OAG - Transportation | Legal Assistant I-II | 24-0757

Job Description

REVISED 08/28/2024

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Come join an exciting and vital team helping provide the roads, bridges, tunnels, and other infrastructure for the fastest-growing state: Texas! As Texas grows so does its need for transportation infrastructure. To assist the Texas Department of Transportation in implementing its transportation projects, the Transportation Division of the Attorney General's Office is adding numerous new legal assistant positions. You can be a part of the State's tremendous growth. The Transportation Division represents TxDOT in acquiring needed property through eminent domain, and in lawsuits spanning diverse subject areas including torts, worker's compensation, employment discrimination, contracts, and regulatory enforcement in both state and federal courts. The Transportation Division has a robust litigation docket that includes administrative hearings, motion and discovery practice, jury trials, and matters before the appellate courts.

The OAG is a dynamic state agency with over 4,000 employees throughout the State of Texas. As the State's law firm, the OAG provides exemplary legal representation in diverse areas of law. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits (https://ers.texas.gov/Benefits-at-a-Glance) along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans.

ESSENTIAL POSITION FUNCTIONS

Legal Assistant I:

• Participates in managing attorneys' caseloads, including scheduling, prioritizing, organizing files and preparing chronologies and summaries.
• Drafts, prepares, reviews and edits pleadings, motions, briefs, petitions, summary judgments and other legal documents for use in trials, appeals, hearings, injunctions and other agency procedures
• Participates in coordinating complex discovery, including the drafting, responding and calendaring of interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admissions, and other requests for information in accordance with local, state, federal and agency rules and procedures
• Assists in all phases of trial preparation, including setting/attending hearings, depositions, meetings, ordering records, preparing and coordinating service of subpoenas, organizing trial notebooks and exhibits and preparing witnesses for trial
• Maintains a working knowledge of litigation technology including trial presentation software and e-discovery
• Develops and maintains databases for statistical and other information
• Communicates with agency personnel, client agencies, court personnel and outside vendors
• Attends work regularly in accordance with Agency leave policy
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including but not limited to applicable security and safety rules, regulations and standards
• Performs related work as assigned
• Maintains relevant knowledge necessary to perform essential job functions
• Attends work regularly in compliance with agreed-upon work schedule
• Ensures security and confidentiality of sensitive and/or protected information
• Complies with all agency policies and procedures, including those pertaining to ethics and integrity

Legal Assistant II - All the above functions for a Legal Assistant I, plus:

• Checks citations, quotations, footnotes, and references for accuracy
• Summarizes laws, rules, and regulations
• Reviews and performs redacting of confidential documents for filing with various courts
• Researches and analyzes legal resources such as status, case law, administrative records, opinions, articles, treaties, property titles, and rules and regulations

Qualifications:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Legal Assistant I:

• Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent
• Experience: Three years of full-time experience as a legal assistant, legal secretary, or general office experience in a legal environment; may substitute ninety credit hours from an accredited college or university with major coursework in law or a related field on a year-for-year basis
• Knowledge of general office practices
• Skill in using computer for word-processing and data entry/retrieval
• Skill in effective oral and written communication
• Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making
• Ability to prepare and review legal documents
• Ability to receive and respond positively to constructive feedback
• Ability to work cooperatively with others in a professional office environment
• Ability to provide excellent customer service
• Ability to work in person at assigned OAG work location, perform all assigned tasks at designated OAG workspace within OAG work location, and perform in-person work with coworkers (e.g., collaborating, training, mentoring) for the entirety of every work week (unless on approved leave)
• Ability to arrange for personal transportation for business-related travel
• Ability to work more than 40 hours as needed and in compliance with the FLSA
• Ability to lift and relocate 25 lbs.
• Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 5%

Legal Assistant II, all the above qualifications for a Legal Assistant I, plus:

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major coursework in law or a related field; experience in the following (or closely related) fields may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis: legal assistant, legal secretary, or general office experience in a legal environment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Legal Assistant I:

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants
• One-year of full-time legal assistant experience in a civil litigation environment
• Working knowledge of the practice of law resulting in the ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Working knowledge of E-Filing in Texas state courts
• Working knowledge of Real Estate, Tort, and Workers Compensation law
• Experience conducting computerized legal research
• Experience using Word Perfect, MS Word, Excel, Summation and Visionary software
• Experience using database software

Legal Assistant II, all the above qualifications for a Legal Assistant I, plus:

• In-depth knowledge of legal terminology and principles
• Two additional years of full-time legal assistance experience in a civil litigation environment

TO APPLY

To apply for a job with the OAG, electronic applications can be submitted through CAPPS Recruit. A State of Texas application must be completed to be considered, and paper applications are not accepted. Your application for this position may subject you to a criminal background check pursuant to the Texas Government Code. Military Crosswalk information can be accessed at

https://hr.sao.texas.gov/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf

THE OAG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER