Legal Assistant

Legal Assistant

Department:
Legal Department |

Reports to:

General Counsel | FLSA Status:
Exempt

The duties of the Legal Assistant primarily involve office work in the legal department. Performs administrative work directly related to the Housing Authority's management operations with respect to residents' compliance with applicable HUD regulations, Housing Authority rules, policies, and lease requirements. Coordinates with the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Low‑Income Public Housing (LIPH) Departments when deciding to terminate benefits of residents and/or program participants due to program violations.

• Provide assistance to the General Counsel.
• Research laws and regulations pertaining to the ever‑changing landscape of housing from federal, state, and local viewpoints.
• Provide written or verbal summaries of new regulations, laws, or procedures.
• Maintain all Legal Department files that pertain to residents involved with the housing authority grievance hearing process and the eviction process, including preparation of the grievance hearing docket and the landlord‑tenant court docket.
• Generate and mail hearing notifications to participants and/or owners and document each scheduled hearing in Elite.
• Prepare summaries for hearings; assist General Counsel in hearings and generate hearing decision letters for hearing officers.
• Maintain and retain hearing recordings and document hearing decisions in Elite.
• Lead the grievance hearing docket.
• Record data and manage recordkeeping of all eviction set‑outs.
• Send eviction cases to outside counsel, calendar court dates, and communicate between General Counsel, Housing Operations (property manager and assistant manager), and public safety when necessary.
• Assign and coordinate the collection of judgments assigned to outside legal counsel.
• Assist General Counsel with litigation and coordination with outside legal counsel for matters such as tort, employment, and other claims.
• Meet with debtors for both HCV and LIPH; enter into repayment agreements, collect debts, process payments, issue receipts via mail (if applicable), and mail late notices.
• Construct debt collection files and complete data entry pertaining to debt and payments in Elite.
• Keep and maintain Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) and Debt Offset Program (DOP) records for all Authority debts; report debts and payments to DOR and DOP and complete invoicing.
• Notify debtors of DOR refund intercepts.
• Communicate with debtors appealing the interception of tax refunds.
• Maintain an excel spreadsheet of all payments received by the participant, DOP, or other organizations on behalf of participants.
• Communicate with utility companies to verify utility service.
• Coordinate all aspects of file review requests from legal aid.
• Report complaints/investigations to Public Safety regarding lease and program violations of HCV and LIPH participants.
• Perform other related duties, responsibilities, and tasks as assigned or required to meet the needs of the department and organization.

To perform the duties of this job successfully, the individual must be able to perform the duties using independent judgment and discretion and prescribed procedures and standards. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Knowledge – Exhibits requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the position effectively; demonstrates knowledge of policies, procedures, goals, objectives, operational entities, requirements, and activities as they apply to the assigned organizational entity; uses appropriate judgment and decision making in accordance with level of responsibility.

Commitment – Sets high standards of performance; pursues aggressive goals; works hard/smart to achieve them; strives for results and success; conveys a sense of urgency and brings issues to closure; persists despite obstacles and opposition.

Customer Service – Meets/exceeds expectations and requirements of internal and external customers; identifies,…