Legal Administrative Assistant-Senior Advocacy Unit

BAY AREA LEGAL SERVICES INC•Tampa, FL

10h•Hybrid

About The Position

Bay Area Legal Services is seeking a full-time Legal Administrative Assistant for its Senior Advocacy Unit. The position supports attorneys and staff providing legal services to low-income clients. Duties include tracking and compiling case information; entering information into the Legal Server case-management system; preparing and proofreading documents from attorney drafts; scheduling meetings; handling client calls, faxes, and correspondence; assisting clients with applications for eligibility review; and preparing grant reports and supporting data. The role also supports case opening, ongoing case management, and case closure; processes referrals and conflict checks; retrieves online court records; tracks mail, deadlines, court dates, and client requirements; assists with interpreters and translators; drafts simple pleadings, notarizes documents, and e-files pleadings. Additional duties include administrative and file maintenance, grant reporting support, and arranging community outreach events in Pasco County. The home office is in Tampa, Florida, with a hybrid schedule of three days in the office and two days remote.

Requirements

High school diploma or equivalent certificate of completion (GED).
Three years of administrative assistant experience, including at least one year in a Legal Administrative Assistant or Legal Administrative Support position.
Intermediate proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills; detailed and deadline oriented.
Ability to interview clients to determine essential facts and issues regarding the nature and severity of their legal problems.
Ability to work responsibly and independently, contribute as a team member, and organize case-management information, files, and data.
Ability and willingness to work closely with staff on clients' legal problems and to accept supervision and instruction.
Compassionate understanding of the social, economic, and legal issues faced by low-income individuals with limited access to services.
Ability to relate effectively to diverse groups and individuals.

Nice To Haves

Bilingual in English and Spanish.
Experience with a nonprofit organization.
Demonstrated success working as an effective team member.

Responsibilities

Organize and open case files, maintain them in compliance with grant requirements, and document case activities in Legal Server.
Interview applicants for legal assistance and establish preliminary eligibility.
Receive and process referrals, perform conflict checks, search and download online court records, and forward relevant information to attorneys.
Log incoming mail and track deadlines, court dates, client classes, disclosures, and updated financial affidavits.
Assist with scheduling translators and interpreters and prepare payment for them as necessary.
Draft simple pleadings, notarize documents, and e-file pleadings.
Assist with correspondence and phone calls, and prepare and proofread documents for submission.
Prepare closing letters and client evaluation or satisfaction surveys, complete closing checklists, and close briefs and files in the case-management system.
Complete or review LSC compliance checklists and confirm that Team Leader sign-off is complete before closing cases.
Track case results and gather and supply information for grant reporting, including LSC, VOCA, SAFENET, and LHK reporting.
Perform administrative support duties such as copying, distributing and preparing mail, maintaining hard-copy files, and handling phones and faxes.
Arrange community outreach events to educate underserved communities in Pasco County about available services.