Senior Legal Secretary

Los Angeles Unified School District

26d • $34 - $42

About The Position

We are LAUSD. We are at the forefront of innovation in public education, focused on a clear and inspiring vision of the future for all of our students as they venture forward on their journey as lifelong learners. Here, you will have the opportunity to exercise your potential in a role supporting the business of education. Our work directly contributes toward the goal of ensuring that our students graduate ready for the world – ready to thrive in college, career and life.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of nearly 575,000 students. We serve an area totaling 710 square miles, with over 1,190 schools and educational centers, and we employ over 74,000 individuals, making us one of the largest employers in our city.

LAUSD EMPLOYEES: Please be advised that all LAUSD employees must sign in to the GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN) in order to submit an application from an external network outside of an LAUSD location. For assistance with installing the GlobalProtect virtual network, please contact Information Technology Services at [phone] or [phone] or via their page https://www.lausd.org/helpdesk.DEPARTMENT OR SCHOOL SITEThe Office of the General Counsel (OGC) of the Los Angeles Unified School District seeks to be nothing less than the best public law office in Los Angeles County. The OGC is an ethical, high performance legal department with high professional standards and integrity that provides first class legal service to the teachers, supervisors and administrators who support the District's nearly 575,000 students that we educate. The OGC uses its skills to advise and counsel schools and administrative offices, and recognize that their ultimate clients are the students of the District and their families, and work to support the District's vision that all of our students will graduate, be college prepared and career ready. PROJECTA Senior Legal Secretary performs specialized secretarial and clerical duties for the Office of the General Counsel, assists
staff attorneys by performing higher-level legal secretarial tasks, and serves as the office clerical
supervisor.BENEFITSInsurance: Paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).
Vacation: Full-time employees earn up to two weeks of paid vacation to start. Three weeks after five years of year-round paid service.
Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days.

Requirements

• Graduation from high school or evidence of equivalent educational proficiency. Completion of a certification in legal secretarial science or related field; or certification as a paralegal from a program, preferably approved by the American Bar Association; or an associate’s degree in legal secretarial science or a related field from a recognized college or university is preferable.
• Three years of experience that includes assisting attorneys in preparing and compiling legal and litigation forms, pleadings, discovery, and other documents, using legal template software, and screening and routing calls.
• Must be able to work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

Nice To Haves

• The ideal candidate for Senior Legal Secretary will demonstrate advanced skills and expertise required to succeed in a professional law office environment. They will possess prior secretarial experience, including the setup and management of filing systems and databases, as well as a solid understanding of legal procedures and court rules.
• The ideal candidate for this role must be proficient in Microsoft Outlook 2016, Microsoft Word 2016, and Microsoft Excel 2016, along with other productivity tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Adobe Acrobat. Additionally, this candidate must be proficient in the following areas: legal spelling, legal vocabulary, attention to detail, calendaring, conflict resolution, and alphanumeric data entry.
• The successful candidate will present a high level of professionalism and possess exceptional interpersonal skills. They will demonstrate excellent written and oral communication abilities, thrive in a collaborative team environment, and effectively manage multiple projects under pressure in a fast-paced setting. Strong follow-through, self-motivation, and a commitment to continuous professional development are critical to success in this role.
• Knowledge of: - Legal terminology - Office methods, practices, and procedures - Correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar - Records and files organization and use - Rules, regulations, policies, procedures, organization, and functions of the Los Angeles Unified School District - Rules of Court and code of Civil Procedure with respect to preparing, filing, and serving litigation documents - Microsoft Windows Operating Systems and Office Suite programs
• Ability to: - Use legal terminology and procedures and prepare legal documents - Learn about the various legal services provided by governmental jurisdictions and private agencies - Organize and set up legal-opinion and subject files and a library of legal publications - Locate and identify legal opinions, court decisions, and legislation as required - Read and comprehend legal publications and legislative measures - Preserve the confidentiality of office matters - Prepare spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and electronically generated graphics and slides - Work harmoniously with employees of the District, members of the general public, students, parents, and representatives of other governmental jurisdictions - Operate a computer and associated peripheral equipment

Responsibilities

• Assists in the preparation of correspondence, legal opinions, presentations, articles for publication, drafts of legislation, and legal documents concerning District business.
• Assists administrators and other authorized personnel in the use of legal reference material.
• Researches appropriate private or governmental sources to secure information required in litigation.
• Maintains files related to potential litigation.
• Sets appointments and conferences for attorneys, paralegals, and other staff members.
• Indexes and cross-indexes complex sets of subject files.
• Responds to questions from the general public, parents, students, officials, and employees of the District, and representatives of other governmental agencies regarding the functions and procedures of the office and other matters.
• Prepares legal documents and files litigation documents in appropriate courts, including authorizing requests for preparation of warrants for necessary filing fees.
• Indexes, files, locates, and researches correspondence, legal opinions, and court decisions as requested.
• Receives, opens, processes, and routes office mail.
• Reviews the Daily Journal and other legal newspapers and journals for Court Calendar listings of current litigation with which the office is involved and flagging articles for photocopying and filing in office and/or litigation files.
• May assist in maintaining the office library of legal publications, legal subject files, and confidential files.
• Coordinates work flow when paralegals and attorneys require additional assistance.
• Assists in the maintenance of dockets and calendars to show the status of pending litigation and requests for legal opinions, and reminds paralegals and staff attorneys of deadlines for preparing litigation documents and opinions.
• Assists in the preparation of the budget for the Office of the General Counsel.
• May assign and coordinate all general office duties, including payroll reporting, mileage reporting, supply requisitioning, telephone and reception coverage, and reproduction and distribution of correspondence and legal opinions to lower level support staff.
• May prepare an annual report for contract auditors.
• May attend meetings, take notes, and summarize information obtained.
• May read, make subject listings of, and report on progress of legislation during State Legislative sessions.
• Performs related duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Insurance: Paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans.
• Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).
• Vacation: Full-time employees earn up to two weeks of paid vacation to start. Three weeks after five years of year-round paid service.
• Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED