JOB
We are excited to hire a dedicated candidate to provide paralegal, secretarial, and administrative support to the Office of the City-County Attorney. Butte-Silver Bow is a unique combined city-county government, efficiently handling both civil and criminal cases. Unlike other counties, our City-County Attorney’s Office proudly serves both the city and county, offering an incredible opportunity to be part of a dynamic team making a real impact in the community.
This is a highly responsible paralegal, secretarial, and related administrative support work involving the performance of a wide variety of duties in support of the activities of one or more attorneys in the Office of the City-County Attorney. The work is performed under the general direction of the City-County Attorney and assigned deputy county attorneys, but considerable leeway is granted for the exercise of independent judgment and initiative. The nature of the work performed requires that an employee in this class establish and maintain close and cooperative working relationships with the City-County Attorney, deputy county attorneys, other legal assistants, City-County Attorney’s victim advocate, other employees of the city-county's legal/court system, other office personnel, counsel for defendants, and the general public. The position will provide the full range of assigned paralegal duties and secretarial services for designated personnel and must possess a thorough understanding of the full scope of office and court operations and activities appropriate to assigned duties. Because an employee in this class is assigned to work in an environment associated with law enforcement, detention, court services, frequent public contact, high-volume production, and time-sensitive deadlines, the work may be performed under considerable stress.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
- Performs a variety of complex paralegal, secretarial, and related administrative support processes and procedures, and analyzes a variety of subject matter required to determine appropriate actions to be implemented within the office.
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Enters all cases into a database system with all pertinent information in the case i.e. names, dates, charging codes, witnesses, scanning documents, creating tickler entries for upcoming court dates, and making sure the electronic file is up to date and accurate.
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Drafts, formats, and proofs a wide variety of time-sensitive legal documents including briefs, complaints, affidavits, search warrants, bench warrants, summonses, motions, orders, notices, stipulations, findings of fact, judgments, dismissals, petitions for revocation, and related papers in accordance with instructions or established customs and procedures.
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Prepares for review by Deputy City-County attorneys transfer documents from Justice Court to District Court in felony cases by drafting applications for leave, information, and orders.
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Prepares for review by Deputy City-County Attorneys documents filed in juvenile delinquency, youth in need of intervention, and documents related to a fugitive from justice matters.
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Prepares and uploads discovery requests (investigative files, body cams, photos, etc.) received from the Law Enforcement Department to flash drives for opposing counsel and cover letters to go with each set of discovery.
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Works closely with Highway Patrol for reports, discovery, and all other documents pertaining to each case submitted to the city-county attorney’s office.
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Tracks assignments of investigative files from the Law Enforcement Department to the appropriate deputy county attorney from a rotation schedule.
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Establishes and maintains case files and ensures that such files are complete, up-to-date, and in proper format and order.
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Locates and copies cases for research by assigned deputy county attorneys.
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Creates and/or reviews and maintains court calendars and provides complete and factual court calendars to appropriate parties.
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Participates in trial preparations by assembling trial notebooks, interview transcriptions, exhibits, and jury questionnaires, and jury lists for voir dire, and schedules pre-trial conferences and meetings for the City-County Attorney and assigned deputy county attorneys.
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Contacts witnesses and provides an explanation as to why they have been subpoenaed and why it is important that they appear as instructed. This sometimes requires skills of persuasion when explaining to a reluctant or unwilling witness the consequences of failing to appear as instructed.
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Discusses processes with persons who appear to file a request for the involuntary commitment of a person because of mental illness, prepares for review petitions and other related initial documents, schedules hearings with Court and coordinates hearing times with defense counsel and treatment facilities, arranges transportation for Respondent of mental health proceeding, performs follow-up actions necessary for involuntary commitments to the state hospital or an outpatient facility.
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Prepares files and other court documents related to pending court cases for assigned deputy county attorneys.
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Prepares, saves, and creates files for review by Deputy County Attorney, sensitive reports for Child and Family Services cases to report to the Attorney General’s office.
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Updates case files following pre-trial and law and motion sessions to obtain information, record court activities and actions, and update file docket sheets.
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Keeps the City-County Attorney and assigned deputy county attorneys fully briefed on pertinent information relating to their particular case files.
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Provides the City-County Attorney and assigned deputy county attorneys with needed information, files, and documents during court testimony and arguments.
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Assists County Attorney and Deputy County Attorneys with letters, correspondence, and other matters related to legal assistance provided to other City-County departments and related to civil matters involving the City-County.
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Assists County Attorney with communications, Resolutions, and Ordinances submitted to the Council of Commissioners, the legislative body of the City-County.
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Participates in the orientation of new attorneys in office procedures, activities, and operations.
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Maintains computerized tickler for internal and external use; updates, adds, and removes information and cases as appropriate.
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Prepares and distributes jury instructions as instructed.
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Takes verbatim dictation and transcribes letters, reports, statements, memoranda, and other related legal materials, including confidential correspondence and reports.
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Responds to letters or memoranda within assigned areas of responsibility and drafts responses to other letters or memoranda for review and approval by assigned deputy county attorneys.
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Participates in the preparation of documents related to Superfund actions, including formal legal pleadings, complex bond transactions, and Superfund litigation (CERCLA, RECRA, and CECRA).
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Participates in the preparation of the annual budget for the City-County Attorney's Office, including maintaining accurate balances in each line item; ordering and maintaining office supply inventory; preparing weekly bank deposits; creating purchase orders on a secure system through a numerous step process for every invoice, statement, bill due by the City-County attorney office; and maintaining trust accounts on a monthly basis (including records of individual payments, disbursements to victims from all courts, reconciliations, and balances).
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Interviews and secures information from numerous callers to the City-County Attorney's Office, schedules appointments, answers questions, and waits on office visitors.
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Dockets all Police Court and Justice Court complaints.
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Drafts legal documents as directed and instructed by assigned deputy county attorneys.
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Coordinates activities with the Office of the City-County Chief Executive and other City-County departments and divisions as necessary.
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Receives and screens visitors, telephone calls, faxes, mail, and messages as required.
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Opens all mail and determines how it should be handled (scanned, given to attorney, calendared, etc.)
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Diffuses volatile situations when dealing with diverse individuals.
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Copies, packages, and distributes a variety of written materials as requested by county attorney and deputy county attorneys.
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Prepares and sends weekly court lists to the Detention Center for scheduling of transportation of inmates for court proceedings.
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Attends meetings, conferences, and workshops as requested and authorized.
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Performs all duties and work assignments in a safe, healthy, and environmentally sound manner. Specifically, complying with the Health & Safety Program; maintaining work areas in a safe and orderly manner; identifying and reporting unsafe conditions; reporting all accidents; wearing required personal protective equipment; and attending safety-related meetings, training sessions, fit testing, etc.
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Performs all duties and work assignments in compliance with project quality requirements.
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Acts responsibly and ethically, and in conformance with generally accepted business, occupational, and professional standards.
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Works with Butte Archives pursuant to the State’s Retention Schedule on what files to keep and when to dispose of them.
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Performs related work as assigned.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
The City-County is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, physical disability, or veteran status.
This job description is a summary of the typical functions of the job, not an exhaustive or comprehensive list of all possible job responsibilities. Tasks and duties of the employee may differ from those outlined above.
ADA Accommodation Notice
The City-County of Butte–Silver Bow is committed to providing equal access to employment opportunities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process or participate in the hiring process, please contact us.
