Safety/Security Status: This position is designated as safety/security sensitive and is subject to pre-employment, reasonable suspicion and random drug and alcohol screening.

SUMMARY This position serves the Legal Department in litigation preparation, City Council agenda preparation, case management, legal research, and legal drafting. This position is responsible for assisting the Staff Attorney in their deputy prosecuting attorney role for district court proceedings. In addition to other duties as assigned, this position is responsible for the coordination of court dockets, compilation of court files, victim and witness communication, assistance with motion and order preparation and filing, preparing subpoenas, discovery compilation and compliance, and obtaining criminal histories and crime lab results. The position requires critical thinking, effective communication, time management, self-motivation, strong organizational skills, and professionalism. This position requires efficient, clear, and cordial communication with the public, law enforcement agencies, defense attorneys, and court staff. Maintaining confidentiality of case files and Legal Department information is essential to the position. Incumbents must be comfortable with Lexis Nexis and Westlaw, electronic court filing programs, standard word processing programs, and have the ability to learn other software programs utilized by the City. This position accompanies the staff attorney to court and must remain professional in a courtroom setting. Candidates must pass a criminal background check before employment and must provide a writing sample with their resume and application. There is also a component of general office work where this position assists and relieves lawyers and other legal personnel of administrative and clerical work by performing the following duties.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Reporting relationships,

work assignments, and work schedules may be subject to change in order to meet City needs or operational

requirements. Attendance at work and the ability to get along with the public, supervisors, and co-workers are

essential elements of this position. Other duties may be assigned.

Responsible for preparing and maintaining case files for criminal court proceedings which includes, but is not limited to, making discovery requests for police reports, dash cam or body cam footage, crime lab results, and any other information relevant to the case and compiling criminal history reports; including accompanying staff attorney to court. This duty is performed daily.

Responsible for preparing and maintaining case files for civil court proceedings which includes, but is not limited to, preparing and filing interrogatories and request for production of documents, calendar and track motions and response due dates, and scheduling depositions with appropriate parties and court reporter; including accompanying staff attorney to court or court related matters. This duty is performed monthly.

Prepare and issue subpoenas for court cases, distribute discovery and plea offers to opposing counsel, calendar court dates, prepare, file, and serve discovery motions for applicable cases. This duty is performed daily.

Familiarizing yourself with each file in order to respond to questions and identify missing information; investigating facts and law of case to determine causes of action to prepare case accordingly. This duty is performed daily.

Research and analyze law sources such as statutes, recorded judicial decisions, legal articles, treaties, constitutions, and legal codes, prepare memos for staff attorney when needed, and physically locate legal materials in the law library. This duty is performed weekly.

Prepares legal documents, final legal papers, and correspondence, occasionally from draft or dictated text, such as briefs, pleadings, appeals, summonses, complaints, motions, subpoenas, and contracts, for review, approval, and use by staff attorney. This duty is performed weekly.

Acts as law librarian, keeping and monitoring legal volumes and ensuring legal volumes are up to date. This duty is performed annually.

Manages calendar, arranges complex and detailed travel plans and itineraries, compiles documents for travel-related meetings accompanying staff attorney when requested, assists in meeting deadlines, coordinates meetings, and performs other clerical duties such as scheduling appointments, screening incoming calls, providing information to callers, taking dictation, composing and typing routine correspondence, and reading and routing incoming mail. This duty is performed daily.

Acts as custodian of corporate documents and records by maintaining and keeping track of department filing system, accurately filing correspondence and legal documents, and ensuring proper indexing and filing of original legal documents. This duty is performed weekly.

Use computer software programs for the Bentonville Police Department, Bentonville District Court, and for other City departments as needed. This duty is performed daily.

Coordinate with Legal Administrative Assistant to schedule services such as computer and office equipment maintenance and repair, supplies, mail, and files. This duty is performed monthly.

Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES None.

QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Job related Associate's degree (A.A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school and five (5) years related legal experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively communicate information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Ability to read, analyze, and understand common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to complex or difficult inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the legal community.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to prepare and interpret bar graphs. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.

CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of known variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or diagram form.

REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Possession of a valid Driver’s License.

5 years experience in the legal field.

Graduation from an ABA certified paralegal program or equivalent.

PREFERRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

Notary Public.

ACIC Certification.

Bilingual.

SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED

Computer training in Microsoft Office.

Intermediate: Database, Spreadsheet, Word Processing/Typing.

Intermediate: 10-key, Accounting, Contact Management, Presentation/PowerPoint, Spreadsheet/Excel.

INITIATIVE AND INGENUITY:

SUPERVISION RECEIVED Under limited supervision and direction where a definite objective is set up or standard practice enables the employee to proceed alone planning and arranging own work, referring only unusual cases to supervisor.

PLANNING Considerable responsibility with regard to general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work, in addition, the work operations of a group of employees, all performing basically the same type of work. May also occasionally assist in the planning of work assignments performed by others within a limited area of operation.

DECISION MAKING Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of minor importance and also frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance, either of which would affect the work operations of the organization and the organization's clientele.

MENTAL DEMAND Close mental demand. Operations requiring close and continuous attention for control of operations. Operations requiring intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization's administration and operations; also to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.

ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING Directed. Supervisory and/or professional skills using structured practices or policies and directed as to execution and review. Interpolation of learned things in moderately varied situations where critical thinking, reasoning, and independent decision-making are essential.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORK OF OTHERS
Carries out minor supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to planning, assigning, and checking work, but also performing the same work as may be assigned. Content of work supervised is of a technical nature and varies in complexity.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR FUNDS, PROPERTY, AND EQUIPMENT Regularly responsible for organization's property where carelessness, error, or misappropriation would result in moderate damage or moderate monetary loss to the organization. Almost continuous care and attention is required when handling this property in order to prevent loss.

ACCURACY Probable errors would not likely be detected until they reached another department, office, or patron, and would then require considerable time and effort to correct the situation. Frequently, possibility of error that would affect the organization's prestige and relationship with the public to a limited extent, but where succeeding operations or supervision would normally preclude the possibility of a serious situation arising as a result of the error or decision.

ACCOUNTABILITY:

FREEDOM TO ACT Directed. Freedom to complete duties as defined by wide-ranging policies and precedents with mid to upper-level managerial oversight.

ANNUAL MONETARY IMPACT The amount of annual dollars generated based on the job's essential duties/responsibilities. Examples would include direct dollar generation, departmental budget, proper handling of organization funds, expense control, savings from new techniques or reduction in manpower.

Moderate. The job creates a monetary impact for the organization up to an annual level of $500,000.00.

IMPACT ON END RESULTS Moderate impact. Job has a definite impact on the organization's end results. Participates with others in taking action for a department and/or total organization.

PUBLIC CONTACT Regular contacts with patrons, either within the office or in the field, where the contact is initiated by the employee. Involves both furnishing and obtaining information and, also, attempting to influence the decisions of those persons contacted. Contacts of considerable importance and of such nature, that failure to exercise proper judgment may result in important tangible or intangible losses to the organization.

EMPLOYEE CONTACT Contacts of considerable importance with other departments or offices, and also frequently with individuals in management level positions; consulting on problems which necessitate judgment and tact in presentation to obtain cooperation or approval of action to be taken. Also, important contacts with associates as required in advanced supervisory jobs, plus frequent contact with senior level internal officials.

USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTERS Occasional use of highly complex machines and equipment; specialized or advanced software programs.

WORKING CONDITIONS Normal working conditions as found within an office setting, wherein there is controlled temperature and a low noise level, plus a minimum of distractions. Periodically exposed to such elements as intermittent standing, walking, pushing, carrying, or lifting; but none are present to the extent of being disagreeable.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.

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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk or hear; regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms; frequently required to walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and occasionally required to stand, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision; and color vision.

Moderate diversity, low physical. Work activities which allow for a moderate amount of diversity in the performance of tasks which are not as varied as those positions with high-level diversity and decision-making.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

Lexis Nexis and Westlaw legal research procedures.

Knowledge of general legal terminology and legal principles.

Ability to perform legal research using reference materials generally available within a law library and/or electronic resources.

Knowledge of the policies and procedures relating to municipal government.

Ability to interpret and apply local, county, state, and federal codes and laws.

Ability to analyze and review contracts and other legal documents to ensure necessary provisions are contained therein.

Ability to draft form pleadings and discovery.

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with others.

Exceptional ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.

Ability to organize and prioritize workload.

Ability to understand and follow written and oral directions.

Ability to use and knowledge of modern office equipment, including MS Word software.

Ability to effectively operate photographic, video photographic, and sound recording equipment.

Perform related duties and responsibilities as assigned.