LEGAL ASSISTANT

Washtenaw County Health Department; Michigan; On-site; USD 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

Washtenaw County Health Department is seeking a senior clerical assistant to support legal and administrative functions. The role requires independent judgment, strong data entry and word processing skills, and the ability to manage diverse tasks.

Responsibilities include handling inquiries, routing documents, scheduling court-related appointments, and maintaining legal records across multiple filing systems. Requires familiarity with Michigan courts and passing required typing/exams.

Qualifications

• Possession of a high school diploma, or the equivalent.
• A minimum of one year of clerical experience in a legal setting involving typing, and extensive use of computer applications, keeping of court-related and other legal records, generating and processing legal orders and filing court documents.
• Must have knowledge of and familiarity with the Michigan Court system.
• Prior to applying, applicants must pass a typing test at 40wpm and pass the clerical exam on the 20th percentile as well as the County Data Entry test.

Responsibilities

• Appropriately responds to inquiries from the public as well as judges, police agencies, court personnel, prosecutors, governmental and private agencies using knowledge of departmental rules, practices, and procedures.
• Receives, screens and routes high volume, multiline phone calls using judgment, discretion and adherence to rules requiring confidentiality of information.
• Interacts with juveniles and adults who via phone or in person with legal questions, and scheduling appointments and interviews for attorney-student intern teams.
• Screens and appropriately routes correspondence, reports, and legal documents exercising judgment as to importance and priority.
• Daily, on call acceptance or rejection of potential court appointments for twenty-four-hour emergency hearings.

Skills

Clerical accuracy

Data entry

Legal terminology

Telephone skills

Education

High school diploma

Tools

Microsoft Office

OnBase

Odyssey

JIS

Job description

INTERNAL UNION APPLICANTS WILL BE GIVEN FIRST CONSIDERATION FOR UNION POSITIONS

Under the supervision of a higher classified employee, serves as a senior workerperforming the more difficult and responsible clerical, legal and administrative supporttasks, which require independent judgment, understanding of departmental operations,proficiency in data entry/word processing skills, and ability to handle a variety of tasks.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Appropriately responds to inquiries from the public as well as judges, police agencies, court personnel, prosecutors, governmental and private agencies using knowledge of departmental rules, practices, and procedures.


• Receives, screens and routes high volume, multiline phone calls using judgment, discretion and adherence to rules requiring confidentiality of information.


• Interacts with juveniles and adults who via phone or in person with legal questions, and scheduling appointments and interviews for attorney-student intern teams.


• Screens and appropriately routes correspondence, reports, and legal documents exercising judgment as to importance and priority.


• Daily, on call acceptance or rejection of potential court appointments for twenty-four-hour emergency hearings.


• Organizes and maintains an extensive legal record system. Opens, closes, and updates all felony, misdemeanor, delinquency and neglect/abuse juvenile files for District, Circuit, and occasionally the Michigan Court of Appeals.


• Prepares, obtains, and files various documents including jury trial requests, motions, court orders, witness lists, subpoenas, pick up orders, hearing reports and other time sensitive materials which are of a confidential nature.


• Prepares discovery requests and obtains discovery material such as police reports, search warrants, lab testing reports including digital/electronic discovery from both State and local Prosecutors.


• Prepare basic legal documents and court notices and serves the documents as required on clients, witnesses and opposing parties.


• Filing of open and closed case files and file retrieval of misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile case files from an offsite storage area.


• Generates and prints dockets for all Judges and referees assigned to the Juvenile Court on delinquency and abuse and neglect matters.


• Locates and retrieves information from OnBase, Defender/data, Odyssey, JIS, X-Jail, and Microsoft Office.


• Independently provides a preliminary identification of potential conflicts of interest between clients that would necessitate withdrawal of the Office as attorney of record.


• Independently interact with privately retained attorneys and coordinate the transfer of discovery.


• Ordering, coordination and administration of office supplies and equipment.


• Utilizes a variety of office equipment including but not limited to copiers, faxes, scanner, and printers.


• Trains entry level clerical workers in departmental procedures and basic clerical duties.


• Assists in the recruitment, and training of student lawyer and investigator interns daily to insure adherence to departmental rules, practices, and procedures.


• Performs legal tasks and duties assigned.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by personnel so classified.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Duties require sufficient mobility to work in a normal office setting and use standard office equipment including a computer, vision to read printed materials and a computer screen and hearing and speech sufficient to communicate in person or over the telephone.

These requirements may be accommodated for otherwise qualified individuals requiring and requesting such accommodations.

EDUCATION

• Possession of a high school diploma, or the equivalent.

EXPERIENCE

• A minimum of one (1) year of clerical experience in a legal setting involving typing, and extensive use of computer applications, keeping of court-related and other legal records, generating and processing legal orders and filing court documents.


• Must have knowledge of and familiarity with the Michigan Court system.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS

• Prior to applying, applicants must pass a typing test at 40wpm and pass the clerical exam on the 20th percentile as well as the County Data Entry test.

NOTE: All clerical and typing tests must be updated every two (2) years.

This class description intends to identify the major duties and requirements of the job and should not be interpreted as all inclusive. Incumbents may be requested to perform job-related duties other than those outlined above and may be required to specific job-related knowledge for successful job performance.