Legal Assistant

Salary: $19.02 - $23.78 Hourly
Location : 2401 Market St. Baytown, TX
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: 24-00028
Department: Legal
Opening Date: 11/16/2023
Closing Date: Continuous
Job Summary
We are seeking a motivated and detail-oriented Legal Assistant to join our dynamic legal team. The ideal candidate will have excellent organizational and communication skills, as well as a strong understanding of legal procedures and terminology. This role offers the opportunity to work on a wide range of legal matters and support our attorneys in providing top-notch legal services.
Full Benefits Package Including:

• Paid holiday, vacation & sick leave to support your work/life balance
• Insurance options
• Free employee clinic for medical coverage participants
• TMRS retirement with 14% City contribution
• Mental health and financial education benefits
• And much more!

The Legal Assistant will perform administrative duties to support the department's overall mission. Uses/requires office skills to handle: internet research; email; answer Legal Department's main telephone line and receive, reply to and/or forward all email addressed to the Department; customer service/communications (internal and external); file organization and management; computer skills including data entry, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and graphics software, mathematical computation, report and letter preparation; and decision making within scope of responsibility; department timekeeper.
Qualification for Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) certification, including successfully passing a background and fingerprint check is an essential function of this position.
Duties

• Prepares ordinances and resolutions for City Council, Baytown Municipal Development District, Fire Control, Prevention and Emergency Medical Services District, Crime Control Prevention District, and Baytown Area Water Authority meetings, including adding the appropriate proposed numbers and preparing and/or gathering all exhibits, if any, to such ordinances and resolutions. Finalizes the original ordinances and resolutions after the meetings are held by adding the appropriate ordinance or resolution number, updating the indexes for these meetings and maintaining the appropriate filing system. Handles and distributes the original contracts/exhibits passed by the various boards to the appropriate departments for final execution and handling.
• Prepares various contracts, deeds, easements, agreements, utility lawsuits, claim letters, interoffice memorandums, and correspondence for City Attorney. Maintains list of all Industrial District Agreements; provides such list to the City's Finance and Engineering Departments; calendars and renews the agreements when they become due and prepares the agreements for new companies. Communicates with Company officials/attorneys to finalize the Industrial District Agreements.
• Assists in the preparation of the Department's fiscal year budget. Receives and pays all invoices for the Department in accordance with the approved budget.
• Provides timekeeper duties for the Department on a daily basis by calendaring all employee absences and inputting time on a bi-weekly basis for payroll purposes. Attends all meetings and becomes knowledgeable of the Executime timekeeping software.
• Assists in the preparation of the Department of Justice submission for the City's municipal and special elections, including CCPD and FCPEMSD.
• Proofs all work produced by the City Attorney and the Assistant City Attorneys.
• Answers telephone; receives, opens, sorts, and distributes daily mail which includes maintaining law library (new books, pocket parts, pamphlets) and maintaining book index on computer for quick reference as to invoice numbers and charges for books received. Determines invoices to pay for the Legal Department's library and requests checks for such payments. Receives all monthly expenditures from the Finance Department and maintains record-keeping system for monthly review.
• Maintains the A-M claims/lawsuit files and A-M working files. Opens A-M files in Client Profiles software and maintains a calendar of important court dates/tickle dates. Maintains the A-Z permanent files by filing documents and keeping them up to date. Boxes up and codes all closed files for storage in accordance with City of Baytown's Records Policy Manual. Updates indexes on the computer for all dead files and maintains appropriate filing system.
• Orders and maintains legal office supplies which includes determining needs, sorting supplies when received, and preparing check requests for various purchases/payments.
• Schedules appointments and various seminars/training, including preparation of all travel reports for all attorneys, and maintains a calendar for City Attorney. Keeps track of CLE earned for all attorneys from seminars/training they attend. Renews the yearly dues of the various associations of which the attorneys are members, including district courts and appellate court.
• Performs all other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications
REQUIRED:

• High School Diploma or equivalent (GED).
  
• Three years of general law office experience.

OR

• An equivalent combination of education, experience, certification and/or licenses sufficient to successfully perform the essential functions of the job.

PREFERRED:

• Bilingual in English/Spanish.
  
• Prior Legal Assistant, Legal Secretary, or Paralegal experience.
  
• Paralegal Certificate.
  
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or institution in Paralegal Studies or related field.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Ability to multitask, establish priorities, work independently, and maintain organization. Work requires continual attention to detail in entering, composing, typing and proofing data and materials. Knowledge of business machine operations, personal computers and related software, and accounting/billing processes. Must have a high level of interpersonal skills to handle sensitive and confidential situations with both internal and external customers. Position continually requires demonstrated poise, tact, and diplomacy. Ability to get along appropriately with co-workers and the public.
Attendance is an essential function of this position. The City reserves the right to require an employee in this position to work overtime. This position provides services or performs duties for the benefit of the general public during emergency situations. These may include services or duties different from those performed in the usual course and scope of your job. In the event of an evacuation, the incumbent in this position may be required to remain to perform needed services.
Overall Position Strength Demands
Light Work: Exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently, and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to move objects.
How to Apply
01
Do you possess a High School Diploma or equivalent (GED)?

• Yes
• No

02
If you selected anything other than 'High School Diploma or GED' to the question above, please enter your trade, certification, or degree information. If this does not apply, please type N/A
03
How many years of experience do you have working in a law office or performing legal related work?

• None
• Less than 1 year
• 1-2 years
• 3-4 years
• 5-6 years
• 7+ years

04
If you are bilingual in which language are you most proficient?

• I am not bilingual
• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Chinese
• French
• Urdu
• Other
• American Sign Language

05
Do you have prior Legal Assistant, Legal Secretary or Paralegal experience?

• Yes
• No

06
Have you completed a Paralegal program?

• Yes
• No

07
If you have completed a Paralegal program, please enter the name of the school where you completed the program. If this does not apply, please type N/A)
Required Question