STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
HUMAN RESOURCES
CLASSIFICATION: LEGAL
SECRETARY III
Class Code: 5693-13
Date Established: 12-10-93
Occupational
Code: 1-2-4
Date of Last Revision: 12-28-01
BASIC PURPOSE: To monitor
legal secretarial support services for a law office or legal organizational
unit.
CHARACTERISTIC
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
·
Takes dictation
and/or transcribes legal tapes and types handwritten materials, including
pleadings, correspondences and other specialized legal documents and memoranda.
·
Prepares briefs,
including proofreading, checking law library for correct quotations, checking
citations for correct format, and preparation of tables of authorities and
contents.
·
Refers inquiries from
citizens, attorneys, legislators and businesses and the media to appropriate
agency personnel.
·
Contacts federal and
state agencies, citizens, legislators, attorneys and court personnel to
schedule hearings and meetings.
·
Transcribes
depositions, interviews, hearings, and produces transcription in discoverable
form.
·
Organizes and
maintains case files, researches files and form files enabling prompt retrieval
of documents.
·
Operates word
processing equipment to produce court-ready legal documents and correspondence
from drafts and to compose routine letters or correspondence not requiring
official action.
·
Supervises the work
of other Legal Secretaries and clerical assistants assigned to the legal unit.
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DISTINGUISHING
FACTORS:
Skill: Requires skill
in recommending routine changes in standardized operating procedures OR in
retrieving, compiling and reporting data according to established procedures OR
in operating complex machines.
Knowledge: Requires
knowledge of business practices and procedures or technical training in a craft
or trade, including working from detailed instructions, to apply knowledge in a
variety of practical situations.
Impact: Requires
responsibility for contributing to agency objectives by ensuring the accuracy
of support activities within one or more organizational units. Errors at this level affect the work of
others or have measurable monetary consequences, and require verification and
correction in order to complete succeeding work operations.
Supervision: Requires
direct supervision of other employees doing related or similar work, including
scheduling work, recommending leave, reviewing work for accuracy, performance
appraisal, or interviewing applicants for position vacancies.
Working
Conditions: Requires performing regular job
functions under good conditions in a safe working environment.
Physical
Demands: Requires sedentary work, including
continuous sitting or occasional standing and walking.
Communication: Requires
explaining facts, interpreting situations, or advising individuals of
alternative or appropriate courses of action. This level also requires interviewing or eliciting
information from state employees or members of the general public.
Complexity: Requires a
combination of job functions to establish facts, to draw daily operational
conclusions, or to solve practical problems. This level also requires providing a variety of alternative
solutions where only limited standardization exists.
Independent
Action: Requires a range of choice in applying
a number of technical or administrative policies under general direction and in
making routine decisions or in recommending modifications in work procedures
for approval by supervisor.
MINIMUM
QUALIFICATIONS:
Education: Associate's
degree from a recognized college or two years of college with a major in law,
paralegal studies, a related legal field or secretarial science. Each additional year of approved formal
education may be substituted for one year of required work experience.
Experience: Two years'
experience in a secretarial position, including experience in a legal office or
an area which provided experience with legal terminology. Each additional year of approved work
experience may be substituted for one year of required formal education.
License/Certification: None required.
SPECIAL
REQUIREMENTS:
For appointment consideration, Legal Secretary III
applicants must successfully participate in a written examination and
transcribe a narrative passage from dictating equipment. These examinations measure possession
of knowledge, skills and abilities identified as necessary for satisfactory job
performance by this class specification.
RECOMMENDED
WORK TRAITS: Knowledge of modern office equipment
and methods of operation.
Knowledge of English usage, including spelling, punctuation and grammar
and legal terminology. Knowledge
of legal forms. Knowledge of
agency rules, regulations and functions as they pertain to the work
performed. Knowledge of procedural
rules of state and federal court systems.
Skill in transcribing dictation to include legal language. Skill in typing accurately and
rapidly. Skill in word
processing. Ability to compose
correspondence in acceptable form.
Ability to supervise other state employees engaged in similar work. Ability to work independently on
complex tasks. Ability to read and
interpret legal records. Ability
to use courtesy and tact with visitors and callers. Ability to establish and maintain effective relationships
with superiors, other employees, officials of state, local or federal
governments and the public. Must
be willing to maintain appearance appropriate to assigned duties and
responsibilities as determined by the agency appointing authority.
DISCLAIMER
STATEMENT: This class specification is descriptive
of general duties and is not intended to list every specific function of this
class title.
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