Legal Assistant

Job Title

Legal Services Assistant

Job Description Summary

Provides direct legal and administrative assistance to the City Attorney or City Prosecutor's Office. Conducts case management, researches legal issues, drafts legal memorandums and documents, compiles statistics, prepares reports, and provides information and assistance as requested. Serves on various city and office committees and coordinates and manages department projects and programs.

The ideal candidate will be a self-starter capable of managing multiple tasks and meeting required deadlines, have a strong customer service philosophy, excellent organizational and communication skills, and intermediate to advanced computer proficiency. Experience reading and interpreting legal documents is highly desirable.

At the City of Goodyear, you will be a part of an organization that values its employees as its greatest asset. You will become part of a dedicated team of professionals that are committed to build and maintain a highly engaged workforce. You will be challenged to learn and grow in an environment that values employee development and career-building. You will thrive in a culture of innovation. We believe that successful employees are those that possess these six core values: Adaptability - Integrity - Initiative - Empathy - Optimism – Innovation

Only a limited number of the most qualified applicants meeting the City's requirements will be invited for an interview. The examination process for this position will consist of a panel interview. All communication regarding application status and interview notifications will be sent via email- please monitor your junk/spam email for communication as it will come from a system generated source.

Essential Functions

• Provides confidential, comprehensive administrative and professional support to the Legal Department by serving as the primary point of contact; screening calls and information requests; routing legal service inquiries appropriately; maintaining departmental calendars; and coordinating meetings and conference room needs with internal and external agencies.
• Manages claim and litigation files from initial intake through final disposition, including preparing preservation notices, coordinating and collecting discovery documents, and scheduling deposition interviews with outside counsel.
• Reviews and redacts documents pursuant to public record requests as needed.
• Utilizes multiple City software programs to create, update, and maintain various department databases and spreadsheets; tracks and reports the progress and status of department workflows to ensure effective operations and timely response times.
• Prepares clear, well-organized, and grammatically accurate written communications for the department, including memos, reports, letters, schedules, agendas, minutes, contract templates and council action items.
• Proofreads and formats documents prepared by professional staff—including development agreements, real estate documents, contracts, ordinances, resolutions, letters, memorandums, and council action items—to ensure completeness, accuracy, consistency, and proper punctuation.
• Analyzes Legal Department documents and correspondence by applying independent judgment, department guidelines, and best practices to determine appropriate next steps or actions.
• Performs general financial and accounting procedures for department expenses including credit card reconciliation, initiating purchase requisitions, receipting of invoice payments, and extracting budget reports.
• Prepares department travel request forms and coordinates all aspects of travel arrangements.
• Conducts research, and compiles information from the City's document management system.
• Demonstrates a continuous effort to improve operations, decrease turnaround times, streamline work processes, and work cooperatively and jointly to provide quality seamless customer service.
• Assists and provides input in developing and documenting department policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs).
• Assists with the department's record management, retention, and destruction pursuant to state record retention schedules and serves as the department's Record Control Officer.
• May participate as a member of City committees or teams by attending meetings, completing assigned tasks, and collaborating with other City employees to support shared goals.

Requirements

• Formal Education/Knowledge: Work requires knowledge of a specific vocational, administrative, or technical nature which may be obtained with a two-year associate's degree, diploma or equivalent from a college, technical, business, vocational, or correspondence school. Appropriate certification may be awarded upon satisfactory completion of advanced study or training.
• Experience: Minimum five years of experience in a related field.
• Certifications and Other Requirements: Valid Driver's License and the ability to become ACJIS certified (in Prosecution).
• Reading: Work requires the ability to read and comprehend legal documents, motions, pleadings, council actions, resolutions and ordinances, contracts, development agreements, policies and procedures, court rules, statutes and various case law.
• Math: Work requires the ability to comprehend and prepare budget requirements, statistical reporting processes, expenditures, and timesheet input procedures.
• Writing: Work requires the ability to write legal documents, motions, pleadings, memorandums, council actions, resolutions or ordinances, contracts, and development agreements.
• Managerial: Job has no responsibility for the direction or supervision of others but may provide advice/direction to an employee with less experience/skill or tenure.
• Policy/Decision Making: Moderate - The employee normally performs the job by following established standard operating procedures and/or policies. There is a choice of the appropriate procedure or policy to apply to duties. More complex work as well as decisions with more significant impacts may be reviewed prior to being finalized.
• Technical Skills: Broad Application - Work requires the use of standard technical skills appropriate to the work environment of the organization. Limited analysis and independent thinking is utilized.
• Interpersonal/Human Relations Skills: Moderate - In addition to the sharing of information, interactions at this level may also include providing advice to others outside direct reporting relationships on specific problems or general policies/procedures. In many of the interactions, contacts may require the consideration of different points of view to reach agreement. Elements of persuasion may be necessary to gain cooperation and acceptance of ideas.

12 Month Objectives

• Attend and complete the City of Goodyear New Employee Orientation and other required City employee training as necessary
• Become familiar with the City of Goodyear's Policies and Core Values
• Complete training and demonstrate independent proficiency in the City's multiple software programs needed for everyday operations, including: the Legal Service Request system, procurement and purchasing programs, Council Agenda Management system, SharePoint, and document management systems of the City Clerk and the Legal Department's iManage software.
• Become acquainted with the City's organizational structure including the function of each City department.
• Become familiar with Arizona Public Records law and demonstrate proficiency in the assembly, review, redaction and release process pursuant to a public record request.
• Understand and demonstrate proficiency is Legal Department standard operating procedures (SOPs) in order to work independently without managerial supervision
• Participate and attend the City's Administrative Assistant Meetings

Benefits

The City of Goodyear offers a highly competitive benefits package including:

• Vacation Leave: 14 days per year, increasing with longevity. Goodyear offers an enhanced vacation benefit of recognizing total years of service under all Arizona public retirement systems for accruing vacation.
• Sick Leave: 12 days per year
• Holidays: 12 paid holidays per year, including one floating holiday the first full pay period of January
• Flexible Holiday: 24 hours per calendar year (prorated based on hire date)
• Health Insurance: Three health plans available to select from at a group rate
• Dental Insurance: Two dental plans available to select from at a group rate
• Vision Insurance: Available at a group rate
• Flexible Spending Accounts: Health Care and Dependent Care accounts available
• Short Term Disability Insurance: City-paid coverage
• Cancer Benefit: City-paid coverage
• Life Insurance: City-paid insurance valued at twice the annual salary ($400,000 maximum); additional life insurance for self and/or dependent is available at employee's cost
• Longevity pay beginning at year six
• Tuition Assistance: $5,250 per calendar year
• Employee Assistance Program
• Onsite wellness center/clinic
• Access to the Goodyear Recreation Center
• Robust employee well-being program
• Free identity theft monitoring and protection with Aura