Attorney Assistant

Full Job Description

Attorney Assistants perform paraprofessional legal and secretarial work in the Office of the City Attorney, Office of the Hearing Examiner, the Police Department’s Civil Enforcement Unit or other departments that employ attorneys.

Attorney Assistants will work with elected and appointed officials, other departments, as well as the public, attorneys, and other professionals.

Primary job responsibilities include preparing legal pleadings for various courts; preparing ordinances, resolutions and contracts; maintaining case docket and calendars; assembling documents into working files; and creating and maintaining data in applicable computer databases.

Requirements

Prepares, organizes, reviews and files a variety of legal pleadings such as trial briefs, motions, orders, judgments, notices of appearance, answers to complaints, depositions, affidavits, interrogatories, summons and subpoenas.Prepares ordinances and resolutions using proper forms of execution and acknowledgment.Prepares contracts for attorney approval.Selects, prepares, and completes legal documents incidental to the closing of real estate transactions, such as deeds, promissory notes, deeds of trust, reconveyances, closing statements, UCC documents and excise tax affidavits, under a limited practice certification from the Washington State Supreme Court pursuant to APR 12.

Effectuates closing between the parties.Locates debtors, arranges accounts receivable payments, maintains payment records and data bases, drafts legal documents to press claims on behalf of the City, presents City's case in Small Claims Court, works with collection agencies and performs related collection duties.Maintains case docket and diary; collects, assembles and organizes documents into working files.Files, retrieves and disposes of documents.Creates and maintains files by extracting information from local and state databases; enters case and client information into applicable computer databases and manages documents within.Responsible for closing, storage and/or destruction of files according to policies and procedures.Selects and/or makes recommendations for purchase of supplies and equipment.Assists in the preparation of the office's budget and maintains budget and expense account records, financial records, and payroll records.Acts as receptionist as required.

Sorts, reads, and annotates incoming mail and legal documents; attaches appropriate files to facilitate the necessary action; maintains follow up.Maintains the office's library.Makes arrangements for and coordinates appointments, meetings, conferences and depositions.Independently meets the public and other City employees; answers inquiries requiring knowledge of City policies, procedures and activities, or directs persons to proper offices.Operates various office equipment.Performs other duties as required.

Qualifications Applicants must meet all requirements when they apply.Education: High school diploma or equivalentExperience: Two years of experience as a legal secretary under the direction of an attorney in a predominantly civil or appellate practice.Substitution: Satisfactory completion of a legal secretary or similar training program OR a Limited Practice Officer (LPO) certification may substitute for one year of experience.Equivalency: We may accept different combinations of education and experience.

We welcome job seekers with relevant backgrounds to apply.

Additional Information For information on what to expect with the hiring process, a test information guide, and frequently asked questions, please visit our website.Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications and pass the examination for this position to be eligible for hire.Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately.

All applicants must complete and submit a City of Spokane employment application online by 4:00 p.m.

on the filing cut-off date.Upon request, at time of application, the City will provide alternative accessible tests to individuals with disabilities that impair manual, sensory, or speaking skills needed to take the test, unless the test is intended to measure those skills.The examination will consist of a Training and Experience Evaluation (T&E), with scoring weight assigned as follows:T&E 100%

TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE EVALUATION DETAILS:

• Copies of your college or university transcripts (unofficial transcripts are accepted) may be a required part of this application and will be used to verify that you meet the minimum qualifications, as posted on the job announcement.
• Responses to your T&E questions should be consistent with the information given in your application details. Answers are subject to verification.
• Failure to complete all the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score; therefore, it is advantageous for you to provide a full and complete response to each question.
• Resumes or questionnaires uploaded as attachments will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question online.
• "See Resume" or "See above," etc., and copy/paste from a previous answer are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

This is an online examination and will require a computer. If you do not have access to a computer, please notify Civil Service so that one may be provided. Reservations can also be made through your local, public library.

Training and Experience examination links with instructions will be emailed prior to 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on the start date and will expire at 11:59 p.m. on the due date as listed below. Keep in mind that the test link will be emailed from City of Spokane (info@governmentjobs.com).

• Applicants who apply and meet the minimum qualifications between Monday, January 19, 2026, and Monday, February 2, 2026, will test Thursday, February 5, 2026, through Monday, February 9, 2026.

T&E Subjects May Include:

• Work Experience related to:
  • attorney assistance and court litigation
  • administration of a legal office
  • contracts
• Computer Skills and Experience

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity within our organization.

We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, marital status, familial status, genetic information, veteran/military status or disability status.

As a Fair Chance employer, City of Spokane does not conduct initial background screening for non-public safety positions.