Administrative Assistant - Allegan County

Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty.  A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We were recently identified as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being. We have also received the Impact Award for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Summary: 

This position provides litigation support and requires a variety of complex clerical and litigation tasks; Assists the appointed Director and Assistant Public Defenders (APDs) with litigation and administrative support by managing client service, a voluminous calendar for the APDs, case management, filing with various courts, data entry, typing, generating correspondence with various stake holders, internal and external scheduling, organizing confidential documents and general secretarial support. In addition, may prepare, input and index data from documents into a case management system.

Starting Wage Range: $19.87 per hour to start, Full-Time 

Excellent Benefits Plan:  Benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date

- Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which are FREE)

- County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans

- County-paid employee life insurance coverage

- County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks

- Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings

- Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses

- Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.

- 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO

- FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers 

Essential Duties: 

1. Acts as the first line of contact with all clients and stakeholders contacting the Office of the Public Defender (OPD); Greets and provides customer service to all OPD clients, this includes answering department telephone, assisting walk-in clients and stakeholders in order to address their needs.
2. Drafts and disseminates written communications to the appropriate clients and stakeholders.
3. Determines client and stakeholder needs using effective verbal and written communication; Direct clients and stakeholders to next appropriate level of service.
4. Provides case-management-related scheduling and calendar support for all OPD assigned hearings, client and witness meetings, as well as any other case-management related scheduling and calendar support needed for the effective operation of OPD to the Legal Assistants, Office Coordinator, APDs, Deputy Chief Public Defender and Chief Public Defender. Independently determines when and how to properly add scheduling information to calendar.
5. Drafts and files court orders; organizes records, documents and files; provides other complex legal documents to the Legal Assistants and other OPD staff.
6. Determines and utilizes best Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each litigation and operational assistance need.
7. Maintains, accurately updates and provides files to appropriate legal assistants and attorneys as needed, helping to facilitate effective client representation.
8. Provides data collection/analysis, report drafting, indigency determination and indigency processing support for OPD management, Assistant Public Defenders and Legal Specialists and related to Michigan Indigent Defense Commission (MIDC) standards.
9. Uses various databases of information to perform job duties such as: OPD Internal Case Management Systems, DefenderData, Internet Criminal History Access Tool (ICHAT), State Motor Vehicle Records, Offender Tracking Information System (OTIS), AS400, and other state/local court databases

Education and Experience:

1. High School Diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.).
2. One (1) year of secretarial experience in a legal setting, including legal/court terminology, procedures and computer systems, preferred
3. One (1) year of exceptional customer service experience in a fast-paced environment with frequently changing priorities and a changing organizational system, preferred
4. Ability to identify issues and make sound decisions. Ability to understand and record relevant information. Ability to use sound judgement to evaluate situations, develop solutions and perceive the impact of decisions. Strong independent thinking and decision-making abilities are necessary.
5. Ability to perform work in a thorough and detailed manner. Ability to organize work, set priorities and determine required resources. Ability to determine short-term and long-term goals and implement strategies to achieve those goals.
6. Effective formal and informal written communication, using correct grammar, punctuation and spelling. Proficient typing skills, using all dept/job related software and tools.
7. Ability to assess team, client and stakeholder needs and provide accurate and prompt information and/or assistance. Ability to work both independently and in conjunction with a team to meet clients’ needs and advance the vision of the department.
8. Ability to adapt to change in the workplace by prioritizing multiple simultaneous demands and unexpected client and department needs.
9. Ability to occasionally work after standard business hours for trial representation.

Allegan County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. A copy of our EEO Utilization report is available on our website:

https://www.allegancounty.org/home/showpublisheddocument/2802/637974740005930000

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