01/07/2006 07030

LEGAL ASSISTANT SUPERVISOR

DEFINITION: This is supervisory legal clerical work.

An employee in this job is responsible for supervising Legal Assistants engaged in reviewing, analyzing and processing legal documents such as complaints, appeals, enforcement actions, applications, rulings, decisions or transactional documents. Documents are reviewed for compliance with the laws and regulations governing a specific Commonwealth program or adjudication process. Employees may also supervise Legal Assistants who provide advanced legal secretarial and staff support to one or more staff attorneys or legal counsel. Work involves supervising Legal Assistants by reviewing and approving completed work for further processing or action. Duties also include controlling staff assignments and workflow to ensure timely and efficient completion of the work of the unit. Work typically involves handling sensitive and confidential matters consistent with attorney-client privilege. Work is performed independently under the general supervision of an administrative superior or an attorney.

EXAMPLES OF WORK: Supervises and reviews the work of subordinate Legal Assistants.

Assigns work to Legal Assistants in a manner that ensures efficient and timely completion of the work of the unit.

Reviews and approves work completed by subordinate Legal Assistants for further processing or action.

Trains and advises Legal Assistants on regulations governing a specific regulatory function.

Reviews and assesses overall effectiveness and efficiency of work unit operations and makes recommendations for improvements.

Supervises and participates in the review and organization of exhibits, motions and other documents to be filed before a court or other adjudicatory authority or to be used in support of a transaction to ensure that all procedural requirements are met and legal issues addressed.

Supervises and participates in writing detailed case summaries to be used by an administrative official in making a ruling or by attorneys in preparation for court proceedings.

Supervises and participates in the review of Commonwealth Court litigation to determine the impact of a court decision on an agency.

Supervises and participates in the research and review of case law and statutes for relevant legal principles and applicable legal precedent.

Supervises and participates in Shepardizing citations and utilizing research tools such as LexisNexis.

Performs the full range of supervisory duties.

The employee in this job may participate in the performance of subordinates’ work consistent with operational or organizational requirements.

Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES: Knowledge of the laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures that govern a specific regulatory program or adjudicatory process of the Commonwealth.

Knowledge of legal, enforcement and regulatory procedures and practices.

Knowledge of basic legal research techniques.

Knowledge of business English and legal terminology.

Ability to supervise the review and analysis of complaints, applications, recommendations, rulings or decisions to determine possible inconsistencies with the laws and regulations governing a specific regulatory program of the Commonwealth.

Ability to apply pertinent laws, rules and regulations in order to make a recommendation or decision.

Ability to comprehend and interpret legal documents and to perform legal research.

Ability to prepare and to supervise the preparation of case summaries including all pertinent information.

Ability to train and supervise subordinates.

Ability to use information technology tools and software in a Windows/Microsoft Office environment.

Ability to use a personal computer to produce correspondence, memoranda, reports and other standard business documents.

Ability to express ideas clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing and to compose correspondence, reports and case summaries.

Ability to follow oral and written instructions.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with fellow employees and the general public.

MINIMUM EXPERIENCE AND TRAINING: One year as a Legal Assistant 2;

                                                                                                                                          or

Five years of responsible clerical, investigative or enforcement work including two years of legal clerical experience;

                                                                                                                                         or

An equivalent combination of experience and training.