Champaign County
Job Description

Job Title: Senior Administrative Legal Secretary
Department: State's Attorney Support Enforcement
Reports To: Administrator and Attorney
FLSA Status: Non-exempt
Employment Status: Bargaining Unit - AFSCME State's Attorney
Prepared Date: April, 2004

SUMMARY Performs specialized and confidential secretarial duties which often require independent judgement; handles clerical and administrative functions in the State's Attorney's Support Enforcement Alliance for the Senior Assistant State's Attorney and an Assistant State's Attorney; maintains daily communication with staff of the Illinois Department of Public Aid who are part of the Child Support Enforcement Alliance in preparing cases for court.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Case management duties include drafting, typing and filing initial pleadings which are then reviewed by an attorney; prepares Summons for service; sends notice to all plaintiffs of all proceedings; types legal documents such as Complaints for Support and Paternity, Petitions for Rule to Show Cause, Modifications, Judgements of Parentage, Orders for Genetic Testing, Orders for Abatement, Orders of Dismissal, routine correspondence, etc.; verifies and obtains accurate record of addresses and employment; prints all account ledgers for court hearings and obtains certification from the Circuit Clerk's Office prior to hearing; pulls all court files for court dates and checks that appropriate documents accompany each individual file for court.

Attends court hearings with attorney to take court notes; assists in monitoring case flow which may include obtaining signatures of Judge on Orders and obtaining updated information on parties in cases, and assists with questions from the petitioner and respondent; monitors compliance of parties to have blood drawn on paternity cases.

Schedules cases for hearing; co-ordinates availability of phlebotomist for court dates.

Responsible for input of required data on all types of new support cases on department's database.

Frequently handles confidential information such as address, social security information and DNA testing; fields questions from GeneScreen regarding testing on Paternity cases as office liaison; also monitors genetic testing on UIFSA cases.

Communicates to employees of the Illinois Department of Public Aid of any suspected fraud cases as a result of information obtained in court, in person or by telephone.

Assists the public in answering questions regarding procedures associated with Child Support and Paternity matters.

Performs purchasing tasks for the division by preparing and typing requisitions and maintaining records of purchases; prepares requisitions for payment of bills of the division; monitors expenditure records for the division and maintains division's ledger indicating line item balances; solely responsible for ordering supplies for division keeping within budgetary limitations; serves as liaison with the Auditor's Office regarding requisitions and contacts the Senior Administrative Assistant to prepare Budget Transfers for division.

Contacts computer services when there are problems with the system.

Contacts appropriate personnel for the repair or maintenance of office equipment; recommends equipment improvements and upgrades to the Senior Administrative Assistant.

Responsible for facilitating intergovernmental cooperation by identifying work-flow, documentation, staffing and equipment problems; identifies gaps and overlaps in program services and efforts; responsible for organizing optimal operational efficiency and effectiveness of staffing functions; provides policy input and procedural recommendations for State's Attorney's Office; monitors response time in providing constituent service; responsible for identifying, documenting, analyzing and reporting on a wide variety of provisions of services issues.

Provides training for two full-time Legal Secretary positions and one Legal Secretary/Receptionist position; monitors their progress and reports employee progress and/or problems directly to the Senior Administrative Assistant who in turn handles the supervision of those problems.

Provides work direction, through a joint effort with the attorneys of the division, for two Legal Secretary positions, one Legal Secretary/Receptionist position, one temporary Filing Clerk and one Senior Volunteer; provides information and identifies cases that need assistance in location and/or service of respondents to part-time Investigator.

Collects and reviews all support staff timesheets and submits that information to the Senior Administrative Assistant.

May participate with the Senior Administrative Assistant in the interviewing process of support staff and make recommendations as to hiring of support staff.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES May supervise and train secretarial/clerical employees or interns in the State's Attorney's Support Enforcement Alliance Division.
Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities include training employees; assigning, and directing work; appraising performance, addressing complaints and resolving problems.

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job satisfactorily, an individual must be able to perform each essential function satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required.

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE High School diploma or general education degree (GED), plus three years of progressive, responsible secretarial experience, one of which should be as a legal secretary. Thorough knowledge of modern office practices and procedures and of the operation of the criminal justice system. Requires good knowledge of court procedures, of office equipment operation, of the principles of modern record keeping and of legal phrases and terminology. Requires good skill in operating office equipment such as word processing software, on-line computer terminals and dictaphones.

LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and understand court transcripts, summons, warrants, other legal documents and County and State governmental regulations. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to effectively present information and respond orally to questions from employees and the general public. Requires good English and spelling skills.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts, interest, commissions, proportions, and percentages.

REASONING ABILITY Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral or schedule form.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and talk; or hear. The employee is occasionally required to reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision and depth perception.

WORK ENVIRONMENT The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Usually, normal office working conditions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate.

Note: This document contains wording of a description of a general class of positions within the Champaign County salary administration program. The description contains examples of duties and responsibilities which may or may not be considered to be "essential functions" to a particular job or position with this job class. "Essential functions" are to be determined at the position or job level within each department.