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Legal Administrative Assistant

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Legal Administrative Assistant

Salary

$34.60 Hourly

Location

City of Bellingham, WA

Job Type

Part Time

Job Number

25-Legal Admin Assistant

Department

Legal

Opening Date

11/14/2025

Closing Date

12/1/2025 8:30 AM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

Eteam

+ Description

+ Benefits

+ Questions

Nature of Work

Are you ready to play a pivotal role at the heart of the City’s Legal Department? We’re looking for a dynamic professional to manage high-level administrative and legal functions, support senior legal staff, and lead key departmental projects with precision and discretion. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment where confidentiality, legal expertise, and independent judgment are valued, this is your opportunity to make a meaningful impact!

JOB SUMMARY:

Manages administrative functions of the Legal Department. Performs complex and confidential administrative management tasks for the City Attorney and other senior Legal staff. Coordinates all activities of major projects and legal department processes. Performs a variety of complex paralegal, technical and clerical tasks in support of the civil division of the City's Legal Department, requiring independent judgement in applying knowledge of legal processes, legal standards, and contracting principles applicable to multiple City functions. Work requires a high degree of confidentiality and discretion. Serves as Legal Departmental Public Records Coordinator.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

This position will start at Step 1 ($34.60/hour). This position is a .75 FTE (30 hours/week). Employees receive step increases in accordance with the E-Team Handbook (https://cob.org/about/employment/labor-agreements-pay-schedule) and City policy. The full hourly range for this position is $34.60 - $42.06. For internal candidates, placement within the range is based on City Pay Placement Procedures.

This on-site position in the Legal office is scheduled for 30 hours per week (.75 FTE), typically 5 days per week, 6 hours per day. Some flexibility may be available, and the schedule could vary depending on work assignments.

At the City of Bellingham, we offer a comprehensive benefits package that helps you thrive in both your career and personal life. Join our team and enjoy peace of mind knowing that you and your loved ones are well cared for. Here’s a closer look at the outstanding benefits that come with being part of our team. You can find more details on our employment benefits page and labor agreements page.

+ 13.33 hours (based on 1.0 FTE) of vacation leave per month (will be pro-rated based on assigned FTE)

+ 12 paid holidays + 1 floating holiday per year

+ 40 hours of sick leave upon hire + 8 hours accrued monthly (will be pro-rated based on assigned FTE)

+ Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families

+ Life insurance and long-term disability coverage

+ Flexible spending accounts and medical insurance opt-out program

+ Access to an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

+ Washington State Retirement plan (DRS) for retirement security

+ Optional 457 deferred compensation savings plan and 401(a) Retirement Savings Plan with employer match

Leave accruals are based on 1.0 FTE, accruals are pro-rated if part-time and require employees to be in paid status at least 120 hours/month.

Closing Date/Time: Monday. 12/1/2025 8:30 AM Pacific Time

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

+ Plans and performs complex administrative legal office coordination and provides high level administrative support to the City Attorney and Senior Assistant City Attorneys.

+ Serves as Legal Departmental Public Records Coordinator. Under the direction of the Senior Assistant City Attorney assigned as the Public Records Act legal advisor, reviews and redacts exempt information in accordance with applicable exemptions. Gathers and reviews information necessary to fulfill public records requests for the Legal Department and other areas, as assigned. Stays apprised of legal requirements related to the Public Records Act.

+ Coordinates the preparation of the annual department budget and claims and litigation budget. Monitors and reconciles budget expenditures and processes invoices for payment. Provides data on expenditures and program objectives and results. Coordinates the annual renewal of City insurance programs and policies.

+ Receives and responds to a variety of inquiries, concerns and complaints. Screens and refers calls and visitors as appropriate. Assists the public as needed through explanation of departmental or legal processes, making appropriate referrals for services.

+ Acts as records manager for Legal Department; maintains and updates office filing systems, routines, forms and record-keeping systems, responsible for sending/retrieving archival materials and electronic records management. Tracks, processes, and supports review of all contracts, bond, or other legal documents that come into the Legal Department for signature.

+ Performs specialized administrative, clerical, and paralegal services in support of all phases of litigation and case management for assigned attorneys.

+ Drafts a wide variety of documents including legal notices, answers, motions, orders, discovery, exhibits, trial documents, correspondence, ordinances, resolutions, and other specialized documents for attorney review and signature.

+ Performs legal research such as checking citations to authority and a formal record and verifying proper procedures as assigned.

+ Acts as City's liaison with Code Publishing Company (CPC) to coordinate maintenance of the Bellingham Municipal Code (BMC) and resolves questions that arise from CPC in the process of condifying the BMC.Uploads all ordinances and resolutions to CPC for inclusion into the BMC, and for inclusion into the Ordinance and Resolution tables maintained by CPC.

+ Maintains and processes departmental personnel and payroll records. Reviews, codes and enters time sheets; processes personnel actions; coordinates recruitment processes with Human Resources; and monitors performance evaluation dates.

+ Handles seminar and conference registration for staff and makes travel arrangements as needed. Coordinates departmental scheduling including appointments, meetings, and filing deadlines for attorneys. Acts as liaison with clients or staff in other departments, agencies or jurisdictions.

+ Maintains inventories and determines need for supplies and equipment. May research information needed for purchasing decisions.

+ May provide instruction and training to support staff, temporary help or interns.

+ Provides back up to the Paralegal position as necessary, including discovery and trial preparation, service of pleadings, and filings with courts and agencies. Performs work on special projects/assignments that may be outside the normal area of assignment, as directed.

+ Handles and maintains highly sensitive and confidential data with discretion and professionalism.

ADDITIONAL WORK PERFORMED:

+ Performs other related work of a similar nature and level.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT:

Work is performed in an office setting that includes a customary range of noise and other distractions, and low everyday risk working around standard office equipment. May experience frequent interruptions. May work for extended periods of time at a computer workstation. This is a sedentary position with minimal physical exertion requirements.

Physical ability to perform the essential functions of the job, including:

+ Frequently operate a computer and other office machinery such as a keyboard, mouse, phone, and fax machine;

+ Frequently communicate accurate information and ideas with others;

+ Move between work sites;

+ Occasionally, transport objects weighing up to thirty 30 pounds.

Experience and Training

There are multiple pathways a candidate can meet the qualifications for the Legal Administrative Assistant through a combination of education and/or training.

+ Two years of college coursework or vocational training in paralegal studies, office administration, or related field; AND

+ Two years of experience in legal office management or a legal support role;

OR

+ Four (4) years of experience in legal office management or a legal support role.

+ Keyboarding speed of 45 wpm net required.

+ Word processing skills required.

+ Municipal or other governmental experience strongly preferred.

+ Electronic Document Management skills preferred.

+ Basic Excel skills preferred.

An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skill, and ability to successfully perform the essential job functions will be considered.

Necessary Special Requirements

+ Employment contingent upon passing a criminal background check (See Fair Hiring Practices).

+ Notary Public License or ability to secure Notary certification.

+ Verification of ability to work in the United States by date of hire.

This on-site position in the Legal office is scheduled for 30 hours per week (.75 FTE), typically 5 days per week, 6 hours per day. Some flexibility may be available, and the schedule could vary depending on work assignments.

Selection Process

You are encouraged to print a copy of this job announcement for your reference as the process moves along

Please ensure your application is complete and all required information has been provided. Standard completeness means all application fields (contact information, personal information, education, work experience, references, and supplemental questions). Application materials should comprehensively document your experience and skills related to the position responsibilities and experience/training requirements. As part of the City’s commitment to reducing bias in the hiring process, Human Resources redacts personally identifiable information for reviewers. Only the documents listed as required will be reviewed.

Interviews for the most qualified candidates are tentatively scheduled for December 12, 2025. Invitations to participate in the Interview process will be sent via e-mail on or around December 8, 2025.

The tentative start date for this position is January 2, 2026.

Please Note: Candidates will receive updates regarding application status via email. Please be sure to check your email frequently, including your spam folders for messages filtered by your email providers.

Equal Opportunity:

The City of Bellingham is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not make decisions on the basis of an individual's race, religion, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, age (40+), disability, retaliation, sexual orientation or gender identity, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking, use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, or any other basis prohibited by local, state, or federal law. All are encouraged to apply for employment.

Fair Hiring Practices

+ The City provides individuals who have been arrested or convicted of a criminal offense an equal and fair opportunity to obtain employment.

+ The City will not inquire about an applicant's criminal history until after a conditional job offer has been made.

+ The City will disregard the prior arrest and conviction record of an otherwise qualified individual unless the offense is directly related to the job position for which the individual has applied.

+ The City will notify an otherwise qualified applicant about a potentially disqualifying conviction and give the applicant an opportunity to submit information regarding the accuracy of the criminal records as well as evidence of mitigation or rehabilitation, as appropriate.

There are many good reasons for working at the City of Bellingham. The work is rewarding and you have an opportunity to serve your community. Another good reason is the great benefits that the City offers its employees. See our benefits section (https://www.cob.org/employment/pages/benefits.aspx) for additional information.

This position is unrepresented. Specific benefit information including Holidays, Vacation Accruals, Health, Dental and Vision Plans with cost sharing and Deferred Compensation Match can be found in the E-Team Handbook. (https://www.cob.org/employment/Pages/labor-agreements-pay-schedule.aspx)

This position is covered by the State of Washington Department of Retirement Systems PERS plan. PERS requires mandatory employee and City contributions. Please visit the DRS website (http://www.drs.wa.gov/) for more information on PERS.

01

Thank you for your interest in this position at the City of Bellingham! To ensure a consistent review, only the City of Bellingham job application and required supplemental documents will be reviewed. Cover letters and resumes are not reviewed unless they are required as part of the process. When applying for this position, you must thoroughly complete each section of your application, and provide a thorough response to each of the supplemental questions. Please do not indicate "see resume" or copy content that is unrelated to the position being applied for from your resume when answering these questions.

Have you read and understood the information listed above?

+ Yes

+ No

02

There are multiple pathways a candidate can meet the qualifications for the Legal Administrative Assistant through a combination of education and/or training. Please select the appropriate qualification that is demonstrated through your application materials:

How We Count Work Experience: Your experience must be equal to full-time paid work. If you worked part-time, we’ll calculate your experience based on the total number of hours you worked in a year. For example, if you worked 10 hours per week for 12 months, that equals 3 months of full-time experience (10 hrs x 52 weeks= 520 hrs/173.33 full time hrs per month = 3 months).

+ Two years of college coursework or vocational training in paralegal studies, office administration, or related field; AND Two years of experience in legal office management or a legal support role.

+ Four (4) years of experience in legal office management or a legal support role.

+ An equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide the applicant with the knowledge, skill and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job will be considered.

+ I do not meet the job's requirements.

03

Do you meet the following required qualifications?

- Keyboarding speed of 45 wpm net

- Word processing skills

+ Yes

+ No

04

If you have an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to provide you with the knowledge, skill, and ability to successfully perform the essential functions of the job, please describe below.

05

If you have any of the preferred qualifications, please check the appropriate boxes below:

+ Municipal or other governmental experience

+ Electronic Document Management skills

+ Basic Excel skills

06

Please describe your work experience and training in a legal office management or a legal support role in detail that has prepared you for this position, including:

- Coordinating activities for major projects and processes

-Performing complex paralegal, technical, and clerical tasks

-Coordinating the preparation of budgets

-Drafting documents such as legal notices, answers, motions, orders, discovery, exhibits, trial documents, correspondence, ordinances, and resolutions

07

Please provide an example of projects or tasks you have worked on that demonstrate your ability to consistently and effectively prioritize projects, meet deadlines, and produce quality work.

08

Please describe your experience using the following tools and systems:

- Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint)

- Cloud-based collaboration tools such as OneDrive or SharePoint

- AI-powered productivity tools such as Microsoft Copilot or similar

Required Question

Employer

City of Bellingham

Address

104 West Magnolia Street Bellingham, Washington, 98225

Phone

360-778-8228

Website

http://www.cob.org/employment

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