City of Jacksonville

Job Description

Are you looking for a position with a work/life balance? Do you want to earn four (4) weeks off during your first year of employment? Do you want low and no cost health insurance options? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to complete your application now. Work for the city you love!!!

The Office of General Counsel is actively seeking a Legal Assistant - Transactional.

Did you know as a City of Jacksonville employee, you would also have twelve (12) paid holidays and a personal leave day as well? In addition to health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance and flexible spending plans are also available. City of Jacksonville employees are also eligible for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness after ten (10) years of public service and on-time payments.

The position reports directly to a supervising Attorney IV. This position provides legal assistant support to several transactional or contract attorneys who provide legal counsel to various clients regarding contracts, general government operations and other transactional matters. Work assignments include drafting contracts (procurement contracts, construction contracts, real estate, grants contracts, permits, licenses, etc.) from form documents and performing legal research. This position will also interface frequently with clients through verbal and written communications, includes drafting transmittal letters and other client correspondence. Knowledge in survey (legal description) review, title review and real estate closings is preferred but not required. Work is performed under the direction of a supervising Assistant General Counsel IV and is reviewed through conferences, inspection of documents and evaluation of results obtained.

Examples of Work

• Provides administrative and litigation support to attorney(s).
• Communicates with clients, vendors and witnesses.
• May conduct preliminary and/or routine witness interviews.
• Helps prepare documents such as pleadings, applications, declarations and motions, initial draft of routine legislation.
• Drafts, reviews and revises legal and professional documents.
• Reviews and analyzes documents and data to prepare matters for legal representation.
• Maintains, organizes and creates resources and databases.
• Coordinates and schedules conferences with clients, witnesses and opposing parties.
• Analyzes plans, data, and prepare pleading and related documents.
• Obtain data from clients and second parties.
• Creates letters, basis of claims, and other forms.
• Creates documents from templates as necessary.
• Tracks and prepares electronic and hard copy reports and summaries, contracts or legislation.
• Monitors all litigation cases docketed via an electronic filing system and provide regular updates and calendaring and internal pleading files.
• Establishes, organizes and maintains physical evidence and exhibits, attorney notebooks, witness notebooks, document indexes and lists.
• Organizes and compiles documents relating to litigation, contracts, closing documents, legislation and land use.
• Coordinates all procedures necessary to conclude the acquisition or disposition of real property.
• Closes transactions by preparing and delivering necessary documents, contracts, and assists in closing.
• Handles electronic filing, files, and coordinate contract tracking.
• Manage client expectations.
• Calendar scheduling and follow up for deadlines.
• Schedules and manages witness through litigation process.
• Performs other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Knowledge of legal principles and practices at a level normally acquired through legal assistant experience.
• Proficient in Word, WordPerfect, Outlook, Access and Excel data program management; knowledge of TABS3 software is a plus.
• Exceptional ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints.
• Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail for up to 75 percent of the work time when evaluating legal matters.
• Ability to proofread materials for contextual, grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors.
• Interpersonal skills critical in order to communicate in person, by e-mail and telephone and follow the instruction effectively from a diverse group of clients, attorneys and staff and provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact.
• Work occasionally requires a high level of mental effort and strain while organizing and maintaining multiple cases.
• Work may occasionally require more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment such as computers, photocopiers and fax machines.
• Ability to type a minimum of forty (40) wpm.
• Ability to travel to private and public buildings locally and statewide, to assist attorneys in attending to clients' needs on legal matters is essential.
• Ability to perform mathematical functions.
• Ability to lift twenty (20) pounds.
• Ability to schedule and manage attorney's appointments on calendar.
• Familiarity with electronic filing in CORE and/or ECF.

Open Requirements/Supplemental Information

• Three (3) years of experience as a legal assistant or three (3) years of administrative experience, or a master's degree - required.
• Experience in transactional law and/or government operations - preferred.

A copy of your resume is required with your application.

A FULLY COMPLETED ONLINE APPLICATION IS REQUIRED. Apply at www.jacksonville.gov/jobs. The application system works best with Google Chrome or Edge with Chromium web browsers. Please try to apply using one of these browsers. To ensure you receive email notifications, be sure to make “info@governmentjobs.com” a trusted sender. You may also track the status of your application and see notifications by logging into your account.

Certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and the family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

If claiming veteran's preference, you must attach a DD-214 (Member Form-4 copy) or military discharge papers, or equivalent certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs listing military status, dates of service and character of discharge. You must also attach the Veterans Preference Certification Form and if applicable, the additional forms as noted here: http://www.coj.net/departments/employee-services/veterans-preference

If a candidate believes he or she was not afforded veteran’s preference, he or she may file a written complaint, within sixty (60) calendar days upon receipt of notification of the hiring decision, requesting an investigation to:

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs

Attention: Veterans’ Preference Coordinator

11351 Ulmerton Road, Suite 311-K

Largo, FL 33778-1630

Email: VeteransPreference@fdva.state.fl.us

The City of Jacksonville provides a wide array of benefits to meet the diverse needs of our employees. Our comprehensive benefit programs include medical, dental and vision plans; life insurance coverage for you and your dependents; flexible spending plans for medical reimbursement, dependent care, parking, and transit expenses; an employee assistance program for you and your dependents; a 457(b) tax-deferred compensation plan to supplement your retirement, and a ROTH IRA plan. We also provide an extensive wellness program that includes a health intervention program if qualified, lunch and learns, health fairs, and discounted gym memberships. Please visit the Employee Benefits website for details on all the plans we offer.

www.coj.net/benefits