Job Description

Perform technical and administrative tasks in support of the City Attorney Office. Work is performed independently and as part of a team. Tasks are completed with general guidelines and require some independent judgment. Contribute to the City's vision, mission, and goals in the performance of all job duties.

Essential Functions

Perform a variety of paralegal, legal administrative, secretarial, clerical and public relations duties to assist the City's attorneys; perform a variety of legal office support activities.
Draft, review and/or prepare legal documents including but not limited to pleadings, memoranda, affidavits, correspondence, ordinances, resolutions, legislation, agenda bills, contracts, subpoenas, and discovery requests related to criminal and/or civil proceedings.
Prepare and maintain accurate and complete case files; arrange for filing and service of legal documents; deliver material to courts as needed.
Independently monitor assigned cases to include investigating facts or cases, conducting research, recommending potential witnesses, and assisting with interviews.
Track legal matters and maintain related legal and technical files and records, including brief bank; maintain and organize electronic files, locate documents and additional records in other departments and/or outside agencies; continually prioritize projects; review legal documents with attention to detail.
Provide substantial support and coordination during trials, including preparing witnesses, monitoring trial deadlines, organizing evidence, assembling trial binders, issuing and tracking service of subpoenas and assisting with jury selection.
Manage city witnesses during trials by coordinating schedules and court appearances, answering questions, and educating witnesses on courtroom etiquette, laws and available resources.
Transcribe dictation, proofread legal documents and correspondence to ensure correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, legal terminology and format.
Become competent in, follow, and actively support the vision, mission, values, and behavior statements of the department and the City.
Answer telephone calls and greet visitors; explain programs, policies and procedures to citizens, defendants, witnesses, attorneys and staff within scope of authority; provide information of general or limited technical nature; take messages and refer callers to appropriate person or department as necessary.
Coordinate communications with other departments, agencies, outside counsel and cities as assigned.
Contribute to an environment of teamwork and respect.
Foster a culture of equity and inclusion by recognizing the diverse needs and perspectives of groups and individuals.
Remain current with relevant technological advancements as it relates to field.
Participate in and help provide cross-training in processes as directed by management to ensure a well-rounded team for coverage purposes.
Maintain regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.
Perform other duties as assigned.
May be assigned to support City priorities during emergencies.

Education, Experience, And License Requirements

Minimum 2 years of college-level coursework in Paralegal Studies or related field and 3 years secretarial or administrative support experience in legal office, including at least 1 year of paralegal experience.
Notary Public License or ability to obtain within six (6) months of employment.
Successful passing of a required background check.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

Move throughout City facilities and buildings.
Operate a computer and other office equipment.
Communicate with City employees and residents.
Lift or move items weighing up to 25 pounds occasionally.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Work is performed in an office environment.
Noise level in the office is moderately quiet.
Work evening and/or weekend hours as needed.
Night meetings may be required.

Approved reasonable accommodation requests will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Selection Procedure

The City of Renton embraces a diverse and inclusive workforce and prides itself on promoting collaboration and teamwork in a positive environment while providing high quality services to the community. For more information about the City of Renton, please visit the following website: Why Renton

The City has adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, including candidates' names, addresses, and other similar information. This eliminates the possibility of unintentional or implicit bias during the screening of applications. For that reason, you will not have the ability to attach any documents to your application, including a cover letter or resume. Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application.

Communication from the City of Renton

We primarily communicate via e-mail during the application process. E-mails from rentonwa.gov and/or governmentjobs.com should be placed on your safe domain list to ensure you receive notifications in a timely manner. As a precaution, you may also want to check your junk e-mail folders. We also communicate via text and encourage you to sign up for text alerts when completing your job application.

Accommodation

Individuals needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process may contact kgilman@rentonwa.gov at least 2 days prior to the need.

Recruitment Process

The screening process will include a review of minimum qualifications. Applicants selected for an interview will be invited via email to self-schedule a time through the Government Jobs account. At a minimum, this position will be subject to a standard criminal background check and professional reference check. This position requires accessing areas that contain Criminal Justice Information Systems (CJIS). For that reason, this position is also subject to a national fingerprint-based records check.

This position is represented by AFSCME, Local 2170, and the applicable benefits are as follows:

Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance

Employees are offered a choice of medical/vision coverage through either Kaiser Permanente or the City's self-insured plan. Preferred Provider Option is available through the self-insured plan. Rates for both plans are available on the Benefit webpage. Please click on the link at the bottom of the page for details.
The dental insurance plan covers services such as regular checkups, x-rays, fillings and crowns. Orthodontia coverage is also provided.

Deferred Compensation Program

The City contributes 3% of the employee's base wage rate into a deferred compensation retirement plan.
Employees may also set aside a percentage of their earnings on a tax-deferred basis.

Retirement Plan

Employees are enrolled in either the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems Plan (PERS) or the Public Safety Employees' Retirement System (PSERS).
The following position is required to be enrolled in PSERS*
Probation Officer
If an employee was in PERS prior to 2006, the employee had the choice to remain in the PERS plan.
Both the employee and employer contribute to the plan.

VEBA

The City contributes 1% of base pay into individual employee VEBA accounts, which can be used to pay out of pocket medical expenses.

Life Insurance

A group term life insurance policy is provided to each employee at a value equivalent to the annual salary, up to $50,000.
Each eligible dependent is also provided with a $1,000 policy. There is no cost to the employee.
Optional supplemental insurance is available for employees and their dependents at group rates.

Long Term Disability Protection

Many employees are provided with a long term disability policy up to the equivalent of 60% of their salary.

Flexible Benefits

The City offers employees the opportunity to open two separate tax-free accounts through salary reduction. One account is to pay for expenses not covered by health insurance and the other account is for child care costs.

Vacation

Employees accrue vacation beginning with the first day of employment as follows: 12 days per year (0-5 years); 18 days per year (6-10 years); 21 days per year (11-15 years); 24 days per year (16-20 years); and 27 days per year (21+ years).
Employees may access their vacation after six months of employment.

Sick Leave

Upon employment, the employee receives a sick leave bank of 24 hours, with an additional 24 hours awarded after three months.
Thereafter, sick leave accrues at the rate of four hours each pay period.

Employee Assistance Program

A confidential counseling assessment and referral service is available without cost to employees and family members for help with personal, family or job-related problems.

Paydays

The City of Renton pays employees on the tenth and the twenty-fifth of each month (24 pay periods each year).

Holidays

The City recognizes eleven holidays and offers two "personal" holidays each calendar year for most employees, unless otherwise specified in a labor contract.

Hours of Work

Flexible work schedules are available in many departments.

Transportation

Unlimited free rides on various bus systems as well as various carpool and rideshare options are available for City employees.

Please see the City of Renton Benefits webpage for more information.

01

Please explain why you are interested in applying for this position with the City of Renton.

02

Please describe your experience with e-discovery tools, case management systems and document management software.

03

Thank you for your interest in joining the City of Renton team. We have adopted an anonymous application process that prevents hiring managers from seeing personal identifiers, such as candidates' names, contact information, etc. For that reason, you will not have the ability to attach any documents to your application, including a cover letter or resume. You must thoroughly complete the education section (if applicable to the qualifications of this position) and work experience section in chronological order. You must also provide a thorough response to each of the Supplemental Questions. Please make sure to submit a complete, detailed, and updated job application as described above without any personal identifiers included. Failure to do so may result in elimination from further consideration. Have you read and understood the information listed above?

Yes, I have read and understood the information listed above.

Required Question

Agency City of Renton

Address 1055 South Grady Way

Renton, Washington, 98057

Phone 425-430-7650

Website http://www.rentonwa.gov/jobs

City of Renton jobs

Paralegal