Description
Position Summary
The family law legal secretary will be responsible for supporting attorneys by performing a variety of duties, including preparation of proofs of service, instructions to court personnel for filing and obtaining records, case file maintenance documentation of service of litigation documents by mail, interfacing with court personnel to determine the status of filing of documents, translation of documents as needed, and other clerical supports of attorneys in litigation.
About the Organization
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (LASSD), the largest poverty law firm serving San Diego County since 1953, strengthens our communities by redressing our clients’ legal problems, empowering our clients to access and effectively participate within the legal, governmental and social systems and encouraging self-empowerment in the fight against poverty and injustice. LASSD continues to be a proud, committed and compassionate group of people dedicated to providing equal access to justice for San Diegans through aggressive, quality legal services. #justicebeginshere
Essential Functions:
• Prepares letters, pleadings, court forms including proofs of service for filing and serving.
• E-files and coordinates with attorney service to ensure proper filing of court pleadings.
• Opens, organizes, and maintains case files.
• Contacts court personnel to determine status of case filings.
• Contacts court reporters for depositions and court hearings.
• Occasional client contact to schedule appointments or follow-up meetings.
• Maintains form book for pleadings and administrative forms or documents for reference.
• Translates documents from English to Spanish and vice versa.
• Operates a variety of office machines such as postage machine, typewriter, multifunction copier/scanner/printer/fax.
• Responsible for processing closed cases and inventory of such cases.
• Responsible for processing incoming and outgoing mail.
• Compliance with all program and grant requirements.
• Other tasks as assigned.
Requirements
Qualifications:
• High School Diploma or GED.
• Type 60 wpm net.
• Must be familiar with court procedures (Federal and State), court documents, electronic court filings, and methods of service.
• Must have knowledge of Adobe Professional/PDF editing software and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams), and have the ability to learn firm specific software/databases.
• Ability to work independently as well as support team efforts.
• Must have reliable transportation.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Fluency in written and spoken Spanish.
Desired Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• At least one-year legal secretarial experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income people.
• Ability to work successfully with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to multitask and prioritize.
• Experience with e-filing in state and federal court.
Salary and Benefits:
The Legal Secretary is a non-exempt position with an annual salary range of $41,000 - $49,000 per year. LASSD offers a generous benefits package, a 35-hour workweek, paid vacation leave and sick leave and 100% employer-paid medical premium, 50% employer-paid premium for dependents under LASSD health plan, as well as, dental, vision and life benefits. Staff also have the option to participate in a 403(b)-retirement plan and dependent and health flex savings accounts (FSA). LASSD is an eligible nonprofit employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. In addition, there is a bilingual pay increase of 2% for passing an oral test and 2% for passing a written test for threshold languages other than English.
LASSD is an equal opportunity employer, we hire without regard to race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, age (40 years and over), sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status, domestic violence victim status, political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.
Hybrid Work Environment:
Legal Aid Society of San Diego (“LASSD”) has adopted a hybrid work environment in which most staff are required to work in the office part of the week and permitted to work remotely for the remainder of the week, provided their job duties allow. All employees are issued LASSD computers and provided appropriate supplies to perform their work. LASSD has implemented and continues to explore additional technologies to make our hybrid working environment as efficient and connected as possible. All employees must be available to travel to LASSD offices and service locations throughout San Diego County as needed and in compliance with public health advisories. Applicants must reside in or near San Diego County or plan to relocate in or near the County prior to their start date and must be able to commute to the physical Legal Aid Society of San Diego office locations or service delivery locations within San Diego County. LASSD’s normal business hours are 9am-5pm, but we are open to providing flexible work schedules to the extent feasible for the position. LASSD reserves the right to change these policies at any time.
Mandatory Vaccination Policy:
LASSD has implemented a mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy. We will consider individual requests for exemption from the policy for: (1) medical reasons, and/or (2) based on an applicant or employees sincerely held religious belief, practice, or observance. Any applicant or employee requesting an exemption should submit a completed exemption request form to Human Resources. Upon receipt of a completed exemption request form and any supporting documentation, LASSD will engage in an interactive discussion with the applicant or employee to determine whether an exemption is appropriate and can be granted without posing an undue hardship to LASSD or a direct threat to the health or safety of the individual making the request or others at LASSD. Any individual granted an exemption from the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination requirement may be subject to conditions and restrictions (such as being required to use additional personal protective equipment or submit to LASSD-provided COVID-19 testing) to mitigate the risk to the individual and others at LASSD. LASSD will require employees to be up to date on their vaccinations which will include at least one booster.
Diversity and Inclusion:
It is vitally important to LASSD that we represent the community that we serve. LASSD is a signatory to the San Diego County Bar Association’s Diversity Pledge. We pledge to promote diversity and inclusion through hiring and retention, promotion and leadership, engagement of outside counsel, and participation in legal community diversity initiatives. We strongly encourage applicants of diverse backgrounds to apply.
Legal Aid Society of San Diego, Inc. is an equal opportunity employer.