Legal Office Associate II - District Court

Frederick County Government; Maryland; Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Vacation leave 11 days

Sick leave 15 days

11 holidays + 2 floating holidays

Medical Insurance with HSA

Life Insurance (2x annual salary)

Pension Plan

Tuition Reimbursement

Job summary

Frederick County Government is seeking a dedicated legal administrative professional to support the District Court Division. The role handles case files, coordinates court-related information, processes documents, and communicates with attorneys, law enforcement, courts, defendants, and the public.

Training and professional development are available to support growth. The position offers full-time hours, partial telework, and a strong benefits package, with emphasis on work-life balance and

Qualifications

• High school graduation or the equivalent required.
• Substitution: any level college degree could substitute for the required work experience.

Responsibilities

• Answer telephone calls, respond to inquiries, provide information, take messages, and direct callers or visitors.

Skills

Customer service

Office administration

Clerical support

Communication

Records management

Multi-tasking

Education

High school diploma

College degree substitutions allowed

Tools

Microsoft Office

Case management systems

Job description

JOB INFORMATION

Non-exempt (compensatory and/or overtime eligible); full-time; 40 hours per week; Monday - Friday; 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.; full-benefits; Partial telework may be available in accordance with Division policies.

This position performs specialized legal administrative, case management, and customer service work for the District Court Division of the State's Attorney's Office. The position manages assigned legal case activities, prepares and processes legal documents, reviews and distributes discovery materials, coordinates case-related information, maintains case records, communicates with attorneys, law enforcement agencies, courts, defendants, and the public, and provides administrative support for legal proceedings and office operations. Supervision is received from the Chief of the District Court Division and the Legal Office Associate Supervisor.

NOTE: The upper pay range reflects possible wage rates for internal County transfers and promotions, which are calculated per County policy. For external hires, offers are made at the base wage rate.

TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE: Frederick County offers an extensive compensation package to reflect how highly we value our employees. The following is what you can expect in your first year as a full‑time benefited Frederick County Government employee.

• 11 days of Vacation leave with increase after 2 years of employment
• 15 days of Sick leave with unlimited annual carryover
• 11 paid holidays, plus 2 additional floating holidays (10 and 11 month employees may not receive all holidays)
• Day 1 coverage of comprehensive Medical Insurance Plan options to include generous County Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (if enrolled in the high-deductible plan). This is part of a full range of benefits including Dental, Vision, and Flexible Spending
• Employee Health Center with no or low-cost primary and urgent care
• 100% County paid 2x annual salary Group Term Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit
• County and Employee funded Defined Benefit Pension Plan
  • Vesting after 5 years of service
  • Additional service credit for eligible previous public service, military service, etc.
• Work/Life balance programs include: Employee Assistance Program and Employee Wellness Program
• Generous Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Other employee-paid benefits such as Deferred Compensation Plan, Legal Resources, Supplemental Life Insurance, Critical Illness, Accident, and Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Lifetime Benefit with Long Term Care plan

NOTE: Benefited employees will accrue service and leave based on the FTE and/or hours worked per calendar year.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

• Answer telephone calls, respond to inquiries, provide information, take messages, and direct callers or visitors to appropriate staff, courtrooms, agencies, or resources
• Receive, review, process, distribute, and maintain incoming and outgoing mail, electronic filings, correspondence, court documents, and legal records
• Create, process, maintain, and update legal case files, case management records, court dockets, and related documentation
• Review, redact, prepare, distribute, and file discovery materials, supplemental discovery, pleadings, motions, responses, and other legal documents
• Draft, process, and file routine legal motions, petitions, notices, correspondence, and related court documents as directed by attorneys
• Request, review, track, and process criminal histories, certified driving records, blood test results, drug test results, law enforcement reports, and other evidentiary materials
• Communicate and coordinate with attorneys, law enforcement agencies, courts, defense counsel, social service agencies, and other stakeholders to obtain, verify, and distribute case-related information
• Review and process incoming motions, correspondence, court filings, attorney requests, and defendant inquiries; update records and route information as appropriate
• Coordinate court check in of parties on court hearing days and communicate with the Clerk’s Office and the Court regarding Court hearings
• Prepare and maintain the child support dockets in the division case management system and work closely with the Department of Social Services and the Division’s Assistant State’s Attorneys
• Assist clients, defendants, attorneys, agencies, and members of the public at service counters, by telephone, and through electronic communications
• Manage assigned caseloads, monitor case deadlines, prioritize workload, and ensure timely completion of required legal and administrative actions
• Maintain confidentiality and security of sensitive legal, criminal justice, victim, and defendant information
• Attend meetings, trainings, and professional development activities as assigned
• Perform other related duties as required

To perform this job successfully, an employee must be able to perform all essential functions satisfactorily. Any employee's position may not be assigned all functions or equipment listed above, and the examples may not cover all functions or equipment that may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be provided to enable individuals with disabilities to perform their essential functions.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

The qualifications/requirements, knowledge/skills/abilities and physical requirements or working conditions described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• High school graduation or the equivalent
• Minimum of 2 years of work experience in office administration, customer service, or clerical support

Substitutions for the above-listed required education and experience is any level college degree could substitute for the required work experience described above or completion of the State Attorney internship program with a High School Diploma could substitute for the required work experience described above.

KNOWLEDGE / SKILLS / ABILITIES

A successful incumbent operating in this role displays the following:

• Knowledge of office operations, processes, and procedures
• Knowledge of legal terminology and court processes
• Knowledge of State’s attorney staff in order to appropriate direct inquires
• Knowledge of judicial case management systems and database navigation
• Knowledge of confidentiality standards applicable to legal, criminal justice, and personnel information
• Knowledge of criminal justice documentations such as police reports, charging documents, criminal histories, and certified driving records
• Knowledge of legal correspondence formats and routine legal document preparation
• Skilled in written and oral communication in a law office setting
• Skilled in customer service
• Skilled in office software and applications
• Skilled in reviewing and identifying missing, incomplete, or inaccurate information within legal records and discovery materials
• Ability to review, develop, and process legal files, case management records, court documents, and related information
• Skilled in drafting routine legal documents, motions, notices, and correspondence
• Ability to interpret and apply office policies, court procedures, and legal practices to daily work
• Ability to apply legal terminology and court processes to routing, processing, and preparing case materials

PREFERENCE MAY BE GIVEN TO

• Secondary language skills in Spanish
• Work experience with MDEC and MDThink
• A college degree in Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Legal, or a related field
• Work experience in a law office or legal system environment

PHYSICAL DEMANDS/WORKING CONDITIONS

• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly sit, walk and perform repetitive motions; and rarely lift up to 20 pounds
• While working in this position, the employee is required to constantly work indoors; and rarely work in confined spaces

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / EXAMINATION PROCESS

• Failure to meet or maintain the minimum qualifications or additional requirements may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination
• Available for varied working hours when needed to accommodate meetings or other commitments
• This position is subject to random drug testing

EXAMINATION PROCESS (may include):

1. An evaluation of training and experience
2. One or more interviews
3. A pre-employment drug test including marijuana
4. A pre-employment background investigation through the State's Attorney Office

Frederick County Government is committed to providing an inclusive work environment and complies with all applicable laws and regulations regarding workplace accommodation, including for individuals with disabilities. Applicants who require reasonable accommodation during the application and hiring process may contact the Talent Acquisition section of Human Resources. Inquiries about accommodations can be sent to [e-mail]