UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
Specification for Class
LEGAL SECRETARY 2
UW CODE AND REPRESENTATIVE GROUP
7241 (SEIU Local 925 Clerical Nonsupervisory)
2241 (CLASSIFIED NON-UNION – Confidential Exclusion)
BASIC FUNCTION
Performs legal technical, secretarial and administrative work or performs legal secretarial work for an attorney AND is recognized and designated in writing by management to be responsible, on a regular and ongoing basis for at least a quarter of the time, for specialized entry level paralegal or computer support duties.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
Incumbents who perform administrative duties but do not perform one of the specialized duties must function as the principal legal secretary to an Administrative Law Judge, review judge, or Assistant Attorney General who heads up a major legal division or section.
Entry level paralegal duties typically include the following functions: drafting standard interrogatories, assisting an attorney or paralegal in deposition summaries and case summaries; conducting basic legal research, drafting requests for production of documents and responses, organizing and preparing trial notebooks, pleadings and exhibits to be used at trial.
Computer support duties include all of the following functions: training staff in the use of computers and software in a network environment; assisting staff with problems or questions pertaining to computer production work; serving as liaison with an information services division (or equivalent), communicating operational needs for increased programming, and serving as liaison in training and assisting staff in adapting to hardware, software and network changes.
TYPICAL WORK
Receives and reads incoming mail; tracks and routinely updates case status and docketing system; associates mail with hearing file; retains and composes answers to procedural correspondence for approval; routes balance to attorney, Administrative Law Judge or review judge, calling attention to items needing immediate consideration;
Reports office attendance, leave and time keeping; tracks processes and monitors flex time schedules, checks appropriate leave reported time;
Plans, schedules, initiates and carries out all legal form preparation, correspondence, clerical processing, court filing, and notifications necessary for presentation of cases by staff attorneys, or for the conduct of hearings by Administrative Law Judges; examines legal documents to assure that all necessary legal steps and points have been covered, and that all legal deadlines and due process requirements are met; advises attorneys of upcoming trial commitments and special items needing their attention, organizes documents and information;
Reviews work of professional and clerical staff, in a supervisory or lead capacity to assure that input/output is in conformance with rules, law, policy and standards;
Explains and interprets complex rules, policies and operating procedures;
Transcribes official transcript for Administrative Law Judge upon request;
Represents the supervisor in administrative matters;
Schedules continuing hearings, coordinating docket with availability of attorneys, Administrative Law Judges, claims officers or other fair hearing coordinators; organizes hearing dockets and prepares weekly hearing schedules; arranges for interpreters to appear at hearings, and processes vouchers for payment for interpreter services provided;
Schedules and completes arrangements for witness appearances at trials and hearings to minimize their loss of time, using own knowledge of specific cases and hearing schedules;
Prepares instructions to the jury for use by judge; prepares hearing exhibits for the judge, and selects and mails exhibits to parties in advance, according to the nature of case, selects stock paragraphs, interpolates, or originates new ones as needed; submits for approval;
Studies case files and prepares proposed court orders for use by judge in criminal, domestic and civil actions; originates provisions where guidelines are not available; submits drafts for supervisor's approval; is familiar with the law library and proper case citation form; studies case files and prepares proposed court orders for use by judge in criminal, domestic and civil actions; originates provisions where guidelines are not available; submits drafts for approval;
Calls other attorneys Administrative Law Judges, review judges, and parties to legal actions to obtain or relay technical information; maintain frequent contacts for supervisor with attorneys, official and other business professionals; assists attorneys, Administrative Law Judges or review judges with scheduling; makes note of the appearance of parties, witnesses and interpreters at hearing; makes note of non-appearance of appellant for default;
Organizes and summarizes witness information/statements for use in depositions and/or litigation or potential litigation; analyzes witness information/statements/documents and puts them in summary format; checks cites to ensure accuracy in legal pleadings and briefs; drafts/edits pleadings and motions upon attorney request and subject to review; performs basic legal research and is familiar with the law library and proper case citation form;
Prepares expense vouchers, time sheets, vouchers for payment and expert agreements;
Assists and trains other staff in the use of computers; serves as liaison with the information services division; identifies local software or hardware needs and/or problems; offers technical advice or hands-on assistance to computer users;
Perform related duties as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - UW Contract Classified
Associate of Arts degree in Legal Secretarial Science or equivalent degree from an accredited college (90 total quarter credit hours or equivalency, with at least 20 quarter credit hours or equivalency in Legal Courses) or Legal Secretary Certificate or from an accredited vocational institute.
AND
In addition to the above paragraph, one year of legal secretarial experience for an attorney, Administrative Law Judge, Industrial Appeals Judge, review judge or equivalent.
OR
Graduation from high school or GED equivalency and two years clerical typing, or stenographic experience and two years of legal secretarial experience for an attorney, Administrative Law Judge, Industrial Appeals Judge, review judge or equivalent.
Completion of a Legal Secretarial Course offered by a community college or business school (45 total quarter credit hours or equivalency in semester hours, with at least 10 quarter credit hours or equivalency in Legal Courses) may be substituted for the two years of clerical, typing or stenographic experience.
OR
One year as a Legal Secretary 1.
New Class: 7-12-73
Revise Class: 7-1-91
CSR Class Conversion (mc): 06-01-05
Revise Class Series; create Legal Secretary 2: 7-1-14