City of Carbondale
Job Opening Announcement/Job Description
Title: Legal Assistant
Dept./Div.: City Attorney/Legal
Nature of Work: This is a regular, full-time position in the City Attorney’s Office. This position provides secretarial and administrative support to the City Attorney and Assistant City Attorney and has primary responsibility for preparing court documents and reports related to the municipal ordinance violation prosecution process, collections, and customer service. The Legal Assistant must exercise initiative with minimal instruction and independent judgment, and demonstrate exceptional critical thinking, customer service, and project coordination skills. Work is assigned by the City Attorney and/or Assistant City Attorney. The Legal Assistant is supervised and evaluated by the City Attorney.
Essential Duties:
1. Receive and direct calls and visitors to the City Attorney’s Office. Respond to routine questions and requests, and assist persons seeking information from the City Attorney’s Office. This work entails effective oral and written communication and strong interpersonal skills for dealing with the public in person, as well as by telephone, using tact and good judgment.
2. Perform a wide variety of secretarial and clerical tasks including transcribing both written and tape-recorded information regarding union contracts, litigation, documents, correspondence, and memorandums. This work entails using typewriters, calculators, personal computers, and other appropriate office equipment with accuracy, efficiency, and speed; organize and accurately maintain an extensive filing system, using good organizational skills and accuracy.
3. Provide clerical support required for preparation of payroll, check requests/vouchers/requisitions, travel forms, P-Card statements, and budgets; maintain the necessary support records and documentation. This work entails effective reading, written and comprehension skills, use of a calculator, and basic mathematical abilities including addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and the application of percentages in order to assist with budget, purchase order, and payroll preparation and processing.
4. Draft and revise legal documents including ordinances and resolutions and supporting documentation, legal motions, small claim complaints, liens and releases, real estate documents, contracts, and agreements; ensure copies of the appropriate documents are correct and submitted for dissemination and maintained for future changes; provide electronic copies of council items to be posted on the City’s website.
5. Prepare summons, warrants, court dockets, motions and other related court documents; work closely with the Jackson County Circuit Clerk’s Office, Illinois Supreme Court, and other governmental branches to assist in the completion of work assignments.
6. Coordinate the Pay-By-Mail/Community Service Program designed to provide an option for those receiving citations for ordinance violations to participate in the program as an alternative to court appearance. This work entails working closely with the Carbondale Police Department to ensure effectiveness of the program, establishing a listing of agencies/organizations willing to participate and keeping that list current, discussing options with the individual receiving the citation, assisting with the completion of forms, receipt of payment, verification and confirmation of community service hours, confirming completion of service hours, and preparing a complaint and summons to be served on the individual if the individual does not fulfill the requirements of the program.
7. Maintain files on past due accounts with the City. This work entails searching for and locating individuals; preparing and sending correspondence; brokering payment agreements; preparing documents and filing with the court small claims complaints and summons, citations to discover assets, petitions for rule to show cause, and body attachments.
8. Maintain court files and prepare City court dockets. This work entails (when a bench trial is requested) requesting and reviewing police reports from the appropriate law enforcement agency, identifying and notifying law enforcement officers and witnesses of court date, responding to Discovery requests from opposing counsel, and cancelling court appearances if the case is continued or a plea is entered.
9. Prepare Petitions to Revoke Supervision for individuals who do not comply with their supervision agreements, prepare Secretary of State Disposition Reports for individuals receiving underage alcohol violations, prepare and serve Alias Summons on Building and Neighborhood Service citations that have not been served.
10. Request, review, and follow-up on monthly reports for all closed and new water/sewer accounts to identify customers with outstanding balances that can be transferred; prepare and submit monthly write-off report of uncollected or past the statute of limitations accounts.
11. Effectively and efficiently organize and maintain all legal files, maintain office supply inventory for the department, serve as Notary for the public.
Other Duties: Perform other duties and assignments as required to carry out the mission of the City Attorney’s Office and the City of Carbondale.
Work Environment: Work is generally performed in an office setting, with moderate work outside with exposure to all types of weather conditions.
Physical Demands: Work is essentially sedentary with occasional walking, bending, lifting objects up to 25 pounds, and other light physical activities. Work requires the ability to sit for extended periods of time, operate vehicles, operate personal computers, and to perceive and/or discriminate colors, sounds, depth and texture.
Minimum Acceptable Qualifications: Associate's degree or certification as a legal secretary, paralegal, or equivalent. Extensive professional secretarial experience or administrative support in a legal environment or closely related field requiring critical thinking, confidentiality, and discretion; experience preparing court documents and supporting an attorney in court functions; advanced software experience with Microsoft Office; advanced skills in English grammar/writing and math. Must be able to pass City’s required skills assessment tests. Drug screening and criminal background check required; must possess and maintain a valid Illinois driver’s license.
Regular, Full-Time Position/Overtime Eligible
Salary: Range 5, $24.81 - $26.50/hr.
Residency Boundary Requirement
Benefits:
- Medical/Dental/Vision
- Life Insurance
- Retirement pension
- 457 deferred compensation plan
- Employee Assistance Program
- 10 days of vacation /12 days of sick leave per year
- 13 city holidays, plus one floating holiday
- Section 125 pretax deductions
- Dependent Care Reimbursement Plan
- Healthcare Flexible Spending Account
Submit completed City of Carbondale Application for Employment to the Human Resources Office, 200 S. Illinois Avenue, Carbondale, Illinois 62901. Application and full job description may be obtained at City Hall or completed online through the City’s website at www.explorecarbondale.com. Apply online or hand-deliver to the City of Carbondale. Position is open until filled; initial application deadline is 4:00 PM on Monday, July 20, 2026. The City of Carbondale is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
