Office of the Attorney General

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The Administrative Law Division is seeking an experienced legal assistant to provide support for several attorneys. This position provides the opportunity for growth and advancement in a collegial and professional law office. The ideal candidate will have superb attention to detail and great people skills. The Administrative Law Division has both litigation and general counsel practices. The work involves coordinating legal activities; client and court correspondence, scheduling, researching, analyzing, drafting and proofing legal documents; redacting confidential information; and assisting attorneys and other support staff with successful 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 Assists counsel with drafting, preparing, reviewing, and editing pleadings, motions, briefs, abstracts, legislative histories, petitions, summary judgment motions and responses, rules, and other legal documents for use in trials, appeals, hearings, administrative hearings, and other administrative and agency procedures Reviews and performs redacting of confidential documents for filing with various courts Schedules, calendars, attends, assists, and prepares attorneys for hearings, trials, agency or committee meetings, appellate arguments, depositions, docket call, and administrative hearings Assists attorneys and support staff with case management Communicates with state agencies, court personnel, or outside entities Monitors attorneys’ mail; maintains calendars for multiple attorneys Assists attorneys with 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 Independently researches legal and other sources as required and checks citations and case history, quotations, footnotes, and references for accuracy Reviews and edits pleadings, motions, briefs, abstracts, legislative histories, petitions, summary judgment motions and responses, rules, and other legal documents for use in trials, appeals, hearings, administrative hearings, and other administrative and agency proceedings May assist with training others 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 IV - All of the above functions for a Legal Assistant III, PLUS: May supervise the work of others MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS Legal Assistant III: Education: Graduation from high school or equivalent 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 an administrative law or civil litigation environment Experience: One year of full-time experience working as a paralegal or legal assistant Knowledge of legal terminology Knowledge of research methods (in particular Westlaw and LexisNexis) and techniques Knowledge of administrative and court procedures Knowledge of the legislative process Knowledge of public notice requirements Knowledge of and familiarity with legal documents Knowledge of and familiarity handling confidential documents and ability to perform redactions Skill in understanding and processing information Skill in the use of office equipment Skill in the use of computers and applicable software 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 conduct research Ability to draft, prepare, and interpret legal documents Ability to evaluate and relate findings to cases in question 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 IV – All of the above functions of a Legal Assistant III, PLUS: Experience: One additional year full-time experience working as a paralegal or legal assistant PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Education: Graduation from a course of study for legal assistants [Copy of certificate required at time of interview]; may substitute Associate’s or Bachelor’s degree in legal studies for aforementioned certificate Experience: Four years of full-time experience working as a paralegal or legal assistant Experience as a legal assistant in a civil litigation environment Experience as a legal assistant in Administrative Law Experience in cite checking using the blue book and green book Experience with shepardizing, Westlaw, and other related computerized legal research Experience with redacting confidential documents 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. THE OAG IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER