Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To provide legal secretarial and administrative services to the judiciary.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1) Typing letters, memoranda, reports, minutes, agendas, legal documents, e.g., judgments, appeals, from handwritten/shorthand notes, verbal instruction, dictaphone tapes, diskettes; determining typing priorities, identifying and following up on incomplete documentation and ensuring confidentiality as required; composing explanatory responses to litigants' various requests for judicial intervention.

2) Reviewing, sorting and distributing mail, identifying priorities requiring immediate attention; selecting matters to be retained, drafting letters of acknowledgement and requests for information, modifying standard format or sample letters.

3) Providing reception services by screening telephone calls, messages, visitors; referring callers to lawyers, police, legal aid; coordinating conference calls; arranging appointments, relaying information, recording itineraries, updating schedules; providing factual explanations of legal office policies, procedures and terminology.

4) Maintaining filing system and judicial library; filing of correspondence and judgments, case law, publications, e.g., filing inserts for various publications, ordering, receiving legal publications, ranging for soft cover legal publications e.g. Ontario Reports to be bound and claiming expense against book allowance, update office manuals, follow records management schedules.

5) Updating an internal database and bring forward filing system, drafting forms, entering assignments of Judges, entering court case schedules, retrieving required court information and case history; preparing month-end statistical reports, e.g., attendance; arranging for the disposal of confidential documents.

6) Performing other duties such as preparing and submitting attendance reports, updating manuals, mailing lists; checking invoices, travel claims, ordering and maintaining stock of office supplies; completing conference and travel arrangements; photocopying legal documentation, researching case law, legal points and assisting in arranging swearing-in ceremonies.

7) Distributing materials from judiciary on specific committees, providing support to Justices on committees by designing processes to ensure efficiency, liaising with committee members and stakeholders by collecting and analyzing information, collecting and distributing cash and cheques.

8) Notifying the appropriate Trial Office when a matter is scheduled to be heard at the request of a judge; confirming whether the matter is required to be heard in a courtroom, boardroom or judge's chambers; notify Trial Office immediately if any changes to the date, time and location of matter to be heard.

9) Research information for Justices using the Internet e.g. travel, rates, bookings, availability; Canadian Law List and Quicklaw.

10) Maintaining Justices electronic calendar and shared folder; manage Justices calendar to accommodate class action matters from the first case conference to settlement on the action.

11) Full responsibility for managing the Justice's calendar to accommodate class action matters from the first case conference to settlement on the action. Each action requires several in-chambers appointments and motions above the motion for certification. Regular communication with trial office is necessary to inform them of dates and in order to secure court space and court staff. Ongoing communication with Motions Office is also necessary so they can receive material filed. The RSJ's office and the Manager of the Trial Office must also be kept informed of Judge's schedule as it unfolds or changes. Maintain small working file on each action and maintaining a matrix of all class actions. Typing reserve judgments, endorsements and correspondence.

12) Maintaining balance for judge's book allowance ($500) and incidental allowance ($2000) so judge know how much is available at all times; submit expenses before fiscal end deadline.

13) Completing a Conference Allowance Approval form on behalf of judge consulting the National Judicial Institute's Calendar of Legal events and seeking approval of the Regional Senior Justice under Section 41(1) or (2) of the Judges' Act.

Staffing and Licencing :

Job requires shorthand or dicta to ministry standards and typing speed of 50 words per minute.

Knowledge :

Job requires knowledge of legal office and court procedures, legal documents and formats, and related policy to answer telephone enquiries and relay information by providing factual explanations of courts administrative policies, paper flow and procedures. Job requires knowledge of legal terminology to transcribe from dictaphone tapes, shorthand or notes e.g. ensuring spelling accuracy. Job requires knowledge of legal secretarial, administrative and internal office procedures to provide support services by performing such tasks as updating files and court schedules, completing conference and travel arrangements, ordering office supplies. Job requires knowledge of software for troubleshooting software related problems. Job requires knowledge of dictaphone, shorthand and word processing and personal equipment and related software such as Word, Outlook (e-mail, calendar), Excel, PowerPoint, Drawing Tools, Windows, Quicklaw, to manipulate text to produce letters, memoranda, reports and legal documents, according to established procedures. Job requires knowledge of and ability to use Internet and Sustain to do searches for judges. Job requires knowledge of database applications to enter, track and update data. Job requires knowledge of financial processes to ensure purchasing procedures are followed and invoices and statements of expenses are prepared and coded for payment.

Skills :

Job requires reviewing the mail, recognizing priorities or urgencies and identifying matters to be retained and acted upon. Job requires determining/selecting appropriate administrative procedures and processes when typing legal documents and handling correspondence e.g. ensuring correct format, terminology, correct spelling and grammar, and ensuring adherence to correspondence format. Job requires identifying, resolving and following up on problems such as incomplete documentation, conflicts in scheduling, by requesting additional information e.g. date, location, from source and determining and realigning priorities in response to deadlines. Job requires analytical skills to respond to issues such as inquiries involving explanation of court procedures e.g. documentation required, time lines, clarification of legal terms, and to redirect calls by selecting appropriate referrals e.g. lawyer, police, legal aid. Job requires organizational skills in establishing and maintaining filing system for judiciary e.g. directives, correspondence, confidential material, case law. Job requires problem solving and project co-ordination skills e.g. organizing meetings for international committees. Job requires written communication skills to compose correspondence in response to requests for information e.g., explanatory response to litigants' various request for judicial intervention. Job requires oral communication skills to set up conference calls, screen telephone calls, messages, and visitors. Job requires providing factual explanations of legal office and courts administration policies, procedures and terminology to the public. Job requires regular communication with judiciary to discuss court schedules/attendance and responses to inquiries.

Freedom of Action :

Job requires reviewing the mail, recognizing priorities or urgencies and identifying matters to be retained and acted upon. Job requires determining/selecting appropriate administrative procedures and processes when typing legal documents and handling correspondence e.g. ensuring correct format, terminology, correct spelling and grammar, and ensuring adherence to correspondence format. Job requires identifying, resolving and following up on problems such as incomplete documentation, conflicts in scheduling, by requesting additional information e.g. date, location, from source and determining and realigning priorities in response to deadlines. Job requires analytical skills to respond to issues such as inquiries involving explanation of court procedures e.g. documentation required, time lines, clarification of legal terms, and to redirect calls by selecting appropriate referrals e.g. lawyer, police, legal aid. Job requires organizational skills in establishing and maintaining filing system for judiciary e.g. directives, correspondence, confidential material, case law. Job requires problem solving and project co-ordination skills e.g. organizing meetings for international committees. Job requires written communication skills to compose correspondence in response to requests for information e.g., explanatory response to litigants' various request for judicial intervention. Job requires oral communication skills to set up conference calls, screen telephone calls, messages, and visitors. Job requires providing factual explanations of legal office and courts administration policies, procedures and terminology to the public. Job requires regular communication with judiciary to discuss court schedules/attendance and responses to inquiries.