Oag - Bankruptcy & Collections | Legal Secretary Iii-Iv | 24-0269

GENERAL DESCRIPTION 

The Office of the Attorney General of Texas is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas. As the State's law firm, the Office of the Attorney General provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. This Legal Secretary position is for the Bankruptcy & Collections Division on the State Court Collections Team. The Bankruptcy and Collections Division is the centralized collection authority for the State, charged with the responsibility to recover all debts, judgments, taxes, fees, fines, penalties, loans, and other obligations referred to the agency for collection. The Collections Section employs investigators to locate and identify parties responsible for the debts and the Assistant Attorneys General on the State Court Collections Team pursue collection in state court.  

This Legal Secretary position involves (i) drafting petitions, motions, abstracts of judgment, and other documents using forms and the merge functions of Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Word; (ii) initiating, coordinating, and tracking the State Court Collections Team's service attempts on defendants in lawsuits filed in state court; and (iii) preparing and processing travel requests; (iv) opening new cases on the case management system; (v) providing backup support to the Office Manager; and (vi) completing other administrative tasks as needed.  

OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits (https://ers.texas.gov/Benefits-at-a-Glance) along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans. 

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS 

Legal Secretary III:

• Drafting petitions, motions, abstracts of judgment and other documents using Microsoft Word and the merge function provided by Microsoft Excel 
• Initiating, coordinating, and tracking service attempts in state court litigation 
• Preparing and processing travel requests 
• Opening new cases using the case management system 
• Providing backup support to the Office Manager 
• Monitoring the progress of assignments and ensuring that deadlines are met 
• Handling complex secretarial work 
• Performs related work as assigned 
• Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions 
• Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule 
• Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information 
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity 

Legal Secretary IV - All of the above functions for a Legal Secretary III, plus:

• Handling advanced secretarial work 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS 

Legal Secretary III:

• Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent 
• Experience: One year of full-time general administrative, clerical, or secretarial experience; may substitute thirty credit hours from an accredited college or university OR completion of legal secretarial training for the required experience [Copy of certificate required at time of interview] 
• Experience: Three years of full-time experience working as a Legal Secretary or in an administrative role in a dynamic environment 
• Knowledge of office practices, and standard administrative procedures 
• Knowledge of legal practices and terminology; and of spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar 
• Must demonstrate initiative and independent judgment, with critical analysis 
• Experience providing administrative support or legal assistant experience 
• Advanced Microsoft Office skills in Outlook, PowerPoint, Word, and Excel 
• Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines 
• Skill in effective oral and written communication 
• Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making 
• Skill in the use of a computer and office equipment and reference materials 
• Ability to handle high-level administrative issues and perform high-level administrative tasks 
• Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback 
• Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment 
• Ability to provide excellent customer service 
• Ability to prepare legal correspondence and documents, to take and transcribe dictation, and to maintain files and records 
• Ability to interpret rules, regulations, policies, and procedures; and to communicate effectively 
• Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG work space within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week (unless on approved leave) 
• Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel 
• Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA 
• Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs. 
• Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 5% 

Legal Secretary IV - All of the above qualifications for a Legal Secretary III, plus:

• Experience: One additional year of full-time general administrative, clerical, or secretarial experience. 

TO APPLY 

To apply for a job with the OAG, electronic applications can be submitted through either CAPPS Recruit or Work in Texas. A State of Texas application must be completed to be considered, and paper applications are not accepted. Your application for this position may subject you to a criminal background check pursuant to the Texas Government Code. Military Crosswalk information can be accessed at: 

https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf 

THE OAG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER