Legal Assistant

Position Details: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., with occasional evening meetings, public hearings, and City Council meetings as required. If you are organized, diplomatic, and passionate about public service, we invite you to bring your skills and commitment to our team! Join us in making a difference through accountability, empowerment, innovation, and ownership.

Duties and Responsibilities: The functions listed below are those that represent the majority of the time spent working in this position. Management may assign additional functions related to the type of work of the position as necessary. Maintains calendars for the Attorneys; schedules and coordinates meetings, appointments, hearings, conferences, and public meetings; makes travel arrangements as needed; and assembles meeting materials, agendas, and briefing packages for attorney attendance. Monitors and tracks contract and agreement review deadlines; proactively alerts attorneys to approaching deadlines and priority matters requiring their attention. Coordinates the execution of legal documents by appropriate City officials; manages routing, signature collection, distribution of executed documents, and filing of executed documents in accordance with City record retention policies and applicable law.. Receives and screens telephone calls and visitors; responds to routine inquiries; routes calls and visitors to the appropriate attorney; and takes accurate messages. Processes, sorts, routes, and distributes incoming correspondence, mail, and legal documents to the appropriate attorney or City department in a timely manner. Performs data entry into legal management, document management, and City systems; maintains accurate and current records in all systems used by the City Attorney's Office; orders office supplies and processes purchase requisitions and invoices in accordance with City procurement procedures. Prepares, formats, and proofreads a variety of legal documents including contracts, agreements, ordinances, resolutions, memoranda, legal opinions, correspondence, and legal notices as directed; reviews documents for accuracy, completeness, and conformance to established standards; flags discrepancies prior to attorney review. Maintains and organizes physical and electronic filing systems for the City Attorney's Office, including legal files, contracts, agreements, and memos of understanding; ensures files are accurate, current, and accessible. Drafts and transcribes correspondence, meeting minutes, and statements from dictation or written instructions; prepares reports, summaries, and routine replies to non-legal inquiries as directed. Serves as a Florida Notary Public; notarizes legal documents, agreements, affidavits, and other documents as required. Maintains records in compliance with Florida Public Records Law and applicable federal and state requirements; ensures appropriate handling and retention of confidential and attorney-client privileged materials. Conducts basic legal research as directed, including researching Florida statutes, local ordinances, City Charter provisions, and administrative rules; searches public records, court databases, and legal research platforms; compiles and organizes findings for attorney use. Monitors relevant legal notices, legislative updates, and filing deadlines as directed; keeps attorneys informed of applicable requirements and approaching deadlines. Performs other related duties as assigned. Minimum Education And Experience Requirements High school diploma or GED equivalent is required. Associate's degree in Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies, Office Administration, Business Administration, or a related field is preferred. Minimum of three (3) to five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in a legal office, law firm, government attorney's office, or comparable legal environment; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities. The ideal candidate will have a minimum of two (2) years’ experience working with county or municipal government. Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint, is required; experience with document management systems, legal research platforms, or government ERP systems is preferred. Must possess or obtain Florida Notary Public certification within three (3) months of hire and maintain active notary status throughout employment. Must possess and maintain a valid State of Florida Driver's License with an acceptable driving history. The Legal Assistant must possess working knowledge of legal terminology, legal document formats, and law office practices and procedures applicable to a municipal government setting. The position requires knowledge of Florida Statutes, local government operations, and the basic structure and procedures of Florida courts and administrative bodies sufficient to support the work of the attorneys in the office. The incumbent must demonstrate proficiency in the preparation, formatting, and proofreading of legal documents and correspondence, and the ability to identify errors and inconsistencies in basic legal forms and materials prior to attorney review. Strong organizational skills are essential, including the ability to manage multiple attorneys' calendars, track legal deadlines, and prioritize competing demands in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment. The position requires effective written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to compose clear and accurate correspondence, take and transcribe dictation and meeting minutes, and communicate professionally with City officials, department staff, outside attorneys, and members of the public. The incumbent must demonstrate sound independent judgment in responding to routine inquiries and administrative matters without attorney direction, while recognizing and escalating priority or complex matters appropriately. A high degree of discretion, confidentiality, and professional demeanor in handling sensitive legal matters and attorney-client privileged information is a critical requirement of this position.

Physical Requirements: 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; use hands to handle or feel; and talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to stand, walk, and bend or stoop. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, and ability to adjust focus.

Working Conditions: Work is primarily performed in an office environment. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate. This position requires regular handling of confidential and legally privileged information and must adhere to applicable attorney-client privilege, Florida Public Records Law, and City confidentiality policies at all times. Occasional attendance at City Council meetings, public hearings, and other public meetings as directed may be required, including evening meetings. An Equal Opportunity Employer The City of St. Cloud is an equal opportunity employer that prohibits discrimination, harassment, or retaliation in all of its employment practices based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran or family status, genetic information, or any other status or condition protected by applicable state or federal laws. The City participates in employment eligibility verifications through E-verify. Veteran's preference is given in accordance with Florida Law. City Of St. Cloud Benefits Package We believe our City employees to be our most valuable asset. To attract and retain those employees, we offer a competitive wages and benefits package including on-the-job training, seminars, and performance appraisals. We invite you to look at the benefits the City of St. Cloud has to offer. We think you will find that the rewards of the job are equal to the challenge. All of our Full-time regular employees are eligible for the city's benefits package, which includes: On-Site Employee Health Care Center - free for employees and their dependents on the health insurance plan Paid Vacation Sick Leave (Ability to roll over from year to year) 11 Paid Holidays for General Employees - Sworn Fire department employees can earn up to 156 holiday hours per fiscal year, and sworn Police Officers earn up to 116 holidays hours per fiscal year. (Both are prorated from the employee's start date.) One (1) Floating Holiday for General Employees. Medical and Dental Coverage Pension Plan Awards Programs Deferred Compensation Plan Discounted Automobile Insurance Employee Assistance Program Flexible Spending Account Flexible Work Schedules Holiday Bonus - subject to City Council approval Take-Home vehicles policy (Police Officers) Life and Accidental Death (One-time annual salary paid by City) Long Term Disability Coverage (paid by City) for last item and rest of paragraphs. Continue list: last item is