Legal Assistant - Portsmouth

Title: Legal Assistant - Portsmouth State Role Title: Legal Assistant - Portsmouth Hiring Range: $39,725.
00 + State Benefits + $5,000.
00 Local Salary Supplement Agency: Indigent Defense Commission Location: PORTSMOUTH 305 Agency Website: www.
vadefenders.
org Recruitment Type: General Public - G Job Duties The Virginia Indigent Defense Commission (VIDC), a Commonwealth of Virginia Independent Agency, is dedicated to protecting and defending the rights of our clients through zealous, compassionate, high-quality legal advocacy.
The Portsmouth Public Defender Office is committed to providing dedicated, compassionate, client-based, and community-embedded representation for our indigent clients.
The Portsmouth Public Defender Office is now accepting applications for the administrative position of Legal Assistant.
The qualified candidate will provide administrative and clerical support for attorneys, investigators, and mitigation specialists in the Public Defender office.
The Legal Assistant position reports to the Public Defender of the Portsmouth Office and is employed at-will.
This position receives a local salary supplement.
Duties: Greeting persons entering the Public Defender Office and operating a multi-line telephone system.
Screening and forwarding calls, providing information to callers, taking messages, and scheduling appointments.
Typing, editing, and reviewing memos, letters, and various types of legal documents.
Maintaining a filing and record-keeping system.
Collecting, sorting, distributing, and preparing mail.
Communicating and interacting with public defender office colleagues, clients, and judicial system personnel.
The IDC is committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity in our workforce.
We encourage and welcome qualified applicants of all identities, cultures, backgrounds, and experiences.
Minimum Qualifications The position requires a working knowledge of office practices and procedures to include creating and editing letters, memos, and legal documents.
The position requires experience using Microsoft applications, specifically Word and Excel.
The position requires familiarity with Google Suite applications, including Gmail, Google Docs, etc.
The qualified candidate will have experience creating and managing an electronic and manual filing system and skills in keyboarding.
The qualified candidate will effectively communicate both orally and in writing and work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, team-driven environment.
The Legal Assistant position also requires the ability to communicate both effectively and compassionately with clients as well as their support networks and other participants in the legal system.
Additional Considerations An interest in public service and working with indigent clients is preferred.
Prior experience with the criminal justice system is preferred.
Special Instructions Applications for this position require a cover letter and resume.
Failure to submit both may disqualify you from further consideration.
You will be provided a confirmation of receipt when your application and/or résumé is submitted successfully.
Please refer to “Your Application” in your account to check the status of your application for this position.
While creating an account through the state system will save your basic information (please remember your username and password), applications are NOT saved for future openings.
We encourage you to apply to any and all of the positions you may be considering within the IDC.
Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a fingerprint-based criminal background check.
Being authorized to work in the U.
S.
is a precondition of employment.
IDC uses the E-Verify system and does not provide sponsorship.
Applications for this position must be submitted electronically through this website.
Mailed, emailed, faxed, or hand-delivered applications and resumes will not be accepted.
IDC does not accept “see resume” as a response to any question.
Information on the application is the primary source used for screening the position.
Reasonable accommodations are available to applicants if requested, during the application and/or interview process.
This position qualifies for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) depending on your type of loan.
Edits cannot be made to the application once you have received a confirmation number.
Phone calls are not accepted regarding an inquiry into the status of an application.
Please login to the RMS system for status updates.
Contact Information Name: Ashley Washington Phone: 804-662-7249 Email: recruiting@vadefenders.
org In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process.
To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their Certificate of Disability (COD) provided by a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor within the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI).
Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their Certificate of Disability.
If you need to get a Certificate of Disability, use this link: Career Pathways for Individuals with 4 Disabilities, or call DARS at 800-552-5019, or DBVI at 800-622-2155.
Each agency within the Commonwealth of Virginia is dedicated to recruiting, supporting, and maintaining a competent and diverse work force.
Equal Opportunity Employer