Judicial Admin Assistant II

State of Montana • Helena, MT

22h

About The Position

This is legal and administrative office support and judicial process coordination work for three Montana Supreme Court Justices. Work includes assisting justices prepare weekly orders, assisting justices and law clerks prepare opinions, proofreading and finalizing orders and opinions for publication, assembling weekly agenda, distributing mail and other court documents in a timely manner, assisting with Court website updates, and providing secretarial assistance. Work is performed according to verbal or written instructions from a justice, secretarial manual, legal reference and style manuals, and judicial branch and related rules and regulations. Work is performed with considerable independence after a brief orientation to the workflow of the office and is reviewed for accuracy.

Requirements

• Thorough knowledge of legal terminology and format.
• Thorough knowledge of business English, spelling, and punctuation.
• Thorough knowledge of legal office practices, procedures, equipment, and standard secretarial techniques.
• Considerable knowledge of court rules and procedures, preferably procedures used in an appellate court.
• Ability to understand and carry out moderately complex oral and written instructions.
• Ability to recognize and maintain the need for confidentiality in work assignments.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and coordinate work and meet deadlines.
• Ability to operate a personal computer with word processing software.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to maintain extensive file systems.
• Ability to work well in cooperation with others, execute tasks promptly as assigned, be self-directed and well-organized and work well under pressure.
• Skill in the operation of a keyboard.
• Skill in transcribing from machine dictation.
• The position requires an associate degree in business or clerical studies or a similar field and at least three (3) years of progressively responsible legal experience, which demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.
• Experience in a legal or court setting is required and can substitute for the associate degree.

Nice To Haves

• Experience as a high-level assistant is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Types, edits, and proofreads a variety of legal and court documents for grammar, style, punctuation, sentence structure, spelling and format; proofreads documents with another staff person or law clerk; may check the accuracy of routine legal citations.
• Accesses databases to enter or update information and for multiple other purposes including determining the status of a case.
• Types, copies, and distributes memoranda and opinions; gathers, organizes, and distributes papers and files; coordinates the progress of an opinion from the drafting stages to final release to ensure timeliness, accuracy, and adherence to court procedures.
• Drafts simple orders for review and editing by law clerks or justices.
• Organizes and processes incoming paperwork to keep appropriate individuals informed of changes or developments in cases and necessary information disseminated to the appropriate person; assists a justice perform document research from files in the clerk’s office; assists in training law clerks in the process of issuing opinions; coordinates the justices’ involvement in judicial conferences and meetings.
• Assists law clerks, staff attorney, and judicial branch technical staff in maintaining Court websites regarding case updates, standards of review, and Court commission appointments.
• Establishes and maintains extensive filing system of incoming cases, issued decisions, and reference materials within the chambers; maintains and updates chambers library and reference documents.
• Answers telephone in a professional, confidential, and courteous manner; screens calls, takes messages, and provides information as authorized; recycles all discarded briefs and documents.

Benefits

• Work/life balance
• Family friendly policies
• Dedicated and caring colleagues
• Health coverage
• Retirement plans
• Paid vacation, sick leave, and Holidays (combination of up to 38 per year)
• Opportunities and room for professional growth
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness - Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Associate degree
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees