Office of the Attorney General

GENERAL DESCRIPTION Performs routine to highly complex legal assistant work for the Office of the Attorney General – Criminal Appeals Division. Work involves coordinating legal activities; researching, analyzing, investigating, and drafting legal documents; and assisting attorneys with case management. OAG employees enjoy excellent benefits along with tremendous opportunities to do important work at a large, dynamic state agency making a positive difference in the lives of Texans. ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS Legal Assistant I: Drafts, prepares, reviews and edits pleadings, motions, briefs, petitions, summary judgments, rules and other administrative and agency procedures; and participates in coordinating complex drafting, responding and calendaring of interrogatories, requests for production, requests for admissions and other information in accordance with local, state, federal and agency rules and procedures Assists with coordinating, assembling, and preparing evidence, exhibits, affidavits and other documents for use in legal proceedings; assists in all phases of hearing preparation, including setting hearings/depositions/meetings, organizing notebooks and exhibits and preparing witnesses for evidentiary hearing; and files pleadings with court Maintains calendar/docket, files, case openings and closings; and maintains case information on electronic litigation case management system Researches and analyzes legal sources such as statutes, case law, administrative records, opinions, land titles, abstracts and rules and regulations; prepares memoranda on research findings; and reviews citations, quotations, footnotes, and references for accuracy Participates in managing attorneys’ caseloads including scheduling, prioritizing, preparing chronologies, fact summaries filing, case management; maintains calendar/docket Prepares documents; organizes documents in complex litigation; and prepares and coordinates service of subpoenas, notices of deposition and other legal documents to witnesses and parties to actions 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 of the above functions for a Legal Assistant I, Plus: Checks citations, quotations, footnotes, and references for accuracy May train others, but not supervise Legal Assistant III: All of the above functions for a Legal Assistant II, Plus: Reviews and performs redacting of confidential documents for filing with various courts MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Legal Assistant I: Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent Experience: Three years of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: Criminal Justice, Civil Litigation, Appellate Law and or Criminal Prosecution Knowledge of office procedures in a legal setting, electronic discovery, and familiarity with legal documents Skill in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and meeting deadlines Skill in effective oral and written communication Skill in exercising sound judgment and effective decision making 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 work space 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 30 lbs. Ability to travel (including overnight travel) up to 5% Legal Assistant II: All of the above qualifications for a Legal Assistant I, Plus: Education: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university; experience in the following (or closely related) fields may be substituted for the required education on a yearfor-year basis: legal assistant, legal secretary, or general office experience in a legal environment Legal Assistant III: All of the above qualifications for a Legal Assistant II, Plus: Experience: One additional year of full-time experience working in the following (or closely related) fields: legal assistant, legal secretary, or general office experience in a legal environment experience; may substitute a master’s degree program from an accredited college or university OR forty credit hours from an accredited law school for the required legal assistance experience PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Education: Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants [Copy of certificate required at time of interview] Experience: Legal Assistant experience in civil litigation with the Texas Attorney General or other state agency Knowledge: Microsoft 365, Adobe Acrobat, Legal Case Management, Time Keeping, File & Serve Texas, PACER Skills: Cite-Checking, Drafting Briefs, Pleadings, Investigative Research, Fact Checking and Document Review Abilities: Work independently as well as in a team setting Certifications: Legal Assistant Certificate TO APPLY To apply for a job with the OAG, submit a completed State of Texas job application through the OAG’s Job Postings Page. A State of Texas application must be completed to be considered, and paper applications are not accepted. For further instructions on how to apply through the OAG’s Job Postings Page, see our How to Apply page. 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 http://www.hr.sao.state.tx.us/Compensation/MilitaryCrosswalk/MOSC_Legal.pdf.