Legal Assistant - General Counsel

City of Salem; Salem (OR); Hybrid; USD 42,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Vacation and sick leave

Employer-paid PERS contribution 6%

457b pre-tax contributions

Health care flexible spending accounts

Wellness program

Employee health clinic

Job summary

The City of Salem is seeking a Legal Assistant to join the City Attorney’s Office General Counsel team. You will provide high‑level administrative support, manage case files, prepare and format legal documents, and assist with trial and hearing preparation.

The role offers a hybrid schedule (remote or office), a comprehensive benefits package, and opportunities to work across departments, support prosecution, and help ensure timely case processing.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or GED plus three years of legal assistant experience.
• Notary Public license or ability to obtain within six months.
• Criminal background check required for CJIS clearance.
• LEDS certification or ability to obtain within 30 days.
• Bilingual Spanish/English helpful.
• Experience with case-management systems and data reporting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication; strong customer service.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-level administrative support to General Counsel attorneys.
• Manage case files, calendars, and document workflows.
• Prepare drafts, proofreading and formatting of legal documents.
• Assist with trial, motion, and hearing preparation.
• Coordinate depositions, subpoenas, and investigations.
• Process invoices and travel approvals.
• Conduct basic legal research.
• Provide cross-unit support to the prosecution unit.
• Support special projects and process improvements.

Skills

Microsoft Office

Track changes

Tables of Contents

Tables of Authorities

Data analysis

Customer service

Bilingual Spanish/English

Legal support experience

Education

High school diploma or GED

Notary Public license or ability to obtain

Tools

Case-management software

Job description

**Make an impact:** TheCity of Salem is seeking a qualified professional to join the City Attorney’s Office General Counsel team and provide high‐impact legal support that enables the City Council, City Manager, City departments, and City boards and commissions to serve Salem residents effectively.We invite you to apply if you enjoy a range of responsibilities, demonstrate exceptional attention to detail, and are motivated to create a meaningful impact. **Learn and grow:**The City has an innovative and forward-thinking approach to government and community engagement that will provide a variety of opportunities in different practice areas for the successful candidate to advise, solve problems, and help to implement the City’s strategic plan. **What you will do:**The Legal Assistant will provide high-level administrative and clerical support to General Counsel attorneys by managing case files; composing, proofreading and formatting legal documents and correspondence, and preparing reports; maintaining calendaring, case‐management, and document‐tracking systems; assisting with trial, motion, and hearing preparation by organizing case files and preparing trial/appellate notebooks and records, supporting discovery and subpoena preparation and response, and coordinating depositions or investigative interviews; processing invoices and departmental paperwork, including travel authorizations and travel arrangements; conducting fact‐gathering and basic legal research; and arranging and coordinating meetings and court dates.In addition, the position will provide cross‐unit support to the prosecution unit, assisting with overflow administrative tasks, routine reporting, and other clerical duties to help ensure timely case processing and department continuity. **Additional information on job responsibilities:*** Research and document drafting and review in support of the work of the Legal Department.* Track case data and produce routine and ad‐hoc reports from a case‐management system.* Register attorneys for trainings and arrange travel/lodging in accordance with City training and travel approvals.* Monitor office and specialty supplies; order and reconcile purchases using the department purchasing/credit card.* Review outside‐counsel invoices and process departmental payments; resolve billing issues with Finance.* Provide professional customer service to all City departments and external contacts, routing requests and escalating legal issues as appropriate while maintaining confidentiality.* Provide cross‐unit administrative support for the City’s Legal Department.* Support special projects and process improvements.**What can we offer you for all your hard work?*** Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.* Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.* Competitive pay.* Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.* Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.* Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.* Voluntary long-term care.* Employee wellness program.* Employee assistance program.* Employee health clinic.* Position schedule is Monday to Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm* The Legal Department team follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office, based on demands of specific tasks and manager approval. This is subject to change based on business needs.* The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.**What are the minimum qualifications?*** Must pass the pre-employment background check.* High school diploma or GED and three years of experience as a legal assistant or in related field or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.* Notary Public license or ability to obtain one within the first six months of employment.* Must pass criminal background check necessary to obtain Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) clearance (clearance must be maintained throughout employment).* Must have Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) certification or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire (clearance must be maintained throughout employment).Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job advertisement. **What you will bring along:*** Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; ability to use redline/track changes and create professional Tables of Contents and Tables of Authorities.* Comfortable working with databases and spreadsheets to validate data accuracy, create summaries, and present findings in clear formats for decision‐making.* Experience in the public sector is preferred; equivalent combinations of education, training, or private sector experience will also be considered.* Bilingual (Spanish/English) skills helpful.* Experience as a legal assistant or performing administrative and office-support duties is preferred; equivalent combinations of education, training, or experience will also be considered.* Experience using case‐management software and the ability to extract, analyze, and produce routine and ad‐hoc reports from case/data sets to support attorneys and supervisors.* Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong customer‐service orientation when interacting with internal and external clients.* High attention to detail, ability to take initiative, and consistent follow‐through to complete assigned tasks accurately and on time.