Legal Secretary/Court Reporter

Allegany County•Allegany County, MD

About The Position

Under limited supervision, provides advanced and specialized secretarial and administrative support to the Office of the County Attorney in a strictly confidential environment. Supports the County Attorney’s activities; prepares legal pleadings and confidential or non-routine correspondence and documents; screens and routes telephone calls and correspondence; and performs administrative work involving regulatory manuals, resource binders, supplies and equipment, budget expenditures, personnel, payroll, and other records. The position also performs Notary Public services and serves as Public Information Officer, processing public information requests, calendaring response deadlines, coordinating with departments to obtain documents, preparing timely responses and applicable denials under supervision, and preparing fee estimates and invoices.

Requirements

High school graduation or equivalent, including or supplemented by courses in English, transcribing, typing, office practice, legal terminology, and human resources terminology.
Knowledge of modern office methods, procedures, word-processing equipment, legal processes, legal documents and terminology, clerical practices, office equipment, filing systems, the Maryland Public Information Act, and the Maryland Open Meetings Act.
Skill in English punctuation, sentence structure, grammar, and spelling; personal computers and standard word-processing software; and monitoring and assessing performance to make improvements or take corrective action.
Ability to work independently on difficult or complex clerical tasks; prepare, verify, and correct legal documents and complicated legal instruments; and operate a computer using standard data-entry, word-processing, and spreadsheet software.
Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment; initiate and prioritize work; solve problems and meet fixed or fluctuating deadlines; screen and prioritize communications and visitors; and coordinate schedules and events.
Certification as a Notary Public in Maryland or eligibility for such certification.
A comparable amount of training and experience may be substituted for the minimum qualifications.

Nice To Haves

Four years of legal clerical or secretarial experience with a practicing attorney, or an associate degree in Legal Secretarial Science with a computer background.
At least two years of experience as a legal clerical or secretarial employee with a practicing attorney.

Responsibilities

Support the County Attorney’s activities.
Prepare legal pleadings as directed and in proper form.
Receive and screen telephone calls and correspondence directed to supervisors and refer them appropriately.
Prepare confidential and non-routine correspondence and documents.
Update regulatory manuals and resource binders; requisition supplies and equipment; and maintain and process budgetary expenditures, personnel, payroll, and miscellaneous records.
Perform Notary Public services.
Serve as Public Information Officer by receiving and processing public information requests and calendaring response deadlines.
Coordinate public information request responses with other departments to obtain documents and prepare timely responses, including applicable mandatory or permissive denials, under the supervision of the Office of the County Attorney or delegated supervisor.
Prepare cost estimates and invoices for fees.
Schedule appointments, maintain supervisors’ calendars, and coordinate calendared events with departments, agencies, private concerns, and affected individuals.
Compose correspondence responding to routine inquiries or complaints.
Screen and prioritize correspondence, calls, and visitors; refer matters that can be handled by others to the appropriate person or department.
Prepare, verify, and correct legal documents and complicated legal instruments.
Perform clerical and administrative work, including compiling, consolidating, and summarizing information and handling claims, requisitions, and payroll time reports.