Legal Assistant 4

Description

This position is on-site. However, there can be up to one day per week of working from home after probation, and subject to approval from Supervisor.

Summary

Why It's a Great Opportunity:

Are you a highly organized and administrative legal professional, with strong leadership skills? Are you someone who cares about justice and community access to a system that is equitable and fair for everyone? If so, this position may be for you!

This is a highly responsible, supervisory role within the Department of Assigned Counsel. As an experienced legal professional, you will supervise a small team of legal support staff and act as the primary administrative support to an Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney. You responsible for directing the workflow and overseeing delegations of duties for the legal assistants in the division. You will work with attorneys, court staff, clients, and other community stakeholders, so excellent communication, confidentiality, and professionalism is required. This is meaningful work that directly impacts those in our community navigating the legal system.

Why It's a Great Department:

The Department of Assigned Counsel (DAC) is responsible for the delivery of mandated legal services to indigent persons accused of crimes in the Pierce County Superior Court; Pierce County District Court; Municipal Court of Tacoma; and Pierce County Juvenile Court proceedings. DAC also provides constitutionally mandated legal services to persons detained for Involuntary Civil commitment proceedings at Western State Hospital, and other evaluation and treatment facilities, and a limited number of participants in Dependency proceedings.

The mission of the Department of Assigned Counsel is to provide and administer the public defense delivery system in Pierce County in a manner that assures eligible people receive professional and effective representation while efficiently utilizing public resources.

You can learn more about DAC here.

How to Be Successful in this Role:

To be successful in this role, you will need to have a thorough knowledge and background of the legal system, legal terminology, and court practices/procedures. This position supervises 6-8 legal support staff, so being passionate about leadership, valuing effective and efficient workflow, and having genuine care for people will be crucial to your success. As the "go to" person for the Assistant Chief Deputy Attorney, you will need to be skilled in all forms of communication, be flexible and adaptable, and maintain the utmost confidentiality.

Your Future in this Role:

In this position you will foster and maintain professional networks with attorneys, court staff, and community agencies and strive to provide a high standard of legal support to all.This position offers growth through leadership and also the ability to train other legal support staffwithin the department.

A career with Pierce County means joining an organization invested in your growth. Through leadership development, robust online learning, and a variety of training opportunities, we provide continuous professional development at every stage. This commitment empowers you to contribute meaningfully while advancing your skills and supporting resilient communities, reliable infrastructure, and equitable outcomes for all.

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Supervises and coordinates activities of legal support workers. Determines work schedules and determines methods of expediting workflow. Issues instructions and oversees work for exactness, neatness and conformance to procedures and policies.
• Provides legal information and advice, prepares legal papers and correspondence of legal nature.
• Investigates grievances involving subordinates and recommends resolutions; recommends promotional and disciplinary actions; approves leave requests and overtime; schedules vacations to assume adequate coverage for maintenance of production standards.
• Prepares appraisals to evaluate performance of subordinates; establishes standards of performance for each class of positions being supervised.
• Consults with management regarding legal support needs; attends staff meetings; makes recommendations regarding budget requirements for the unit such as staffing, equipment, etc. Provides information and advice concerning specialized or technical services rendered and related office functions, including responses to difficult problems and questions raised by the public served or by subordinates.
• Composes management correspondence and routine letters in reply to correspondence concerning legal proceedings, court information or other informational requests. Reads incoming letters and gathers data to formulate reply. May complete form letters or dictate reply. Composes memos to inform department staff of policy or procedural changes.

A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found here.

Minimum Qualifications

• Four or more years of responsible experience as a legal assistant, legal secretary, or related legal staff support function.
• One or more years in a supervisory/lead position.
• Upload a substantive cover letter and a resume Without a cover letter and a resume uploaded, you will not be considered for this role.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Training by an accredited vocational school, college, or university in the field of legal support work or related area is preferred.
• Experience and/or education in the field of Criminal Justice preferred.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check and a reference check. Pierce County is a Fair Chance Employer. Information received from the background check and reference check is reviewed on a case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

To be considered for this opportunity, please:

• Complete and submit a detailed online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or visiting www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs.
• If you have questions about this opportunity, email the Recruitment Team at ... and include the job number and title.
• If you do not have internet access, you may use computers available at your local public library or anyWorkSourcelocation.
• Individuals who need an accommodation in the application or testing process, or who need this job announcement in an alternative format, may contact Human Resources at ... at least two days prior to the need.
• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship.

Pay Transparency:

Compensation is based on a range of job-related factors, including the requirements of the role, your skills and experience, and internal pay equity.

EEO and Welcoming Workplace:

This is a competitive selection process. Pierce County applications are reviewed by human hiring staff in accordance with the qualifications listed for the position. Applicants whose qualifications most closely align with the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status typically occurs within two to three weeks after the closing date. Some applicants may receive short notice to participate in additional selection steps, which may include assessments, phone screens, or interviews.

Our Welcoming Workplace Commitment:

Pierce County is committed to fostering a Welcoming Workplace where employees are supported, respected, and able to thrive. We believe a strong public workforce is representative of the community it serves and that fair and just access to opportunity strengthens public service. Guided by the County Executive's Forward Together mission, Pierce County works to build communities that are safe, welcoming, and connected. This same commitment shapes how we recruit, develop, and retain our employees. County employees make a direct and visible impact in the lives of residents every day, and we invite you to join us in helping keep Pierce County a place people are proud to call home.