Law Office Manager

Description and Essential Functions

To plan, organize, supervise, and coordinate the administrative operations of the City Attorney's Office; to perform a wide variety of responsible administrative support duties in support of the City Attorney's Office; to supervise, train, and review the work of assigned staff; to relieve the City Attorney of administrative detail; and to assist the City Attorney with the development and implementation of a strategic plan for the office to improve legal service delivery and community engagement.

This is an unclassified, at-will position with Middle Management level benefits.

Essential Functions

Functions may include, but are not limited to, the following: coordinate the organizational, staffing, and operational activities for the administrative operations of the City Attorney's Office; participate in the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for assigned functions; recommend and implement resulting policies and procedures. Identify opportunities for improving service delivery methods and procedures; identify resource needs; review with appropriate management staff; and implement improvements; direct, coordinate, and review the work plan for assigned legal support services and activities; assign work activities and projects; monitor work flow; review and evaluate work products, methods and procedures; meet with staff to identify and resolve problems; select, train, motivate, and evaluate assigned personnel; provide or coordinate staff training; work with employees to correct deficiencies; implement discipline and termination procedures; supervise the process of summons and complaints/writs; log in case information; obtains claim file from Risk Management; prepare letters to claims adjuster and attorneys regarding assignment; participate in the development and administration of the department's budget; forecast funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; monitor and approve expenditures; recommend adjustments as necessary; manage vendor invoices; prepare and track material requisitions and purchase orders; encumber and appropriate funds; track open funding for purchase orders; oversee, monitor, and track outside attorney bills and costs for litigation cases; prepare requisitions for litigation cases; monitor open purchase order funds; process tort litigation bills and costs for payment; perform a full range of administrative duties in support of the City Attorney's office; relieve the City Attorney of administrative detail; receive, screen and respond to visitors and callers; handle a wide variety of contacts with office staff, high level government officials, and the public, resolving problems, complaints and taking appropriate action; establish and maintain confidential, administrative and complex files and records for the department; oversee the maintenance of the library; order books and periodicals; compose correspondence on routine and complex matters requiring tact and discretion; research and gather data and compile statistical and other reports and make recommendations; screen and assemble incoming correspondence in order of priority and refer to appropriate staff members for reply; enter and retrieve information from computers; maintain the City Attorney's Office computer databases; maintain the City Attorney's Office calendar; build and maintain positive working relationships with co-workers, other City employees and the public using principles of good customer service; perform related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Any combination of experience and training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: five years of responsible legal secretarial support experience including two years of experience supervising the clerical operations of a law office. Training equivalent to the completion of the twelfth grade. A minimum of two years of formal specialized training in legal administration or as a paralegal is preferred. Equivalent training or experience relevant to the position will also be considered. License or Certificate: may need to possess a driver's license as required by the position.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Physical Demands and Working Conditions

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Knowledge of: operational characteristics, services, and activities of a legal office; principles of municipal budget preparation and control. Accounting principles and practices; principles of supervision, training, and performance evaluation. Pertinent Federal, State, and local laws, codes, and regulations; legal terminology and the forms and documents used in legal secretarial and clerical work; legal procedures and practices involved in composing, processing, and filing a variety of legal documents; standard legal references and their contents; basic operations and procedures of the court system. English usage, spelling, grammar, and punctuation; principles of business letter writing and report preparation; principles and procedures of record keeping and reporting; modern office procedures, methods, and computer equipment and supporting word processing and spreadsheet applications. Ability to: supervise, direct, and coordinate the work of administrative and support staff; select, supervise, train, and evaluate staff; interpret and explain City policies and procedures; prepare clear and concise reports; perform responsible legal secretarial and clerical work involving the use of independent judgment and personal initiative; understand the organization and operation of the City and of outside agencies as necessary to assume assigned responsibilities; accurately prepare and maintain a variety of legal documents; independently prepare routine legal documents, correspondence, and memoranda; type and transcribe dictation at a speed necessary for successful job performance; maintain accurate and complete legal files and cases; respond to requests and inquiries from office staff and the general public; operate and use modern office equipment including a computer and associated software application; maintain confidentiality regarding matters of a legal nature; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; understand and carry out oral and written instructions; establish and maintain effective relationships with those contacted in the course of work; work with various cultural and ethnic groups in a tactful and effective manner.

Physical Demands and Working Conditions

On an intermittent basis, sit at desk for long periods of time; intermittently walk, stand, bend, squat, twist and reach while retrieving and/or returning files; perform simple grasping and fine manipulation; use telephone to answer customer inquiries; use a computer and/or typewriter keyboard to communicate through written means; review information and enter/retrieve data; see and read characters on computer screen; read typical business documents; file or retrieve documents or files weighing up to 10 lbs. from large filing cabinets above shoulder height. Work is performed indoors in a carpeted and air-conditioned office environment with fluorescent lighting and moderate noise level. Some movement is required from office to office and there is exposure to the external environment when going to outlying offices and meetings. Work is frequently disrupted by the need to respond to in-person and telephone inquiries.

Additional Information

Recruitment No. 24246510

To be considered, applicants must submit a City Application by 12:00 p.m. on the closing date listed. Candidates whose applications indicate education and experience most directly related to the position will be invited to participate in the selection process. All notices will be sent via e-mail. If e-mail address is unavailable, notifications will be sent via standard U.S. mail.