Legal Secretary Mental Health

The Travis County Public Defender’s Office (PDO) is a comprehensive public defender office envisioned to be client-centered, independent, and innovative to the needs of Travis County residents. Consistent with nationally recognized best practices, the PDO provides high-quality holistic defense representation and other support to people, including juveniles and those living with serious mental illness/intellectual or developmental disability, accused of criminal offenses via its three divisions—General, Juvenile and Mental Health.

Legal Secretaries are an integral part of the interdisciplinary practice team supporting the administrative needs of the team and maintaining and managing client and case information. Legal Secretaries work closely with all advocates, including attorneys, social workers, investigators, and paralegals, to collect, organize, and prepare files and legal documents relating to representation of PDO clients at all stages—intake through disposition. They manage the administrative work of the client intake process during Counsel at First Appearance (CAFA).

• Drafts, under attorney supervision, various legal documents, including pleadings, motions, judgments, dispositions, subpoenas and correspondence for use in legal proceedings. Records messages of adjudication and disposition of cases, real estate and business transactions, child support payments or the status of contract and opinion preparations. Examines all files and paperwork for accuracy and completeness. Logs all file enhancements with updated status. Creates and updates case lists.
  
  Organizes case lists by attorney or investigator. Creates, organizes and prepares case files. Notifies personnel of case assignments and case closures.
• Corresponds regularly with clients regarding the status of cases, providing continuous updates about the representation through disposition. Informs clients about important issues including but not limited to missed court appearances, change of court date and reassignment of counsel. Drafts notices of appeal.
• Assists with emergency client needs.
• Organizes, maintains, and retrieves case and office information for all members of the advocacy team. Enters, updates, and retrieves information using multiple systems and databases, including an internal case management system. Uses the computer to process, retrieve, and disseminate information and documents, including word processing functions for letters, memoranda and legal documents/correspondence.
• Proofreads legal and other documents. Assists attorneys in court and helps maintain court dockets and calendars and tracks all matters related to individual clients across all attorney caseloads.
• Performs notary public services.
• Serves as backup for other administrative staff, which includes phone coverage and reception back-up, sort and distribute mail, schedule appointments on behalf of staff, submit facilities work orders, monitor inventory levels of office and equipment supplies and client closet items. Assists with staff training, answer questions having to do with the internal case management database.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Associate's degree in Legal Secretarial Science, Paralegal Studies, Criminal Justice, Public Administration, Business Administration or a directly related field AND two (2) years of advanced secretarial experience, including one (1) year as a Legal Secretary; or any combination of education and experience that has been achieved and is equivalent to the stated education and experience and required knowledge, skills, and abilities sufficient to successfully perform the duties and responsibilities of this job.

Please attach your resume to your online application.

• Applications with a cover letter detailing interest in the position, including why you want to work for the Travis County Public Defender’s Office.
• Mission-aligned experience (work or lived) advocating on behalf of or supporting people/communities directly impacted by the criminal/immigration/indigent civil…