The Office of the Public Defender, District 5 in New Hanover County, seeks a qualified individual to provide clerical support for the office attorneys.
Duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Answer telephone, take messages, direct calls, and greet visitors; and assist in case assignment and disposition reporting.
Draft and type letters, motions and correspondence to clients and other professionals. Maintain client files and records, including filing.
Assist in overall office organization to include organization of common areas and attorney offices and management of closed files; and make copies for staff.
Travel to courthouse regardless of weather conditions, up to two (2) times a day to copy court files.
Legal Assistant work. Applicant will be assigned one, maybe two attorneys to assist with their day to day needs.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities / Competencies
Knowledge of: office practices and procedures; legal terminology; grammar and punctuation; legal forms for orders, judgments, and other documents; commonly used rules, procedures, or methods to perform limited, recurring assignments such as operate computer, printer, multi-line telephone, scanners and copiers.
Skill in: Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe; typing with accuracy and speed; and answering a multi-line telephone system.
Ability to: screen communications and, based on content, handle independently or route to proper destination; spell accurately and use proper grammar; learn specific rules and regulations related to verifying, processing, and maintaining records and documents; use judgment in organizing and establishing document formats; develop a general knowledge of the role and mission of the office and its relationship to other judicial offices; and provide basic information and instructions regarding programs and office procedures.
Applicant will be working in an office environment and must appear well dressed and appropriate for office and court appearances. It is imperative that applicant be capable of drafting and preparing documents without grammatical errors or mistakes without supervision. While prior legal assistant experience is not a requirement, applicant must be willing to learn and abide by the strict confidentiality policy required of persons working in criminal defense.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
High school graduation or equivalency certificate.
Management prefers candidates with a paralegal certification, associate’s or bachelor’s degree.
*We encourage all motivated applicants to apply regardless of education and experience. We are most interested in candidates that feel called to public service and working in indigent defense.*