Legal Assistant II - County Attorney

Overview

Reporting directly to a Division Chief, responsible for providing advanced legal assistance to assigned legal staff, and acts as a liaison between attorneys, courts, witnesses, law enforcement agencies, other agencies, and the public. Assists legal staff by drafting all necessary legal documents.

• Prepares petitions, motions, orders, and other legal documents
• Requests hearing dates, mediation dates, and other settings
• Prepares and sends notice of court hearing
• Research case information
• Files, makes copies, and mails notices
• Arranges and coordinates witnesses
• Notarizes legal documents
• Attends court to assist attorneys, as needed
• Assists with the preparation of discovery, subpoenas, briefs, bench warrants, and other time sensitive legal documents
• Assists with records management and filing, including e-filing and use of the County’s electronic case management system
• Maintains calendar, case files, and dockets
• Assimilates legal discovery
• Processes and distributes Public Information Requests
• Serves as back up to other Legal Assistants as needed
• Maintains division’s central email inbox, responds to inquiries, monitors E-file notifications, and takes action as required
• Communicates with the County Attorney’s Office staff/prosecutors, private attorneys, local mental health authority counselors, jail staff, courthouse personnel, citizens, and outside agencies

• Reviews and evaluates legal documents and information received by the division, determines the appropriate action or response necessary, and after confirmation with the civil prosecutor, responds, takes action, and/or drafts any legal documents or creates materials necessary for review by an attorney
• Provides regular subject matter support for technology and business process development and applicable software
• Facilitates interagency transfer of documents that the County Attorney’s office is in custody or control of
• Prepares trial notebooks for prosecutors and assists with court room technology for displaying evidence
• Attends all meetings and trainings, as required
• Performs special duties as assigned

• Schedules depositions
• Assists in the process of settlement of damage claims
• Works closely with the Local Mental Health Authority, social/case workers, local/state hospitals, and the Health and Human Services Commission
• Obtains updated medical records from mental health hospitals, as needed, prior to probable cause or commitment proceedings
• Coordinates with out of county hospitals and Crisis Intervention Team on transfers from Williamson County, and obtain necessary paperwork from them
• Serves as the first point of contact for intake of applications involving persons in need of involuntary commitments or other mental health related matters; attends commitment hearings as necessary
• Obtains updated medical records from mental health hospitals, as needed, prior to probable cause or commitment proceedings
• Receives and uploads waivers from court-appointed attorneys for Probable Cause hearings
• Communicates regularly with mental health hospitals regarding potential filings, discharges, and patient status
• Processes, analyzes, and organizes all responsive information received from various county departments and agencies for Public Information Act requests
• Organizes, drafts, and compiles all exhibits for briefs submission to the Attorney General’s Office
• Maintains calendar of all deadlines and mails all 10-day letters and 15-day briefs to the Attorney General’s Office for Public Information Act requests
• Assists with cost estimates for Public Information Requests, as needed and distributes to requestors
• Organizes and creates secure online links to distribute responsive information to requestors
• Oversees auto-red actions of responsive information and sends to attorney for review

• Reconciles Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) and submits paper records to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) for criminal history reporting
• Processes juvenile referrals, including data entry, legal document preparation, requesting court and/or jury dates, and notifying counsel and schools
• Reviews sex offender registration status, completes CJIS…