Legal Assistant 2 - Limited Duration

Description

• This is an at-will limited duration position currently funded through the end of June 2026. Additional funding subject to grant approval.
• This position is 37.5 hours per week in the office. A hybrid schedule may be considered after a probationary period is successfully completed.

Position Summary

Why It's a Great Opportunity:

This is a great opportunity to provide legal support work for Pierce County Attorneys, courts, and clientele. You will explain rules and interpret established guidelines to persons who may have no knowledge of legal procedures, as well as provide technical assistance and procedural information to the public, attorneys, and other justice system personnel and agencies. Clients are often in the most stressful situation of their lives and may have limited insight into their situation; therefore, the role you play is crucial. As a Department of Assigned Counsel employee, you make a difference in people's lives and make a positive contribution to Pierce County.

Why It's a Great Department:

The Department of Assigned Counsel (DAC) is responsible for the delivery of mandated legal services to indigent persons accused of crimes in the Pierce County Superior Court; Pierce County District Courts; Municipal Courts in Tacoma, Fircrest, and Ruston; and Pierce County Juvenile Court delinquency proceedings. DAC also provides constitutionally mandated legal services to persons detained for involuntary civil commitment proceedings at Western State Hospital and other evaluation and treatment facilities.

The mission of the Department of Assigned Counsel is to provide and administer the public defense delivery system in Pierce County in a manner that assures eligible people receive professional and effective representation while efficiently utilizing public resources. The Department of Assigned Counsel provides professional high-quality representation to individuals in a variety of settings.

How to be Successful in the Role:

Understanding and implementing attorney/client privilege is of utmost importance, as you may be navigating sensitive situations. To succeed in this role, you must have the ability to provide accurate and timely legal support, communicate effectively, and work with other team members to ensure all procedures are followed and work is completed professionally, with empathy, and to the standard.

Throughout the training process, you will meet with your Supervising Support Staff Lead regularly to discuss expectations and set goals for yourself and introduce you to the current court and reception policies and procedures, computer programs (LINX, JABS, JIS), and the teammates you will work with to support your clients.

Your Future in this Role:

In this position, you will develop professional networks with attorneys, courts, and agencies and strive to provide a high standard of legal support to each. Your work will directly impact your community, and it offers a great foundation for future positions within Assigned Counsel and Pierce County.

Core Daily Responsibilities:

• Perform counter and/or phone work providing information to the public; advise attorneys and other interested parties regarding status of cases and legal procedures while maintaining security and confidentiality. May deal with sensitive and/or potentially volatile situations.
• Maintain legal files and case controls; extract information from files; prepare legal forms and papers; prepare and review files.
• Organize case files in preparation for trial; prepare new case activity files; encode or enter into database for court dates and/or attorney of record; maintain statistical records; process and distribute court case files. Review division cases for conflicting interests and assign panel attorneys to determined conflict cases.
• Perform word processing with responsibility for accuracy, proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, and legal terminology.
• Collect, record and tabulate statistics, and may implement special statistical studies required by local, state, or federal government, or for departmental purposes.

A classification description with a more detailed list of essential functions can be found here.

Qualifications

• Other education or experience which clearly indicates the ability to perform the essential functions of the position may substitute for the recruiting requirements.
• A minimum of one year progressive, responsible experience as a legal assistant, legal secretary or related legal staff support function.
• Must be able to utilize word processor or personal computer at an acceptable level of proficiency as required for positions requiring those skills.
• Please attach a current resume and cover letter with your application. Failure to attach these will result in an incomplete application.

Preferred Requirements:

• Training by an accredited vocational school, college or university in the field of legal support work or related area.

As a condition of employment, the applicant will need to authorize and complete a background check. Information received from the background check is reviewed case-by-case and will not necessarily remove an applicant from consideration.

Supplemental Information

To be considered for this opportunity please:

• Complete and submit an online Pierce County Employment Application by selecting "APPLY" above or go to: www.piercecountywa.gov/jobs.
• If you have a question about this opportunity, please email the Recruitment Team at PCHRRecruit@piercecountywa.gov and specify the Job Number and Title.
• If you do not have internet access, you may visit your local public library or any WorkSource location and use their computers.
• Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing process, or need this job announcement in an alternative format may call Human Resources at (253) 798-7480, at least two days prior to the need.

This is a competitive selection process. Your application will be reviewed and evaluated for the quality and quantity of education/experience in the areas listed. Applicants whose qualifications most closely correspond to the County's needs will be eligible for further consideration. Notification of application status normally occurs 2 to 3 weeks after the closing date. Short notice may be given to applicants to participate in further selection processes which may include assessments, phone screen, and interviews.

At Pierce County, diversity, equity, and inclusion means commitment, not a single step. We strive to foster an inclusive environment that supports equitable access to opportunities throughout your career. We want to recruit, develop, and maintain a talented workforce from various backgrounds, cultures, lifestyles, and perspectives, committed to our vision. Employees of the County have local, direct, and visible impact in our diverse community. Will you join us in keeping Pierce County a great place to live, work, and raise a family?

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.