Legal Secretary - Public Defender

Pima County • Tucson, AZ

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Pima County Public Defender’s Office is seeking a qualified and dedicated Legal Secretary to join its team of professionals representing adult clients charged with felony offenses. Our Legal Secretaries are an integral part of the defense team who provide administrative and clerical support to two or more attorneys. The Legal Secretary effectively communicates with attorneys, colleagues and clients, is responsible for maintaining case files, filing legal documents with the Courts, preparing correspondence, and performing general office tasks. For more information on the Pima County Public Defense Services Department and the offices in this department, please visit their website at: www.pima.gov/pds.

Requirements

• Successful completion of coursework in legal terminology or legal office procedures from an accredited school AND one year of legal clerical experience involving the preparation and processing of legal documents or providing legal clerical support to an attorney.
• Associate’s degree or a certificate of completion from an accredited college or technical school as a legal secretary may substitute for one year of experience.
• One year with Pima County in a Legal Processing Support or closely-related position as determined by the department head at the time of recruitment.
• Relevant experience and/or education from an accredited college or university may be substituted.

Nice To Haves

• Some positions require a valid Arizona Class D driver license at the time of application or appointment.

Responsibilities

• Gathers information, prepares legal documents, completes legal forms, correspondence, documents such as briefs, opinions, complaints, warrants, affidavits, depositions and monitors to ensure legal requirements and deadlines are met.
• Reviews new cases and sets up interviews between clients, law enforcement personnel and attorneys.
• Reviews materials received, sets up files and initiates paperwork.
• Takes and/or transcribes from electronic dictation, prepares legal reports, correspondence, forms such as petitions, jury instructions and disclosures.
• Determines prioritization of trials, sets up and maintains calendars of hearings, trials, depositions and response times to pending litigation.
• Compiles statistical data concerning unit operations, at the direction of the attorney and/or paralegal, prepares periodic and special reports.
• Prepares motions for continuance, suspension or dismissal through the court system.
• Coordinates work activities with trial teams and/or divisions.
• Acts as liaison for attorney and/or paralegal regarding case preparation, discovery and prepares appropriate legal documents as required.
• Communicates with clients or witnesses to obtain or verify legal information for cases.
• Word processes a variety of technical and confidential documents, contracts, ordinances, case dispositions and privileged attorney client information.
• Reviews, sorts and proofreads legal documents for attorney and/or paralegal.
• Files and indexes legal documents produced and received in the case files.
• Edits legal documents for appropriateness of legal or technical terminology, grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Operates a variety of office equipment.

Benefits

• competitive salaries
• generous health insurance coverage
• retirement plans
• flexible work schedules
• generous family leave policy
• wellness programs
• opportunities for professional advancement through training programs, workshops, and educational reimbursement programs
• County-wide employee recognition program

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 1,001-5,000 employees