. An associate’s degree or specific vocational-technical certification in a legal support career area may substitute for the required experience. Vocational-technical certification in a generalized business support career area may substitute for up to six months.
• For level 2, one year of specific experience as a Law Office Assistant 1 with the State of Alaska; successful completion of a formally established State of Alaska Law Office Assistant 1–2 flexible staffing training plan; or one year of law-office or other administrative experience using electronic management information systems and standard business software to prepare, review, or process legal documents.
• For level 2, a bachelor’s degree in a legal field may substitute for the required experience. An associate’s degree or specific vocational-technical certification in a legal support career area may substitute for up to six months; non-legal post-secondary education may substitute for up to six months; and generalized business support vocational-technical certification may substitute for up to three months.
• The recruitment is open to Alaska residents only.
• The selected applicant must pass a background investigation and may be re-fingerprinted because the role provides workplace access to ACOMS. Full disclosure of all past misdemeanor and felony convictions, including suspended impositions of sentence, is required; convictions may result in disqualification.
• If post-secondary education is used to meet minimum qualifications, education must be entered in the application and transcripts provided. Foreign education used for qualifications must be supported by the specified equivalency documentation.
• Applications must be completed in their entirety; a resume or CV is not a substitute for completing the application.

Responsibilities

• Provide clerical support to attorneys and Agency administrators.
• Maintain case file information in digital and physical files.
• Process police reports and evidence.
• Answer phones.
• File pleadings with the Court and opposing counsel.
• Prepare routine legal documents.
• Assist clients.
• Work with attorneys and other Agency staff to process and distribute evidence and case materials promptly.

Benefits

• Formal and on-the-job training during the initial training period.
• Opportunity to develop administrative and clerical skills and learn about the legal system.
• Potential career advancement to paralegal, investigative, and administrative management positions within the Agency, the State of Alaska, or the private sector.
• Downtown parking provided by the Agency near the office.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed