LEGAL SECRETARY
POSITION: Legal Secretary located in the Albany office of the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York primarily supporting a unit of legal staff, attorneys and paralegals and the operation of the Albany office. The LASNNY Albany office provides free legal assistance in civil legal matters to low income residents of Albany, Rensselaer, Schenectady, Columbia and Greene Counties. LASNNY’s mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society which is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build community and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities.
Responsibilities:
- Perform secretarial, clerical and administrative functions necessary to the effective representation of clients and the administration of a multi-advocate unit and the Albany office, such as preparation of legal documents, non-legal work product, mail sorting, entering reminders in case management system, and assisting in communication between clients, courts, adverse parties and legal staff.
- Maintain courteous and professional contact with clients, opposing counsel, courts and agencies.
- Assist legal staff in maintaining client contact and gathering relevant client documents.
- Assist legal staff in performing legal and administrative tasks effectively and efficiently.
- Provide administrative, record keeping and reporting support for unit staff and work to complete necessary client forms, paperwork, data entry and grant reporting.
- Perform substantial back-up receptionist duties. Operate a complex multi-line telephone system and greet customers and visitors. Work closely with other legal secretaries, serving as additional support for LASNNY client phone intake system. Work closely with legal secretary primarily responsible for phone and intake system, other legal secretaries, Deputy Director of Strategic Operations and Managing Attorneys to ensure that intake system runs smoothly and effectively.
- Respond to requests for assistance and conduct intake interviews to quickly determine eligibility and the general nature of the legal problem and make initial determination of programmatic eligibility and case assignment
- Substantial computer responsibilities, including data entry in grant-specific databases, including data entry in LASNNY case management system and other spread sheets necessary to maintain required case and administrative information. Enter information in the Homeless Management Information System. Ensure timely and accurate data collection and reporting by legal staff. Troubleshoot HMIS problems and work with external system administrator to resolve data base and reporting issues. Run reports and correct data and reporting issues in HMIS and in other relevant data bases.
- Provide support for outreach, trainings or clinics that unit or other LAS advocates may deliver.
- Assist with grant reporting as requested.
- Provide legal secretarial, clerical and administrative support to other LASNNY staff as assigned.
- Assist with filing of Albany office closed case files and maintenance of on-site Albany office file storage and data entry in LASNNY case management system as needed.
- Be a notary public and perform such duties as needed.
Qualifications:
- Minimum five years prior secretarial experience, with preference for legal secretarial experience.
- Experience in managing a multiple line phone system utilized for responding to requests for assistance from the public and following multiple rules and protocols for securing detailed information from callers and determining appropriate response, and contemporaneously entering information obtained and responses provided in computer data base.
- Must be willing to learn LASNNY case management program and grant reporting requirements, forms and reporting tools.
- Must have strong computer skills and experience in utilizing spreadsheets, performing data entry, reporting and running reports in databases.
- Preference for experience in managing a data base or other reporting systems and being responsible for producing accurate reports.
- Must be responsible, reliable, punctual, flexible, intelligent, detail oriented, careful, well organized, able to prioritize and think independently, and understand and apply a wide variety of policies and rules. Must be able to work collaboratively in a fast paced environment.
- Must have strong communications skills and sensitivity to low income persons.
- Must be proficient in Microsoft Office and type 50 WPM.
- Must have car and valid drivers’ license and must be willing to travel as needed within the service area.
- Must be willing to work reasonable overtime when requested.
- Preference for prior experience transcribing from both written copy and dictation equipment.
- Preference for experience in managing a data base or other reporting system and responsibility for producing accurate reports.
- Ability to speak Spanish a plus.
- Ability and willingness to learn and manage homeless client information data base. Strong preference for experience with Homeless Management Information System (HMIS).
Closing Date: Until Filled
Salary: up to $40,726, DOE.
We are a unionized program with excellent fringe benefits including: Three weeks of paid vacation in year one (four weeks in year two) as well as generous sick and personal leave time available immediately to the employee. Complimentary group term life insurance and long-term disability coverage. Expansive health insurance coverage with most of the premium employer paid. Other benefits include, dental, vision, FSA, an employer contributed retirement plan and many more.
A cover letter, resume and references must be submitted with application.
To apply, please go towww.lasnny.org OR
1) Complete the Application linked here, or the mobile-friendly application linked here
2) Complete the Demographic Survey linked here
We are an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, the elderly, applicants and recipients of public assistance, LGBT persons and people with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. |