GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF CLASS

This is highly responsible staff support work assisting in administrative matters and providing legal secretarial and paralegal support. Work involves the performance of difficult and varied clerical and public contact work, requiring self-direction, sound independent judgment and diplomacy. Work also involves independence of action, exercise of mature judgment and application of extensive working knowledge of organization and programs in a variety of work involving continual interdepartmental relations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS

• Composes memoranda, correspondence and emails in response to various requests for information by members and citizens and receives/processes all phone calls from members/citizens.

• Maintains calendar for General Counsel, i.e., setting appointments and monitoring deadlines; working with part-time GC’s secretary at Boswell Dunlap to accommodate GC’s schedule between offices.
• Plans and coordinates various activities within the Department, as determined by the General Counsel, and insures the smooth flow of work and compliance with applicable departmental policies and procedures.
• Coordinates forfeiture case progression with Investigator – Assets Forfeitures, i.e., monitoring of deadlines, coordination of service of process, scheduling/coordination of hearings with judge's office, liaison between the Court and arresting officer, preparation of routine pleadings and settlement agreements for review by General Counsel, and maintains checkbook (Imprest Account) for processing forfeiture cases.
• Serves as liaison between LPD and outside counsel representing the COL in gathering information responsive to discovery requests from cases in litigation, coordinating the scheduling of depositions of officers, and conferences with outside counsel.
• Gathers/coordinates the processing of motions for return of property, immigration status change requests, subpoenas for information, specific public records requests, etc.
• Processes invoices and researches billings presented by defense attorneys for indigent violators of municipal ordinances.
• Sets up and processes Risk Protection Order (RPO) cases, filing the necessary pleadings and monitoring the cases; communicating with officers and monitoring their attendance at hearings; keeping an appendix of all incoming RPO cases and the end results; monitoring annual follow-up of RPO cases to determine the closing or refiling of case.
• Assists in preparation or renewal of approx. 135 contracts, including, but not limited to, mutual aid, police recruit sponsorships, traffic enforcement in private communities, school resource officers, contracts with various governmental agencies, etc.; and drafts/edits Waivers of liability for specific purposes, i.e., training scenarios, etc.
  Conducts research, including, but not limited to, disposition of court cases via CCIS database.

• Builds file/gathers information to assist GC in presenting cases before the Nuisance Abatement Board.

ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS:

• Performs related work as required.
• Position may be designated as Mission Critical by Department Director.

QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION, TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE) AND SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

• High school diploma from an accredited school or its equivalent.
• Five (5) years of legal secretarial experience in a public or private law office.
• Experience with real estate transactions preferred.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must possess a valid driver’s license.
• Must maintain a valid telephone number.
• Must obtain and maintain Notary Public status with the State of Florida within 3 months of employment. (Police only)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, ABILITIES AND WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Considerable knowledge of office record keeping and reporting.
• Knowledge of the principles of office management and administration.
• Knowledge of legal terminology and documents.
• Knowledge of the PACER system.
• Knowledge of budget preparation procedures and bookkeeping methods and principles.
• Ability to carry out administrative and supervisory details independently and conduct correspondence without review.
• Ability to plan, assign, and coordinate the work of the secretarial staff.
• Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing.
• Ability to compose reports, pleadings, letters, and memoranda.
• Knowledge of court filing procedures.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Requires sedentary work that involves walking or standing some of the time, exerting up to ten (10) pounds of force on a recurring basis and routine keyboard operations.
• The job risks exposure to no significant environmental hazards.
• The job requires normal visual acuity, field of vision, hearing, speaking, color perception, sense of taste, sense of smell, depth perception, and texture perception.

All City of Lakeland positions are subject to testing (e.g. written, oral, performance, computerized, interview and/or any combination). Candidates selected for testing will be notified via email or telephone. Please check your email and telephone messages regularly, including "junk" folders. Test times and locations to be announced.

Required Documents:
1. Copy of DD214 – Military Discharge (if applicable).
Applicants for the position of Legal Assistant are required to submit a copy of ALL required documents with the employment application. Applicants will not be eligible for employment until ALL required documents have been submitted to CIVIL SERVICE or uploaded with the application. Documents will not be accepted after the closing of the job posting.

Elements of the selection process:
Our system allows you to work on your application and save the application without submitting it. This is done to allow you to save your work and come back to finish the application without having to start over. Your application is not considered “complete” until it is thoroughly filled out, without missing information, and ALL required documents are received by Civil Service. If you submit your application and do not “complete” it before the closing of the job posting, your application will be rejected from the system and you will have to start the application process over. The application WILL NOT be accepted or reviewed until it is “complete”.

After submission of the completed application (including ALL required documents) the application will be accepted.

Once applications have been reviewed and accepted based on minimum qualifications for the position, candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be given a computer skills test. The test will consist of Outlook, Word, Excel, Filing, PowerPoint, and Proofreading. Candidates are required to receive a passing score on each section of the exam to move forward.

The hiring authority will evaluate candidates based on their overall performance on the test, training, education, and/or experience to determine the most suitable applicants for interview.

Candidates selected to move forward will be invited to an interview. The interview process will consist of a structured, panel interview rated by subject-matter experts using the Legal Assistant Competency Model. The panel will consist of at least three LPD members.

If selected to move forward, you will be invited to complete a biographical interview, conducted by a member of the G.S.S. staff. The biographical interview will consist of a full comprehensive review of the application submitted to confirm accuracy of the information provided. Applicants that are selected to continue in the process will be given information and instructions for the submission of a Personal History Questionnaire, which will be required to move forward in the process.

Applicants that are selected for employment will be given a conditional offer of employment.
The job offer is contingent upon the successful completion and approval of a Truth Verification Examination (i.e. polygraph or computer voice stress analysis), medical examination & drug screen testing and completed background investigation.

A thorough background Investigation will be completed on all candidates prior to employment.

The applicant will receive written notice either by mail or electronic mail at each phase of the selection process advising them that they were selected to move forward in the process or that they were not selected. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the e-mail address provided on the application is correct and to provide any updated information to Civil Service during the application process.

Once a decision has been reached to offer the applicant employment OR that the applicant will not be offered employment, applicants will be notified within 30 days. The intent of the Lakeland Police Department’s Personnel Services Section is that the selection process, from the date of the exam until the applicant is advised of a decision regarding employment, will not extend beyond 180 days.

When the applicant is selected for employment and all elements of the selection process have been passed, the applicant will begin the in-house training and familiarization of the positional duties. The new employee will be on probationary status until their one year probationary period is successfully completed. Applicant will be required to obtain a State of Florida Notary Certification within 3 months of employment.

Reapplication:
Reapplication, retesting, and re-evaluation of applicants not hired is permitted after six months as long as nothing in the application history indicates an unfitness for employment. Conditions that qualify as unfitness for employment include revelations of unacceptable drug use, criminal records, or other factors discovered during the selection process.

Background Investigation:
A background investigation of each candidate for all positions is conducted prior to appointment to probationary status. The background investigation may include, but is not limited to:
a. verification of qualifying credentials
b. a review of any criminal record
c. a review of applicants driving record
d. fingerprint check
e. warrants check
f. records check
g. verification of at least three personal references
h. a review of prior employment/military history
i. a review of applicants employment and academy files
j. review of social site/internet information