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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
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POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
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Position Number: 00010776 |
Description Activated On: 1/10/2025 9:28:16 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. Provides legal assistant and office support services to a large legal office within the Department of State, to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. Provides support and training to the Prosecution Division Legal Assistant Team members as directed. |
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Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. Perform a full range of legal assistant services within established office procedures for division attorneys while ensuring the confidentiality of information in all matters pertaining to the Legal Office and the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. Employee must adapt in a rapidly changing environment by keeping up to date on all division and Legal Office rules and procedures. This includes retention of both written and verbally communicated changes and to maintain updated procedural notes and reference tools including the LA manual. Employee assists supervisor in training legal assistant team members on new or updated procedures. This includes answering questions, addressing issues, and clarification regarding all legal assistant procedures. Employee will also assist the Legal Assistant Supervisor with updating distribution lists to reflect current procedures. Type correspondence, orders, or court documents from handwritten notes or by way of electronic dictation which requires knowledge of legal terminology and citation. Typing is done primarily on a personal computer (with Microsoft Windows 10 and Office365 suite) or on a manual typewriter. Material is sensitive, confidential and of an urgent nature that must be processed to meet assignment deadlines. Possess a working knowledge of legal citations, forms, English grammar, syntax, and style. Possess an understanding of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization in legal writing. Be familiar with legal terminology, the required format of legal pleadings, as well as the different requirements of each licensing board. Proofread and correct drafts for grammar, spelling, punctuation, format, syntax, and legal citation ensuring that documents adhere to the office style guides and court formatting rules. Draft routine correspondence and memos for employee’s own signature or attorneys’ signatures regarding case filings, outstanding penalties, press releases and paid legal notices, and other case related matters. Proofread outgoing correspondence, orders and court documents to ensure that format is correct, information is grammatically correct, and adheres to all agency, court and Office of General Counsel requirements. Create, maintain and review division case files requiring a working knowledge of current procedures and case progression. Assist attorneys by retrieving case information, filings, and preparing case files for hearings and during appellate proceedings. Provide hearing or trial support by assembling and preparing exhibits. Properly review and redact all case filings as required to protect confidentiality and personally identifying information. Prepare and process various filings with the Prothonotary’s Office, Commonwealth Court, Pennsylvania Supreme Court, and Court of Common Pleas. Process and file documents with the appropriate courts in accordance with the specific procedures of each entity. Keep up to date with changes in requirements for filing, i.e., number of copies, filing fees, etc. Process received payments, creating payment processing memos, depositing payments to the Revenue office, and drafting any payment related correspondence to go out under the employee’s signature. Entering data into the Pennsylvania Licensing System (PALS) including, logging case related mail, uploading documents, processing payments, and tracking activities and license status changes. Electronically file and distribute orders utilizing PALS. Name files using established digital file naming rules and save to network drives in attorneys’ reader folders and other folders as required. Prepare final documents(s)/order(s) for mailing. Use knowledge of mailing procedures for first class, and certified mail. Assist attorneys in recovering information, such as prior office decisions, opinions, and procedures to ensure consistency in the operation of the Legal Office. Locate and acquire information for attorneys from PALs or the records center. Operate office equipment such as a photocopier, scanner, facsimile machine and shredder. Assist attorneys on how to operate equipment by providing basic technical support. Keep all office equipment clean, in stock (toner, paper, staples, etc.), and operational (i.e. clear paper jams, reset errors, report issues requiring service calls). Act as backup to the Legal Office Receptionist as needed which includes the duties: Answer the Legal Office main phone, greet and direct office visitors. Screen phone calls and visitors for office staff including answering of routine questions and referring calls and visitors to various department staff and other agencies. Direct individuals to appropriate personnel. Provide information, or resolve any problems, related to office personnel’s availability. Use discretion, independent judgement and tact to when divulging information to callers and visitors, as legal matters are often confidential in nature. Maintain a working knowledge of related agencies and processes in order to assist and direct callers within the Legal Office, as well as elsewhere within Department of State. Maintain working knowledge of reception scripts and F.A.Q. responses in the Reception Manual. Open, sort, date stamp, log and scan incoming legal office mail. Identify urgent items that require direct attention of attorneys or attorneys’ legal assistants and notify appropriate staff. Identify and separate mail items for processing by legal assistants and provide appropriate notifications. Perform other general duties as assigned or requested by a supervisor. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. Duties and responsibilities are performed independently requiring minimal direct supervision. Assignments are received both verbally and in writing. Employee must decide how to organize, prioritize and complete assignments to meet deadlines. Employee applies discretion and judgment when dispensing information, referring and directing callers and visitors. By sorting, organizing and reviewing incoming mail, employee will determine the appropriate recipient in order to log and track all case related items in the case database. Employee must decide appropriate formats to use when typing correspondence, reports and court documents. Periodic review and consultations are conducted with the supervisor to ensure the goals of the Legal Office are met. |
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Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. N/A 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. 5. 6. |
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Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
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