Legal Clerk Iv (Sr-16)

Oversees and has immediate responsibility for the legal clerical and office services functions of a legal section or specialty area and typically performs the most difficult assignments pertinent thereto; and performs other related duties as assigned.
Distinguishing Characteristics:
This class differs from the Legal Clerk II and III in that the Legal Clerk IV oversees and has immediate responsibility for the legal clerical and office services functions of a legal section or specialty area; whereas the Legal Clerk II and III independently perform a wide variety of legal clerical work in support of staff attorneys.
This class differs from the Supervising Legal Clerk in that the Legal Clerk IV supervises and participates in the clerical and office services functions of a legal section and typically performs the most difficult assignments pertinent thereto; whereas, the Supervising Legal Clerk is primarily a supervisor responsible for planning and coordinating legal clerical and stenographic activities for a major segment of a law office.

• Supervises and participates in providing a variety of legal clerical work in support of staff attorneys;
• Supervises the maintenance of case files and systems of legal records;
• Coordinates work of the section with court personnel, other sections and with other organizations;
• Determines work priorities and assigns and reassigns work to meet schedules, deadlines or changing work requirements;
• Researches files and references to locate or abstract information needed for use in court by staff attorneys;
• Supervises and participates in inputting, updating and retrieving information from case files, records and computer-based information systems;
• Assists in establishing standard operating procedures and develops new forms as required;
• Provides orientation and training to subordinates and to new staff members;
• Assists in recommending personnel actions;
• Handles complaints referred by subordinates;
• Compiles and prepares periodic workload and status reports;
• May take and transcribe dictation.

Training and Experience: A combination of education and experience substantially equivalent to graduation from high school and four years of progressively responsible legal clerical work experience involving the preparation, typing and processing of a variety of legal forms and documents which require substantive knowledge of legal terminology, procedures, practices, forms and documents.

License Requirement: None

Knowledge of: legal terminology; form, content and use of legal documents; legal processes, procedures and precedents; the various types of court actions and associated processes; filing systems of legal records; computer-based information systems; grammar, spelling and word usage; law office practices and procedures.

Ability to: type/keyboard accurately at the rate of 40 net words per minute; supervise the work of subordinates engaged in legal clerical activities, as appropriate; locate and abstract data from legal files and records; establish systems of legal records; provide training for subordinates in carrying out work processes and procedures and in the use of computer equipment; work within constant time constraints and deadlines; prepare correspondence and reports; as applicable to specific positions, take dictation at a rate of 80 words per minute and transcribe notes accurately; deal effectively with employees, attorneys, court personnel and the public.

Health and Physical Condition:

Persons seeking appointment to positions in this class must meet health and physical condition standards deemed necessary and proper to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodations.