Legal Assistant - Montgomery Land Use Team (10770 Grade 20)

Description

The Montgomery County Land Use Team in the Office of General Counsel at The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is seeking a talented Legal Assistant to join our in-house legal team. For nearly 100 years, The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) has enjoyed a national reputation for excellence in planning and, today, serves the culturally diverse populations of Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties on the border of Washington, D.C. The Montgomery County Planning Department, part of M-NCPPC, provides county-wide planning functions including long range planning as well as reviews of development applications in a diverse built environment of downtown urban districts, suburban communities, and agricultural areas.

We are looking for someone who is:

• Exceptionally organized
• Dependable and detail-oriented
• Able to manage office operations with confidence.
• Flexible, proactive, and ready to support a fast-paced legal environment.

In this role, you will join a collaborative team of attorneys and legal assistants who provide legal advice and support to the Montgomery County Planning Board and the Montgomery County Planning Department. Your work will directly support land use, zoning, development review, and other critical functions that shape the future of Montgomery County.

If you thrive in a mission-driven environment and enjoy being at the center of complex, meaningful work, we’d love to meet you.

This position supports professional legal work within the Montgomery County Land Use Team by performing a range of administrative and legal duties. This position is focused on: (1) reviewing, tracking and processing of Planning Board resolutions; (2) supporting attorneys in filing documents in circuit and appellate courts; (3) docketing and distributing agreements for review among office attorneys; (4) processing conference attendance, professional memberships and reimbursement requests; (5) reviewing inventory and ordering office supplies; (6) routing documents for proper signatures; (7) scheduling meetings as requested; (8) assuring proper handling and retention of legal office files; and (9) interacting with the public and others within the Commission. Performs other duties as assigned.

Work in this role is often highly confidential and highly sensitive, requiring exceptional accuracy, discretion, and attention to detail. The Legal Assistant will interact with individuals at all levels, both inside and outside the organization, to exchange information, coordinate activities, provide guidance, and support the work of the Land Use Team.

The ideal candidate is a team-oriented problem-solver with excellent communication skills and a strong customer-service mindset. Success in this position requires proficiency with Microsoft Office, Adobe, enterprise systems, and online research tools. Reliability, sound judgment, and the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment are essential. Proficiency with ADA digital accessibility standards is also important for this role. While prior experience is helpful, on-site training will be provided, and the successful candidate will be supported in developing and applying these skills in day-to-day work.

If you are a detail-oriented, customer-service-focused, and dependable legal support professional looking to join a collaborative and mission-driven team, this is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for.

Our ideal candidate for Legal Assistant has:

• Knowledge of document management, version tracking and experience working with complex agreements and documents, with excellent editing and proofreading skills.
• Knowledge of, and substantial skill in using, a complete system of technical processes for providing substantive and procedural legal support to the Land Use Team.
• Experience dealing with the public and government agencies in a professional and courteous manner.
• Knowledge of legal concepts, legal terminology, and a variety of general and specialized legal processes, particularly related to regulatory bodies and/or real estate.
• Knowledge of contract processing, administrative functions and office protocols. *
• Knowledge of process for filing court documents in Maryland courts. *
  • Technical writing skills in order to provide back up at Planning Board meetings. *
  • Knowledge of Commission and Planning Board organization, policies, and procedures. *

• Typically acquired or fully developed primarily after employment in this job class

Examples of Important Duties

• Administrative Support for Legal Office. Organizing, tracking and coordinating office operations to aid in productive output from the Montgomery County Land Use Team legal office in support of the Montgomery County Planning Board and Montgomery County Planning Department. Includes management of attorneys’ calendars, screening of correspondence and telephone inquiries and coordinating and scheduling of meetings. Confirms the execution of approved purchasing transactions and the preparation of travel and expense reports for Montgomery County attorneys. Maintains the law library in Wheaton legal office.

• Document Review and Management. Reviewing, distributing, tracking, proofreading and editing Montgomery County Land Use agreements, resolutions and other documents submitted for legal review, maintaining electronic files and office library materials.
• Public Communications. Responding and communicating with the public as well as other agencies and department staff, including in person coverage of reception area, managing telephones and mail.

Minimum Qualifications

• An Associate's Degree in Legal Studies, Legal Support and Services or any related field.
• Four years of progressively responsible legal support experience in substantive and procedural law that includes substantive work in the range of duties and responsibilities in this class specification.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted, which together total 6 years.

Supplemental Information

Classification/Specification: Legal Assistant

May be subject to medical, drug and alcohol testing.

Working Conditions:

Works in an office setting; may work outdoors briefly on an incidental basis. Work is primarily sedentary and requires very light to light physical effort. May be subject to various job demands, such as high volume of work and tight deadlines.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate a workplace culture of diversity, equity and inclusion without discrimination or harassment on the basis ofrace, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, gender identity, or any other non-merit factor.