Legal Secretary

The City of Hamilton is an EEO & AAE. Minorities and women are encouraged to apply.

This is highly responsible and technically skilled administrative support work involving responsibility for secretarial duties and coordination of administrative services for the Law Department with a wide variety of administrative functions, fact-finding, research, analysis, writing and public relations activities. The work is performed under the general direction of the Director of Law, but considerable leeway is granted for the exercise of independent judgment and minimal supervision is required or provided.

The nature of the work performed requires that an employee in this class establish and maintain close cooperative working relationships with Department and Division Heads and other supervisory personnel in all City departments and divisions.

• Manages the maintenance of records and coordinates the transfer from paper to electronic format;
• Manages the storage and disposal of departmental records in compliance with approved State Auditor schedules;
• Serves as the Law Department’s primary resource person relative to records retention rules and regulations;
• Receives requests for information from the public and provides such information or directs requests to other appropriate department or City personnel;
• Processes payroll, purchase orders and invoices;
• Manages office supply inventory and office equipment maintenance, repair and replacement;
• Makes travel arrangements, processes travel reimbursements and reconciles purchasing card statements;
• Schedules appointments and meetings and works with various departments to make necessary media arrangements; responsible for correspondence;
• Screens visitors and telephone calls to the Law Director;
• Attends meetings, conferences and workshops as requested and authorized;
• Performs related work as required.

• Screens visitors, telephone calls, faxes, mail and messages directed to assigned Law Department personnel;
• Schedules meetings, conferences and appointments for assigned Law Department personnel and handles related travel arrangements, including reservations, advances and reimbursements;
• Receives requests from the public for department-related information and provides such information or directs requests to other appropriate department or City personnel;
• Receives and organizes mail, faxes and messages for the attention of the Law Department and may take actions in response to certain types of communications in accordance with prescribed procedures approved by the Law Director;
• Drafts and prepares correspondence, memoranda, agendas and time‑sensitive narrative and statistical reports as instructed by the Law Director and other assigned department personnel, including notices to victims required by Marsy’s Law;
• Transcribes correspondence, memoranda, minutes and other materials from shorthand notes or dictation equipment;
• Copies, packages and distributes a variety of written materials as requested by the Law Director and other designated department personnel;
• Assists the Hamilton Municipal Prosecutor by preparing motions, subpoenas, discovery requests, and pleadings associated with discovery and trial preparation;
• Reviews, edits, and routes contracts and other legal documents;
• Monitor local, state, and federal dockets;
• Establish and maintain calendar, contact lists, and deadline reminder systems;
• Assemble and organize Law Department files and records electronically and manually;
• Process payroll and invoices for the Law Department and other departments as assigned;
• Performs various clerical duties;
• Manages office supplies and materials;
• Assist with drafting proposals on behalf of the City to unions during the collective bargaining process; handles sensitive files and information related to collective bargaining and labor disputes;
• Maintain confidentiality of sensitive information in accordance with legal standards;
• Travel between Hamilton Municipal Building and Hamilton Justice Center on a daily basis to ensure management of various Law Department administrative functions at both locations;
• Attends meetings, conferences and workshops as requested and authorized;
• Good knowledge or ability to quickly learn administrative processes related to municipal law, torts, contracts, civil rights, real property, corporations, business entities and probate;
• Good knowledge or ability to quickly learn the principles, practices, methods, materials and references utilized in legal research;
• Good organizational skills with a focus on clerical accuracy;
• Skill in the original composition, editing, proofreading and final preparation of written administrative and legal materials and documents;
• Working knowledge of the litigation process and general court operations;
• Ability to communicate well with others, both orally and in writing;
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other City employees, supervisory…