Legal Assistant (56403)

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid•San Antonio, TX

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) provides free civil legal services to residents in 68 Southwest Texas counties and represents migrant and seasonal farm workers throughout the state and in six other southern states. TRLA serves about 23,000 clients each year. However, more than 2.6 million residents of Southwest Texas are considered eligible for TRLA services, a ratio of almost 21,000 potential clients per legal aid lawyer. As a result, thousands of low-income Texans still lack access to civil legal representation. TRLA has an opening for a Legal Assistant in its San Antonio office. The candidate should be detail-oriented, punctual, self-driven, able to work on multiple assignments at once, and responsive to the legal needs of low-income persons. The work schedule is Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., plus additional hours if occasionally requested to meet deadlines.

Requirements

Type minimum of 45 words per minute
Experience with word processing
Minimum of two years secretarial experience

Nice To Haves

Preference given to persons with high school degree or equivalent
Bilingual in English and Spanish

Responsibilities

Type, file, and handle all clerical office matters for the casehandlers to whom assigned
Maintain client files and applications and complete assigned work on case files within the required time frame
Make copies of documents as requested
Create files for all new cases
Notarize documents
Maintain office law library
Communicate with clients and other lawyers as requested
Coordinate schedules and maintain case requirements calendar of casehandlers, as requested
Prepare standard pleadings for review by attorneys
Set hearings, depositions and other appointments with clients and other attorneys as requested
Compose routine correspondence
Obtain information from data base and check conflict of interest
Make appropriate disposition of applications as instructed by assigned attorney
Answer office telephone as required, and take messages for other staff
Handle incoming and outgoing mail, ensuring that all incoming mail is distributed to the appropriate parties and that outgoing correspondence is prepared in time and is placed in the appropriate location for mailing
Assist in overflow work to ensure smooth office operations
Maintain office equipment by replenishing toner in copiers and printers when necessary and refilling copier and printer paper trays as needed; and respond to equipment breakdowns, distracting office conditions and other office conditions requiring management attention
Maintain office supply inventory and requisitions supplies and office equipment when necessary
Maintain trust accounts according to standard accounting procedures, including typing of trust account checks or receipts or reporting, whichever is assigned by the branch or office manager
Orient new employees on office procedures and briefs employees on policy and procedure changes
Coordinate staff leave and travel arrangements for staff
Translate
All other secretarial duties as may be requested by the immediate supervisor