Legal Administrative Specialist II
- Summary
The Department of Public Defense (DPD) is committed to providing legal representation to indigent clients in King County, the only county in the United States named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. King County is a vibrant community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures.
The DPD provides legal representation to adults and juveniles who have been charged with a crime and cannot afford an attorney, as well as people facing civil commitment, parents who could lose their children in a dependency action, and people seeking to vacate a past felony or misdemeanor conviction. DPD works to address racial disproportionality in the criminal legal system, the collateral consequences of system involvement, and other structural and systemic issues that undermine the rights of our clients. We employ not only attorneys, but also skilled investigators, mitigation specialists, paralegals, and other support staff.
The Legal Administrative Specialist II performs a vital role in supporting the work of the Department. Legal Administrative Specialists are responsible for a series of technical legal office support tasks performed under general supervision, which requires the ability to exercise a moderate degree of independent judgment. Duties require a clear understanding and skill in applying office guidelines, legal procedures, work methods, court rules and applicable laws.
To learn more about DPD, please check out our website at: http://www.kingcounty.gov/courts/public-defense.aspx
Who May Apply
This recruitment is open to the general public and will be used to fill current and future vacancies in Career Service (CS), Term-Limited (TLT), and Special Duty Assignments. The eligibility pool with be valid for 6 months. Note: Special Duty opportunities are only open to current King County career service employees that have completed their initial probation. Special Duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment.
Please Note: Work locations for these positions are in our Seattle and Kent Offices. In addition, rotations of work location can occur based on business need and placements may be made to any of the following Seattle and/or Kent work locations: Dexter Horton Building, 710 Second Avenue, Seattle; Jefferson Street Building, 1401 East Jefferson, Seattle or Meeker Street Building, 420 West Harrison Street, Kent. * Float Pool positions may be required to rotate on a weekly basis, with as much notice given as possible *
Work Schedule
The typical workweek is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for overtime pay with approval from the supervisor.
We anticipate interviews taking place late December, with desired start dates being late January.- Job Duties
DPD's Legal Administrative Specialist II's are responsible for the proper docketing of case assignments within their respective divisions. This can include:
- Inputting case assignments following Legal Files docketing work procedures (opening cases, initial calendaring, client letters, page by page discovery review for conflicts, updating case file, scanning and uploading discovery, updating credits, creating Notice of Appearance (NOA), creating and filing Notice of Withdrawal (NOW), E-filing & E-Serve documents, run Defendants Criminal History (DCH) and Electronic Court Record (ECR), updating name cards, transferring cases).
- Processing regular debits and credits daily in Legal Files.
- Requesting case credit and assignments from the Director's Office as needed.
- Opening and distributing cases to assigned lawyers.
- Reviewing case assignments with the Attorney Supervisor.
- Maintaining Master Court Calendar with supervisor and Attorney Supervisor.
- Verifying monthly reports as needed.
- Closing client case files and processing closed files daily.
- Providing telephone coverage as needed.
- May obtain criminal history information from jails or prisons via telephone, email, or regular mail.
- Provide coverage for vacation and other leaves as needed or directed.
- Other duties as assigned.
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Well-qualified candidates for the Legal Administrative Specialist II possess at least two years of increasingly responsible office or administrative support experience, preferably in a legal setting, (or other complex setting, such as the medical field) or any combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to satisfactorily perform the job duties listed above.
In addition, candidates will possess;
- Knowledge of general office policies, principles and practices.
- Knowledge of basic mathematics.
- Demonstrated initiative and accountability in work products and service, and the ability to follow-through on issues to completion. Must be dependable, and willing to assist co-workers as needed.
- Demonstrated proficiency with Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, and Outlook), document management, and internet search engines.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism when handling sensitive matters.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to understand and execute verbal and written instructions.
- Keyboarding proficiency and accuracy.
- Successful experience working and functioning as a team member.
- Skill in following oral and written instructions.
- Skill in performing repetitive tasks with high attention to detail.
- Skill in providing excellent customer service, including communicating with people of diverse backgrounds, who, (in the case of clients), may be experiencing stress and trauma via contact with the criminal justice system.
- Skill in working with individuals from diverse backgrounds including victims, witnesses, clients and other court personnel in a tactful, diplomatic, patient and professional manner, who may be angry and/or difficult either in person and via telephone.
- Skill in prioritizing workload, working under pressure with tight timelines, and adapting to changes in workload demands.
- Regular, reliable and predictable attendance.
- The ability to travel throughout King County in a timely manner.
- Familiarity with legal office administration.
- Familiarity with criminal justice system.
- Knowledge of legal procedures and court rules.
- Knowledge of Superior Court Management Information System (SCOMIS), Judicial Information System (JIS), and Electronic Case Records (ECR) preferred.
- Fluency in a foreign language is a plus.
- Ability to lift/move up to 20-pound boxes.
- Division conflicts check.
- Supplemental Information
Application Process
WHERE TO APPLY: Interested individuals should submit:- a complete online King County application (all blanks must be filled out and may not direct the reader to reference an attached resume or other document. Answers that say "see resume" will be considered as incomplete).
- a resume.
- a letter of interest detailing your experience and qualifications with reference to the specific duties and responsibilities of the position.
Crystal Jones, PHR, SHRM-CP/CPHR
Human Resource Analyst/Recruiter
cryjones@kingcounty.gov
Selection Process
Applications will be reviewed, and they will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. Applicants may be required to demonstrate their qualifications at the time of the interview and/or skills assessment.All materials will be evaluated for spelling, grammar and punctuation usage. The most competitive candidates will be invited to interview. Reference checks and or/ record reviews will also be conducted.
Union Membership:
Positions in this classification are recognized by Service Employee's International Union, Local 925.
King County in proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity/ Affirmative Action employer and we encourage people of color, women, veterans and people with disabilities to apply.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 10 paid holidays each year (plus 2 personal holidays)
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave, family and medical leaves, and volunteer leave
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite gyms and activity centers
- Employee giving program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
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01How many years of experience do you have providing increasingly responsible office or administrative support experience in a complex setting?
- Less than 2 years
- two to four years
- four or more years
02Please indicate below which of the following areas you have working experience with. Select all that apply.- Demonstrated initiative and accountability in work products and service, and the ability to follow-through on issues to completion.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and professionalism.
- Excellent customer service skills including skill in communicating with people of diverse backgrounds.
- Keyboarding proficiency and accuracy.
- Performing repetitive tasks that require high attention to detail.
- Regular, reliable and predictable attendance.
- Dependability and willingness to assist co-workers as needed.
- None of the above, but I'm willing to learn.
03For the question above, please pick one item with which you have working experience and provide a brief example of the type of work you've been expected to produce within that skill set. Please include your title and employer. (This question will be competitively evaluated as a part of this recruitment, so please take your time).04Please indicate from the list below the software in which you have a demonstrated proficiency.- MS Word
- MS Excel
- MS Outlook
- Internet search engines
- Document management System
- None of the above, but I'm willing to learn
Required Question