LEGAL SECRETARY IV

State of New Hampshire; Concord (NH); On-site; USD 20,000 - 26,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare benefits

Dental plan

Flexible spending accounts

Retirement plan

Wellness program

Life insurance

Job summary

The State of New Hampshire, Department of Justice, Civil Bureau, seeks a Legal Secretary IV to provide legal secretarial and administrative support for attorneys and paralegals in Concord. The role also requires secondary front-desk reception coverage and coordination of schedules to maintain smooth daily operations.

Responsibilities include drafting pleadings and letters, managing case files and the CMS docket, and ensuring deadlines are met in accordance with court rules.

Qualifications

• Associate degree and 1 year of experience OR 3 years education/experience in legal support, paralegal studies, law, admin support or related field.
• Valid driver’s license or access to transportation.
• Other requirements: None.

Responsibilities

• Types pleadings, memoranda, and letters; drafts routine pleadings and letters.
• Provides front-desk reception coverage during breaks, vacations, and sick leave; schedules and reviews front desk work.
• Manages the Civil Bureau docket and CMS entries; tracks deadlines and court rules.
• Contacts agencies, citizens, legislators, attorneys and court personnel to schedule hearings and meetings.
• Organizes case files and research files for easy retrieval.
• Prepares briefs, checks citations, and oversees filing with the court per rules.
• Assists in coordinating responses to citizen inquiries and discovery requests.
• Maintains contract log and ensures follow-up on contracts submitted for approval.

Skills

Driver's license

Legal support

Administrative support

Education

Associate degree

Job description

The State of New Hampshire, Department of Justice, Civil Bureau has a full-time vacancy for a Legal Secretary IV.

Job Summary

To render legal secretarial and administrative services for attorneys and paralegals in the Civil Bureau and to provide secondary front‑desk reception coverage for the Department.

Responsibilities

• Types pleadings, memoranda, letters; composes routine pleadings and letters to ensure the timely, accurate and professional completion of documents.
• Provides secondary front‑desk reception coverage when the primary receptionist is absent, i.e. during daily break periods, vacation, and sick leave. Schedules work assignments for subordinate office staff, as needed, to establish schedule and workflow of the front desk reception; gives instruction and reviews work for accuracy during the absence of chief secretary in the Civil Bureau to ensure the continued smooth operation of the bureau.
• Achieves and applies proficiency with office’s case management system (CMS), and all state and federal court rules and procedures pertaining to the scheduling and management of cases. Maintains the docket of Civil Bureau cases and ensures that CMS entries are consistent with the requirements of the courts, with an emphasis on meeting filing deadlines.
• Contacts federal and state agencies, citizens, legislators, attorneys and court personnel to schedule hearings, depositions, meetings, and/or conference calls and to direct parties to the appropriate entities.
• Organizes and maintains case files, research files, form files, and miscellaneous files enabling retrieval of documents.
• Prepares briefs, to include proofreading, checking citations for correct format, and preparing tables of authorities and contents; oversees filing of briefs, notices of appeal and appendices thereto with the court in compliance with court rules governing format, filing and service.
• Administers and manages cases in an independent manner in discreet areas to assist attorneys in the preparation of routine pleadings, letters and memoranda.
• Assists in coordinating responses to citizen inquiries and discovery requests to aid chief secretary.
• Ensures that sufficient quantities of necessary office supplies are available for use by members of the Civil Bureau as back‑up for Legal Assistant.
• Maintains contract log on computer to ensure tracking and follow‑up on all contracts submitted for approval.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Associate’s degree and 1 year of experience OR equivalent combination of 3 years of education and experience after completion of high school. Education and experience must be in legal support, paralegal studies, law, administrative support, business administration, public administration, or a related field.
• Valid driver’s license or access to transportation.
• Other requirements: None.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience in a legal office or with legal terminology.
• Experience in civil litigation.

WORK LOCATION

Concord, New Hampshire, USA.

BENEFITS & COMPENSATION

The State of NH total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits, including:

• HMO or POS Medical and Prescription Drug Benefits.
• Dental Plan at minimal cost for employees and their families ($500-$1800 value).
• Flexible Spending healthcare and childcare reimbursement accounts.
• State defined benefit retirement plan and Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan.
• Work/life balance flexible schedules, paid holidays and generous leave plan.
• Incentive-based Wellness Program (ability to earn up to $500).
• $50,000 state-paid life insurance plus additional low‑cost group life insurance.

Salary: USD 19.960‑26.410 per year.

EOE

TDD Access: Relay NH 1‑800‑735‑2964