GENERAL DEFINITION

This is specialized stenographic and clerical work, taking and transcribing legal dictation from attorneys or taking and transcribing verbatim testimony at hearings and conferences. Employees in this class provide secretarial assistance to attorneys engaged in complex litigation or utilize a stenographic and tape recording machine to record testimony given at employee disciplinary and accident hearings. Work includes setting up and maintaining legal case files and maintaining dockets of legal cases in process or preparing transcripts of hearings when requested and maintaining manual computerized files of disciplinary and accident hearings. Work is performed under the supervision of an attorney or administrative superior.

ALLOCATING FACTORS:
(The following conditions must be met for a position to be approved for this class.)

• The position must take and transcribe legal dictation for attorneys engaged in complex litigation or take and transcribe verbatim testimony at hearings and conferences.
• The position must report to an attorney or an administrative superior.

TYPICAL EXAMPLES OF WORK (ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY)

• Takes and transcribes legal dictation including legal opinions, briefs, pleadings, and memoranda of law or verbatim testimony at disciplinary, accident hearings and conferences; assembles and arranges briefs and other legal documents in prescribed format; copies and verifies citations and quotations.
• Maintains docket of legal cases in process; sets up and maintains legal case files; contacts trial commissioner or court clerks regarding order of cases on actual trial lists; notifies interested parties of record of the time and place of pre- trial conferences, negotiations, or discussions.
• Notifies all interested parties including witnesses and relatives of employees, of time and place of hearings and of decisions; prepares cases for hearings by obtaining all pertinent records; maintains file records on cases.
• Types hearings, using word processing equipment.
• Utilizes a computer to compile statistical data by entering and retrieving data from files.
• Takes dictation of and transcribes correspondence, reports, and other material.
• Interviews callers; makes and cancels appointments for attorneys; answers routine telephone inquiries; opens and distributes mail; composes replies to routine correspondence.
• Performs related work as required.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGES, SKILLS AND ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE OF:

• the form and content of legal forms and documents if required by work assignment.
• hearings procedures and of the methods of recording verbatim testimony at high speed under difficult conditions if requested by work assignment.
• legal terminology and spelling.
• business English, arithmetic, punctuation, and grammar.
• standard office practices and procedures.
• legal bibliography and methods of citing if required by work assignment.

ABILITY TO:

• record, using a stenographic machine, verbatim proceedings involving several participants at a minimum rate of 175 words per minute for sustained periods of time if required by work assignment.
• take manual legal dictation at the rate of a minimum of 90 words per minute if required by work assignment.
• type from rough draft or clear copy at the rate of a minimum of 50 words per minute.
• independently prepare and assemble entire briefs and other legal documents if required by work assignment.
• secure and copy docket entries if required by work assignment.
• utilize case reports, opinions, decisions, docket entries and texts in copying pertinent material in the preparation of briefs and pleadings if required by work assignment.
• independently compose replies to routine correspondence.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE

(The following statement represents the minimum training and experience standards which will be used to admit or reject applicants for tests. Applications submitted by candidates for this class will be reviewed based on training and experience requirements as approved on 8/1995.)

EDUCATION

• Education equivalent to the completion of the twelfth school grade.

EXPERIENCE

• Three years of legal or general stenographic and related legal secretarial experience, one year of which involved taking verbatim dictation at a minimum of 90 words per minute.
• Or any equivalent combination of acceptable training and experience determined to be acceptable by the Personnel Department that has included the specific experience described above.

PHYSICAL AND MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Ability to physically perform the duties and to work in the environmental conditions required of a position in this class.

PAY RANGE: 13
Class Established: 1B74 - 12/1953 , 1B72 - 6/1953

Latest Spec. Revision:
  CSC - 6/1995; Ad Board - 8/1995

RH/DD/sb/ps