OAG - Human Trafficking | Legal Assistant -II

Overview

General Description The Legal Assistant position will involve routine to moderately complex Civil legal assistant work for the Office of the Attorney General’s Human Trafficking and Transnational Organized Crime Division. Work involves managing civil attorney’s caseloads including scheduling, prioritizing, organizing and distributing discovery, coordinating with courts and opposing counsel, attending hearings and trials, and drafting legal documents.

The OAG is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas. As the State’s law firm, the OAG provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits and opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans.

• Participates in organizing, reviewing and distributing discovery; calendaring of discovery, pre-trial and trial dates; responds to requests for information in accordance with local, state, federal, and agency rules and procedures; maintains case information in an electronic litigation support/case management system; reviews mail and screens calls for attorneys, maintains section and attorney calendars/dockets; maintains case files, case openings and closings.
• Assists in all phases of trial preparation, including setting hearings/depositions/meetings, ordering records, coordinating discovery requests with client agencies, organizing trial notebooks, and exhibits and preparing witnesses for trial; drafts, prepares, and reviews legal documents; researches legal sources such as administrative records, articles, agency rules and regulations; prepares memoranda on research findings.
• Participates in managing and scheduling attorneys’ caseloads; prioritizes and organizes files; prepares chronologies, fact summaries, and witness files; files pleadings with court; communicates with client agencies, court personnel, and outside entities.
• Performs related work as assigned.
• Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions.
• Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule.
• Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information.
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education:
  
  Graduation from high school or equivalent
• Experience:
  
  Three years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: civil legal assistant or legal secretary, or general office experience; may substitute ninety credit hours from an accredited college or university with major coursework in law or a related field on a year-for-year basis
• Knowledge of office procedures in a legal setting.
• Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines
• Skill in effective oral and written communication
• Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making
• Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback
• Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment
• Ability to provide excellent customer service
• Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG work space within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week
• Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel
• Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA
• Ability to lift and relocate 30 lbs.
• Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 20%

• All of the above qualifications for Legal Assistant I
• Education:
  
  Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a bachelor’s degree; experience in the following (or closely related) fields may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis: legal assistant, legal secretary, or general office experience in a legal environment

• Education:
  
  Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants/paralegal
• Experience:
  
  Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Omnixx and Adobe Acrobat Pro
• Knowledge:
  Electronic Filing, Legal Terminology and Principles. Please supply a writing sample.
• Abilities:
  Performs legal research, detail oriented, and critical thinking.
• Certifications:
  
  Legal Assistant/Paralegal

To apply for a job with the OAG, electronic applications can be submitted through CAPPS Recruit. A State of Texas application must be completed to be considered, and paper applications are not accepted. Your application for this position may subject you to a criminal background check pursuant to the Texas Government Code. Military Crosswalk information can be accessed at (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below). Crosswalk/.pdf

THE OAG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER