City Employees
City of Bozeman
Bozeman, MT
Full-time
Business Administration
Posted on January 11, 2025
Applications are open for the positions of Building Inspector I-III, Full-Time and Part-Time Lifeguards, and Legal Assistant.
Legal Assistant
Description:
The principal function of an employee in this class is to provide professional legal and administrative support for the City Attorney’s Office. The work is performed under the supervision and direction of an assigned supervisor, but considerable leeway is granted for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative. The nature of the work performed requires that an employee in this class establish and maintain effective working relationships with other department personnel, court personnel, defense attorneys, law enforcement, other employees, business and community organizations and the public. The principal duties of this class are performed in a general office environment.
Bargaining Unit: Not Represented
Fair Labor Standards Act Status: Non-Exempt
Work Week: Typically Monday - Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
Examples of Essential Work (Illustrative Only)
Performs confidential administrative support duties for the City Attorney’s office, including preparing documentation and monitoring programmatic activities;
Prepares correspondences, legal documents, reports, minutes, legal pleadings, criminal files, discovery material, and other documents as instructed and requested by designated legal personnel;
Assists attorneys in preparing, calendaring, and scheduling for hearings, closings, trials, and other functions as needed;
Prepares documentation for civil and criminal complaints, judgments, subpoenas, certified notices and letters, discovery, document searches and review, maintaining records of persons contacted, lawsuits filed, actions taken, and monetary amounts recovered;
Processes petitions for revocation;
Coordinates court schedules and appearances between the Court, the City Attorney’s Office and other entities including the Bozeman and Montana State University police departments;
Compiles and reviews documents for record dissemination, including redaction of private or confidential matter, in response to public record or other requests;
Interprets and applies departmental or office rules, policies, and regulations in accordance with prescribed procedures and guidelines;
Reviews and processes requests for confidential criminal justice information for approval by an assigned attorney;
Facilitates the development and organization of criminal and civil databases and filing systems;
Copies, packages, and distributes a variety of written materials and recorded media;
Answers department telephone calls, receives and greets visitors, and provides information to or refers callers and visitors to other appropriate Departments or personnel;
Gathers, assembles, updates, distributes and/or files a variety of information, forms, records, and data as requested using traditional filing systems or databases as necessary;
Screens visitors, telephone calls, faxes, mail, and messages directed to office personnel;
Prepares legal documents such as briefs, agreements, contracts, deeds and other documents for review, approval and use by the attorneys;
Investigates facts and law of cases to determine causes of action and to prepare cases accordingly;
Assists with processing liability claims filed against and by the City, including gathering information, preparing claim forms, transmitting information to insurance companies, and tracking claim status;
Provides support for the City’s Victim Services Program, including providing services to victims in the absence of the Victim Services Coordinator as assigned;
In the absence of the Office Manager, may coordinate day-to-day administrative functions, including assigning work projects and adjusting work methods to meet workload demands, as assigned;
Provides needed information and demonstrations concerning how to perform certain work tasks to new employees in the same or similar class of positions.
Keeps immediate supervisor and designated others fully and accurately informed concerning work progress, including present and potential work problems and suggestions for new or improved ways of addressing such problems;
Attends meetings, conferences, workshops and training sessions and reviews publications and audio-visual materials to become and remain current on the principles, practices and new developments in assigned work areas;
Responds to citizens’ questions and comments in a courteous and timely manner;
Communicates and coordinates regularly with appropriate others to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of interdepartmental operations and activities;
Performs other duties consistent with the role and function of this classification.
Minimum Required Qualifications:
Associate’s degree in a legal or related field; AND
Some (at least 1 year) experience in legal office operations; OR
Any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to perform the work.
Employees in this classification may become eligible for classification as a Level II upon meeting the following requirements:
Three years of experience as a Legal Assistant with the City of Bozeman; and
Successful completion of Legal Assistant II requirements as established;
Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Substantial knowledge of legal office procedures, practices and equipment;
Substantial knowledge of legal office filing systems and procedures;
Substantial knowledge of grammar, spelling, and legal formatting;
Some knowledge of legal and criminal and civil court procedures;
Ability to prepare a large volume of legal documents for cases as requested;
Ability to deal with a wide range of persons, including situations in which individuals may be upset over some issue involving activities or policies;
Ability to utilize appropriate legal reference tools;
Ability to serve in a confidential work environment;
Ability to adhere to applicable ethical standards and policies.
Ability to handle confidential legal material with tact and discretion;
Ability in writing to prepare correspondences according to standard business practices;
Ability to accurately type correspondences, reports and memorandum;
Ability to learn department policies and rules, procedures, practices and objectives;
Ability to communicate effectively with others, both orally and in writing, using both technical and non-technical language;
Ability to understand and follow oral and/or written policies, procedures, and instructions;
Ability to prepare and present accurate and reliable reports containing findings and recommendations;
Ability to operate a computer using standard or customized software applications appropriate to assigned tasks;
Ability to use logical and creative thought processes to develop solutions according to written specifications and/or oral instructions;
Ability to perform a wide variety of duties and responsibilities with accuracy and speed under the pressure of time-sensitive deadlines;
Ability and willingness to quickly learn and put to use new skills and knowledge brought about by rapidly changing information and/or technology;
Integrity, ingenuity, and inventiveness in the performance of assigned tasks;
Consistently performs assignments in accordance with the City’s Core Values of Integrity, Leadership, Service and Teamwork.
Required Special Qualifications:
Offers for employment are conditional upon satisfactory response to criminal background, thorough reference check and a credit history check.
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