Description

DEFINITION
To perform a variety of specialized and technical duties using highly responsible, independent decision making and good judgment in assisting with the planning, organizing, and coordinating of the day-to-day activities and operations of an assigned department and to represent the department at the department head's direction at county government related activities.  To serve as the department's office manager and as the department head's confidential secretary; to assist the department with highly responsible and complex administrative and budgetary support; to perform a variety of routine-to-moderately complex technical duties of a legal department at the paralegal level, and oversee routine assignments.  To ensure effective and efficient daily operations and to perform related duties and responsibilities as required.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Legal Executive Assistant is the highest level administrative support classification in a County legal department.  The class reports directly to a department head attorney and is expected to become knowledgeable of and perform some of the moderately complex department-specific technical legal functions.  Some other department's main administrative support positions perform the more routine work of the department and would be more properly classified as a lower level administrative support class such as Senior Administrative Assistant.  The department-specific technical work of the Legal Executive Assistant, on the other hand, entails the more complex and highly responsible work at a higher difficulty level at the paralegal level.
 
Legal Executive Assistant differs from Executive Assistant in that the former is assigned to a legal office, reports to an attorney department head, and requires technical work at a paralegal level. There is only one Executive Assistant or Legal Executive Assistant in a department and none can be located in an organizational level below a department.
 
SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED
Receives direction from an attorney department head or higher.
 
Some positions may be assigned either direct or indirect supervisory responsibility over lower level staff.
 

Examples of Duties

EXAMPLES OF ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
Depending upon assignment, duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:
 
Provides highly responsible administrative, department-specific technical legal and clerical support to an attorney department head and other professional staff and serves as the primary contact person for the office in the absence or unavailability of the department head.
 
Reviews contracts, agreements, correspondence, grants, interdepartmental agreements, and other documents/special projects.
 
Conducts research, provides supporting data for Board and other reports, and locates applicable ordinances, resolutions, regulations, statutes, relevant case citations, and other required information and data.
 
Collects and maintains statistical data and prepares and submits statistical reports.
 
Plans, organizes, and supervises daily activities in the department head's office; handles the department head's daily calendar, schedules appearances, appointments, meetings, and acts as the liaison with the department and other departments/agencies.
 
Understands and complies with all laws, rules, and policies related to the specific department assignment.
 
Reviews all department purchase orders and contracts for services and supplies for conformance with adopted policies before the department head's review/approval.
 
Serves as a liaison to county departments and state offices that deal with each specific department assignment; coordinates and monitors assigned multi-departmental operations, assisting department personnel to ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and regulations.
 
Follows up on all legal documents and appearances required for each department-specific assignment.
 
Prepares ordinances and resolutions for the assigned department and/or for a variety of departments, and drafts contracts for review by the department head.
 
If assigned supervisory responsibility, selects, assigns, trains, evaluates, and disciplines staff; if not assigned specific and/or direct supervisory responsibility, may participate in the selection and training of other staff as needed.
 
Maintains and updates the department's research resources such as a law library and/or all practice and procedure books. 
 
Assists with the departmental budget preparation and may be responsible for administration of departmental budget; prepares billing statements and reimbursement claims for goods and services provided; maintains account balances; prepares payroll and salary actions; processes accounts payable and receivable.
 
Manage the revenue recovery program, if assigned; keeps track of revenues; bills other departments, special districts, courts, etc.
 
Recommends and assists in the implementation of goals and objectives; implements policies and procedures of the assigned department.
 
Performs general and confidential secretarial and administrative duties as needed, including but not limited to composing and preparing correspondence and reports, maintaining lists and logs, maintaining computer databases and files, conducting studies, researching and compiling information and data, maintaining files, etc.
 
Composes, types, edits, processes, copies, files and/or transmits various documents including but not limited to correspondence, legal notices, grand jury responses, reports, rosters, memos, agenda items, resolutions, ordinances, contracts, etc.
 
Receives and responds to inquiries, correspondence and requests for assistance from citizens, department heads, and various agencies.
 
Monitors and reviews ordinances and updates to County Code; prepares and/or assists departments in the preparation of ordinances, updates to the County Code, and Board agenda reports/ resolutions.
 
Prepares confidential attorney/client, grand jury, or other similar documents.
 
Assists in highly confidential investigations and negotiations exercising discretion, tact, and good judgment in dealing with witnesses, other agencies and departments of federal, state, and county government.
 
If assigned, serves as the department's information systems manager/coordinator. 
 
Oversees the preparation, maintenance, retention, and proper disposal of department records.
 
If assigned, handles public and media inquiries.
 
May perform Notary Public duties.
 
Performs related duties as assigned.
 

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Any combination of experience and education that would provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the required knowledge and abilities would be:
Experience:
Three years of increasingly responsible legal secretarial experience, or as a paralegal preparing a variety of complex legal documents.
Education:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree in a related field. Degree or transcripts required if using education to qualify.

Additional Requirements:
Possession of a valid California driver’s license. Under certain circumstances, the County may accept a valid driver’s license from another State if applicant acknowledges his/her intent to acquire a California driver’s license within three months by signing an acknowledgement form.

Supplemental Information

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS
Knowledge of:
Pertinent federal, state and local laws, codes, ordinances, and regulations.
 
County and department organization, policies, and procedures.
 
Basic principles and methods of administration, fiscal, and information technology management.
 
Principles and practices of staff supervision, training, and performance evaluations.
 
Legal principles and practices expected of a paralegal.
 
Research and writing methods; must have a working knowledge of or demonstrated ability to learn the requirements of public meeting law.
 
Legal terminology, letter writing, basic report procedures, and office practices and procedures.
 
Methods of filing and indexing documents; principles and procedures of record keeping.
 
Modern office practices and technology, including filing systems, receptionist/telephone techniques, business letter and report writing, and the use of computers for word and data base and case management.
 
Basic accounting and bookkeeping practices.
 
English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
 
Safe work practices.
 
Public/client relations techniques.
 
Ability to:
Understand, interpret, and apply pertinent rules and regulations, policies and procedures within guidelines established by the department head.
 
Use initiative and sound, independent judgment within established guidelines.
 
Organize and set priorities for a variety of time sensitive projects and multiple tasks in an efficient and effective manner.
 
Provide training and supervision as assigned.
 
Establish and maintain cooperative working relationship with those contacted in course of work.
 
If assigned, notarize documents for County departments.
 
Analyze complex problems, identify alternative solutions, determine consequences of proposed actions, and make and implement recommendations in support of goals.
 
Assist in the preparation and administration of assigned budget and maintain accurate financial records.
 
Communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
 
Understand and execute written and oral instructions.
 
Respond appropriately, effectively, and promptly to the needs of the public and other County departments.
 
Deal tactfully and effectively with the public and with others contacted in the course of work, including irate individuals.
 
Maintain the security and confidentiality of records, information, and files.
 
If assigned, processes state and local criminal history requests. 
 
Work with sensitive, confidential, and privileged topics.
 
Use computers and other electronic devices effectively.
 
Expertly use the most common office software, records management, and database software; learn and implement new departmental and county/state-wide systems.
 
Type dictation or perform speed note taking with accuracy.
 
TYPICAL WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is performed in a normal office environment.
 
TYPICAL PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
Requires the ability to sit at a desk for long periods of time and intermittently walk, stand, stoop, kneel, crouch and reach while performing office duties; lift and/or move light weights; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls.  Must be able to maintain effective audio-visual discrimination and perception needed for making observations, communicating with others, reading and writing, and operating office equipment.  Must be able to use a telephone to communicate verbally and a keyboard to communicate through written means, to review information and enter/retrieve data, to see and read characters on a computer screen.

THE SELECTION PROCESS
All interested applicants must complete a County job application including the supplemental questionnaire. For those who meet the minimum qualifications, a competitive evaluation of the training and experience described on your supplemental questionnaire will be performed if there are more than ten qualified applicants. Your supplemental questionnaire will be scored based on that competitive evaluation. This process may be altered if there are ten or less applicants that qualified.