Legal Secretary

Legal Secretary

Salary

$53,705.60 - $56,000.00 Annually

Location

509 West 11th Street, Austin, TX

Job Type

Full Time

Job Number

26-10738

Department

Community Legal Services

Opening Date

06/30/2026

Closing Date

7/30/2026 11:59 PM Central

• Description
• Benefits

Job Summary

The Office of First Defense (OFD) provides quality legal defense to individuals magistrated in Travis County under Article 15.17 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. The office represents approximately 18,000 clients annually in these limited-scope proceedings. Under minimal supervision, the legal secretary provides legal secretarial assistance to assigned legal and/or compliance staff. Responsibilities include preparing and organizing court packets, maintaining electronic files, entering and updating client information in multiple databases, uploading case materials to electronic devices for attorney use, and coordinating with courts, law enforcement agencies, and out-of-county entities to obtain client-related information. The Legal Secretary serves as a liaison between attorneys, courts, agencies, and the public while ensuring the accuracy, confidentiality, and timely processing of information.

Magistration shifts occur during days, nights, weekends, and holidays. Legal Secretaries selected for this position should be prepared to work nontraditional hours (typically four 10-hour days per week).

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS:

This is the first in a series of two legal secretarial-related job classifications within the Administrative Support job family. This classification is distinguished from the Legal Secretary Senior in that incumbents typically have less experience and do not function as lead Legal Secretaries or work directly for a Division Director. Sensitivity to detail and confidentiality.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepares, assembles, and distributes court packets and related materials for attorneys to use during magistration proceedings and court appearances.
• Uploads case documents, client information, and supporting materials to electronic devices, including iPads and other approved platforms, to ensure attorneys have timely access to information.
• Enters, updates, verifies, and retrieves client and case information using multiple databases, case management systems, and electronic records systems.
• Creates, organizes, maintains, and retrieves physical and electronic client files, ensuring information is accurate, complete, and properly documented.
• Communicates with courts, law enforcement agencies, correctional facilities, and out-of-county governmental entities to obtain client records, case information, and supporting documentation.
• Acts as a liaison between attorneys, courts, criminal justice agencies, service providers, and the public regarding administrative and case-related matters.
• Screens telephone calls, emails, and visitors and directs inquiries to appropriate personnel.
• Maintains confidentiality of client records and sensitive information in accordance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures.
• Assists with data collection, reporting, and statistical tracking related to office operations and case activity.
• Performs backup administrative and clerical support functions for other staff as assigned.
• Manages and maintains electronic devices assigned to the office, ensuring equipment is updated, operational, and properly prepared for daily legal proceedings.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education and Experience:

Associates 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.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:

None required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

Knowledge of:

• Policies, practices, procedures and legal terminology related to court system.
• Legal terminology, principles, procedures, documents and forms.
• File management and modern office practices.
• Word processing and other software programs.
• Business letter writing, grammar and punctuation, and report preparation.
• May be required to develop knowledge of and adhere to federal and state laws requiring the confidential handling of certain health information.

Skill in:

• Organizing, updating and filing legal case files.
• Working with attorneys and other legal personnel in a high volume environment.
• Preparing legal correspondence.
• Operating a variety of modern office equipment, including a computer.
• Both verbal and written communication.

Ability to:

• Work independently on difficult or complex clerical tasks.
• Prepare, verify, correct and record legal documents and complicated legal instruments.
• Maintain confidential data and information.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with County employees and officials, attorneys, court personnel, law enforcement agencies, representatives of outside agencies, and the general public.

Work Environment & Other Information

Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 20-50 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. Subject to sitting, client/customer contact, standing, walking, vision to monitor, listening to recording, repetitive motion, stooping/kneeling, squatting, bending, and reaching to perform the essential functions.

Travis County employees play an important role in business continuity. As such, employees can be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Work Hours: Rotating four 10-hour shifts per week. Will work some holidays, some nights, some weekends

Department: Community Legal Services

Location: 509 W 11th St Austin TX 78701

Criminal, Education, and Employment Background Checks Required.

For updates or questions about this posting, contact: Johnnie Courvelle at johnnie.courvelle@traviscountytx.gov.

This job description is intended to be generic in nature. It is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The essential duties, functions and responsibilities and overtime eligibility may vary based on the specific tasks assigned to the position.

Benefits

Employment at Travis County comes with a full array of benefits. We offer comprehensive health insurance, a no-cost, on-site Health and Wellness clinic, longevity pay, paid vacations, sick time and personal holidays, not to mention an industry competitive salary structure and a friendly, stable work environment.

FY2026 Travis County Benefit Guide

In this valuable Travis County Benefits Guide you will find benefit summaries, eligibility requirements, costs, contact numbers and addresses as well as other general information on the benefits available to Travis County Employees and Retirees.

Credit Union

Employees may join the Travis County Credit Union which offers low-interest loans, savings plans through payroll deduction, safe deposit boxes and other benefits.

Deferred Compensation

Employees may enroll in a tax- free sheltered investment plan through payroll deduction.

Direct Deposit

Employees may sign up for direct bank deposit.

Employee Assistance Program

Travis County provides a confidential counseling and referral service free of charge to county employees and their family.

Employee Organizations

Membership in the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Union is available through payroll deduction.

Employee Health & Wellness Clinic

Employees may access the clinic for a variety of wellness program and health care services with no co-pay, no deductible and no co-insurance costs.

Holidays

An average of eleven paid holidays are designated by the Travis County Commissioners Court at the beginning of each fiscal year.

Insurance

Employees may select from four plans: an Exclusive Physician Organization (EPO), Choice Plus Preferred Physician Organization (PPO), Consumer Choice or a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with a Health Savings Account (HSA). All four options include a Pharmacy Plan. Travis County's current policy is to pay 100% of the employee's health insurance premium for the Consumer Choice and HDHP. Employees will pay a premium for both the EPO and PPO. Other insurance benefits include $50,000 Basic Life and AD&D paid by the County.

The following benefits are employee paid:

• Dental
• Vision
• Supplemental Life, AD&D
• Dependent Life
• Short Term Disability
• Long Term Disability
• Long Term Care

New employees are covered on the first day of the month following 28 calendar days of employment.

Longevity

Longevity pay is paid for each year completed after three years of continuous service. Peace Officers in a law enforcement activity, whose job requires state peace officer certification, receive pay after one year of certification.

On the regular payday on or after the employees fourth and subsequent adjusted service dates, he or she receives a single payment for the previous year.

Parking

A limited number of assigned parking spaces are available to employees in the Courthouse Complex.

Personal Holidays

Regular, full-time employees are eligible for up to three paid personal holidays each calendar year. Part-time employees shall be granted personal holidays on a prorated basis. New employees earn personal holidays for the calendar year in which he/she begins employment, based on the month in which employment begins:

January - March

3 personal holidays

April - June

2 personal holidays

July - September

1 personal holiday

October - December

None

New employees are eligible to take personal holidays after 90 days of employment.

Retirement

Travis County is a member of the Texas County & District Retirement System with mandatory participation by certain classes of employees. Seven percent (7%) of the gross salary is deducted each pay period. An employee is fully vested after eight years of service. Benefits are prorated for part-time employees.

Sick Leave

Regular employees earn sick leave at a rate of eight hours per month with unlimited accrual during employment. Part-time employees earn sick leave on a pro-rated basis.

Parental Leave

Each Full-time Paid Parental Leave Eligible (PPL) Employee is entitled to a total of 320 hours of Paid Parental Leave in a 12 month period. Paid Parental Leave for Part-time PPL Eligible Employees is prorated based on the number of hours that they are regularly scheduled to work.

Tuition Refund

Certain classes of full-time employees may receive reimbursement for fees associated with pre-approved, job related course work completed satisfactorily.

Vacation

Based on years of county service, regular, full-time employees earn vacation time at the following rates:

0 to 5 years

4.0 hours per pay period

6 to 10 years

4.5 hours per pay period

11 to 15 years

5.0 hours per pay period

16 to 20 years

5.5 hours per pay period

21 plus years

6.0 hours per pay period

Part-time employees earn vacation leave on a pro-rated basis.

Workers Compensation

The county provides all employees workers compensation coverage with benefits in accordance with state statute, if the employee sustains an injury out of, or in the course of work.

Employer Travis County

Address 700 Lavaca Street

Austin, Texas, 78701

Website https://www.traviscountytx.gov/human-resources/jobs