Legal Assistant - Fairfax

DHRM•Fairfax, VA

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC), a Commonwealth of Virginia Independent Agency, is dedicated to protecting and defending the rights of our clients through zealous, compassionate, high-quality legal advocacy. The Fairfax Public Defender Office is committed to providing dedicated, compassionate, client-based, and community-embedded representation for the indigent clients that we represent. The Fairfax Public Defender Office is now accepting applications for the position of Legal Assistant. The qualified candidate will provide administrative and clerical support for attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists in the Public Defenders’ office. The Legal Assistant position reports to the Chief Public Defender of the Fairfax Office and is employed at-will.

Requirements

Working knowledge of office practices and procedures to include creating and editing letters, memos, and legal documents
Experience in use of computer software to include word processing, spreadsheet and database applications
Experience using Microsoft applications to include, Word and Excel
Familiarity with Google Suite applications, to include Gmail, Google Docs, etc.
Experience creating and managing an electronic and manual filing system
Skills in keyboarding
Ability to communicate both effectively and compassionately with clients as well as their support networks and other participants in the legal system
Ability to respond to the immediate needs of the public

Nice To Haves

Prior experience providing administrative and clerical support in a criminal justice and/or legal environment
Bi-lingual in Spanish and English

Responsibilities

Greeting persons entering the Public Defender Office
Operating a multi-line telephone system
Screening and forwarding calls
Providing information to callers
Taking messages
Scheduling appointments
Typing a variety of documents to include but not limited to memos, letters, and various types of legal documents
Maintaining a filing and record-keeping system
Collecting, sorting, distributing, and preparing mail
Communicating and interacting with public defender office colleagues, clients and judicial system personnel
Communicating effectively and compassionately with clients, client support networks, and with members of the public or other members of the legal community
Providing Spanish language services to include interpretation and translation of court-related materials
Assisting with translations during attorney-client meetings and/or phone calls