Legal Assistant III​/IV

F&N LEGAL ASSISTANT

Salary Information: B20, $4,725 / MO; B22, $5,300 / MO.

State Classification: 3576/3578 – Legal Assistant III/IV

FLSA Status: Exempt

Posting Number: 26-59405-3R

Location: Austin, TX

Telework Option: TDA does not offer telework, and all employees are required to be physically present for work.

Apply online via CAPPS. Applicants applying through Work In Texas (WIT) will be required to complete additional supplemental questions, optionally provide EEO information including how you heard about the job, and provide an electronic signature in the CAPPS Career Section to be considered for the position.

The Texas Department of Agriculture’s Legal Food and Nutrition (F&N) Section provides legal counsel to the Food and Nutrition Division, including representing the agency in administrative hearings arising from the child nutrition programs administered by TDA.

The F&N Legal Assistant will perform complex to highly complex legal assistant work for the Legal Services Division of the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) in support of attorneys assigned to TDA’s F&N Division. You will assist with researching, analyzing, investigating matters, and drafting legal documents; assist attorneys with case management; and provide legal support in the areas of contracts, grants, and special projects.

You will work under limited supervision with moderate to considerable latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.

• Draft, prepare, review, and edit pleadings, motions, briefs, legal correspondence, requests for production and information, and other legal documents.
• Coordinate, assemble, and format evidence, exhibits, and affidavits for legal proceedings. Identify and redact Personally Identifiable Information (PII) to ensure compliance with legal and privacy standards.
• Coordinate the scheduling of preliminary and final hearings with the internal Docket Clerk and ensure timely, accurate filing of all legal documents.
• Conduct file preparation and organization for administrative appeals, including preparation of hearings files, exhibits, witness lists and exhibit lists including copying and scanning sometimes voluminous amounts of records.
• Calculate, calendar, and monitor legal deadlines; assist attorneys in ensuring all deadlines are met and coordinate case interview or preparation meetings.
• Conduct legal research and analysis to support legal proceedings, including developing and maintaining a working knowledge of the statutes, regulations and guidance pertaining to the various federal nutrition programs administered by TDA.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for F&N staff to research and obtain documents and information necessary for administrative appeals.
• Assist with records management, by organizing, maintaining, and categorizing electronic case files; scan and extract records from TDA’s Document Scanning System (DSS).
• Facilitate timely and accurate document production, prepare formal referrals on collection matters, and coordinate responses to inquiries to or from the Office of the Attorney General (OAG); and assist attorneys with responses to subpoenas and other discovery requests.
• Maintain records management by ensuring all OAG referral records are completely and correctly uploaded to the Document Scanning System (DSS).
• Follow all TDA policies and procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The following responsibilities are applicable to the Legal Assistant IV position:

• Facilitate timely and accurate document production, prepare formal referrals on investigative matters, and coordinate responses to inquiries to or from the United States Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG), and other regulatory or investigative authorities; and assist attorneys with responses to subpoenas and other discovery requests.
• Maintain records management by ensuring all OIG referral records are completely and correctly uploaded to the Document Scanning System (DSS).
• Assist the F&N contracts attorney by reviewing contracts and procurement documents and researching related issues.

(To be…