Law Office Assistant 1/2 (02-1783)

Job Description

This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

What You Will Be Doing

This position provides support to the Office of Public Advocacy’s Public Defense section in Palmer through experienced administrative and communication skills combined with a strong work ethic. The position provides administrative support with the following tasks:

Filing legal documents with the court and serving parties. Format, edit, proofread and revise documents for correct caption, syntax, punctuation, grammar, and spelling.

Processing incoming and outgoing mail;

Monitoring the section’s email inbox for incoming court notices, orders, and other documents;

Organizing paper and electronic files;

Calendaring deadlines for attorneys;

Answering incoming phone calls;

Managing daily office needs such as maintaining office equipment and ordering office supplies.

Our Organization, Mission, and Culture

The Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) provides legal advocacy and guardianship services to indigent and vulnerable Alaskans. The Palmer Criminal Defense section provides skilled and professional court-appointed attorneys for defendants in criminal cases, parents and children in Child in Need of Aid cases, and juveniles in delinquency cases. OPA is a fast-paced work environment comprising individuals who care deeply about their responsibilities to our clients to whom the Agency is appointed.

The Benefits of Joining Our Team

Our office presents the opportunity to work as part of a strong team providing legal services for indigent Alaskans while enhancing your administrative skills and legal acumen.

The Working Environment You Can Expect

The Palmer Criminal Defense office is located in downtown Palmer. Free parking is available. The office is next to the courthouse and near many restaurants and shops. The Law Office Assistant position is part of a larger support team providing administrative support to the office’s attorneys.

Who We Are Looking For

We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies:

Adaptability: adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.

Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

Clerical: Knowledge of filing, typing, entering data, maintaining records, taking shorthand, and using and completing forms.

Computer Skills: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.

Minimum Qualifications

PI01A1 – Law Office Assistant 1

One year of experience that involves some combination of providing significant customer service contact; eliciting or exchanging information as related to requirements or procedures necessary to secure services, authorizations, or goods on behalf of the client; and/or performing standard administrative tasks such as preparing correspondence or reports, filing, entering data, receiving payments, and/or maintaining logs and includes the regular, proficient use of electronic management information systems and word processing and other standard business software applications.

Substitutions:

Any combination of post-secondary education from an accredited college or university (2.67 semester hours or 4 quarter hours equal one month) in any area of study and/or applicable experience, as defined above, may substitute for the required experience.

An associate’s degree or specific vocational-technical certification in a legal support career area (e.g., paralegal, legal assistant, legal secretary, or criminal justice) may substitute for the required experience.

Vocational-technical certification in a generalized business support career area (e.g., administrative office technology, business and marketing management, entrepreneurship, or office assistance) may substitute for up to 6 months of the required experience.

PI01A2 – Law Office Assistant 2

One year of specific experience as a Law Office Assistant 1 with the State of Alaska;

OR

Successful completion of training under a formally established Law Office Assistant 1-2 flexible staffing training plan with the State of Alaska;

OR

One year of experience in a law office, or other administrative experience that includes the regular, proficient use of electronic management information systems and word processing and other standard business software applications for preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents such as affidavits, court reports, demand letters, discovery requests or responses, entries of appearances, hearing transcripts, memoranda of advice/instruction, motions, legal opinions, subpoenas, and/or writs.

Substitutions:

A bachelor’s degree in a legal field of study may substitute for the required experience.

An associate’s degree or specific vocational-technical certification in a legal support career area (e.g., paralegal, Law Office Assistant, legal secretary, or criminal justice) may substitute for up to 6 months of the required experience.

Post-secondary education from an accredited college or university in a non-legal field of study may substitute for up to 6 months of the required experience (2.67 semester hours or 4 quarter hours equal one month).

Vocational-Technical Certification in a generalized business support (e.g., administrative office technology, business and marketing management, entrepreneurship, or office assistance) career area may substitute for up to 3 months of the required experience.

Special Note (All Levels):

Most positions require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire, and to be able to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as APSIN and National Crim Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS). If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

Some positions are required to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney. If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

Additional Required Information

Please read the below information carefully. This applies to your application submission.

THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY

Please be sure to check our

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

EDUCATION

If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or within 48 hours of the close of this recruitment to the contact person listed below.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION

Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

WORK EXPERIENCE

If using work experience not already documented in your application, also provide the employer’s name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine i