Legal Office Administrator Series

California State Personnel Board Specification

Series established December 15, 1982

Scope

This series specification describes two classifications used in State agencies which have large components of professional legal staff. These classes perform in a dual capacity, supervising large legal clerical support operations and providing necessary administrative and project support to the legal office attorneys and the program manager.

Definition of Series

Under direction, the Legal Office Administrator has responsibility for planning, directing, and managing a large legal support staff in an area legal office of a governmental agency and is responsible for performing administrative duties necessary for the efficient operation of a large legal office, including budgets, personnel, service and supply, training, management analysis, general business services, and special projects assigned by the program manager.

The Legal Office Administrator, plans, directs and manages the work of a large professional legal secretarial support staff engaged in providing legal support services; through subordinate supervisors, approves and reviews work procedures and makes decisions on the more difficult operating and personnel problems; coordinates the flow of the work between legal-secretarial and legal-support services; confers with program management and attorneys regarding policies and major operating procedures, and reviews, evaluates and recommends changes; serves as the legal support section liaison to attorneys; directs the preparation of the budget for the area legal office; develops production standards for the legal support staff; determines the need for new and replacement office equipment and furniture and orders all equipment and furniture; directs contract preparation and renewal; monitors contract expenditures; approves changes in office arrangement and layout and approves all alterations; gives guidance and advice on the design and revision of office forms and approves their use; directs a clerical and secretarial recruitment program; selects and trains subordinate supervisors, evaluates their performance and takes or recommends appropriate action; develops performance standards and prepares and reviews reports of performance; develops and assists in the installation of new legal support programs, policies, and procedures for legal support staff; directs the preparation and revision of the legal office procedures manuals and the instructions for their use; coordinates efforts of the office, other State departments and the public; prepares reports.

Factors Affecting Position Allocation

The complexity of the operation, degree of independence, degree of administrative and staff responsibility, size of legal clerical support operation and the number and level of subordinate supervisors are differentiating factors between levels and characteristics distinguishing the legal Office Administrator from other classes in State service.

Definition of Levels

Legal Office Administrator I

This is the first level of the series. Entry into this level is typically through the Legal Support Supervisor series. Legal Office Administrators I have charge of large legal clerical support operations and provide the full range of staff and administrative support to the office, attorneys and program manager. Typically, the Legal Office Administrator I will have only one level of subordinate supervisors on the Legal Support Supervisor series.

Legal Office Administrator II

This is the second level of the series. Entry into this level may be either from the Legal Office Administrator I class or the Legal Support Supervisor series. The Legal Office Administrator II has charge of the largest legal clerical support operations in State service and provides the full range of staff and administrative support to the office, attorneys and program managers. Typically, the Legal Office Administrator II has two levels of subordinate supervisors in the Legal Support Supervisor series.

Minimum Qualifications

Legal Office Administrator I

Either I

One year of experience in the California State service performing the duties of a Legal Support Supervisor II.

Or II

Two years of experience in the California State service performing the duties of a Legal Support Supervisor I.

Or III

Four years of experience supervising a large legal clerical and secretarial staff. This experience must include at least one year with administrative responsibility for planning, organizing and coordinating the work; establishing procedures; selecting, training, and evaluating personnel; and employee relations. (Experience in California state service applied toward this requirement must have been performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility not less than Legal Support Supervisor I.)

Legal Office Administration II

Either I

One year of experience in the California State service performing the duties of a Legal Office Administrator I.

Or II

Two years of experience in the California State service performing the duties of a Legal Support Supervisor II.

Or III

Three years of experience in the California State service performing the duties of a Legal Support Supervisor I.

Or IV

Five years of experience supervising a large legal clerical and secretarial staff. This experience must include at least one year with administrative responsibility for planning, organizing and coordinating the work; establishing procedures; selecting, training, and evaluating personnel; and employee relations. (Experience in the California State service applied toward this requirement must have been performing the duties of a class with a level of responsibility not less than Legal Support Supervisor I.)

Knowledge and Abilities

All Levels:

Knowledge of: Principles, problems, and methods of public legal office and business administration, including organization and personnel and fiscal management; legal office management procedures; technical legal terms and various legal forms and documents and processing; statistical and legal research methods; department's affirmative action objectives; a manager's role in the Affirmative Action Program and the processes available to meet affirmative action objectives.

Ability to: Think clearly and quickly and analyze and solve problems of organization and management; work independently in identifying the need for and developing proposed changes to operating practices, programs, and policies; plan, organize, and direct the work of a large legal secretarial and clerical staff; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships; speak and write effectively; effectively contribute to the department's affirmative action objectives.

Special Personal Characteristics

All Levels:

Demonstrated capacity for assuming increasing responsibility, organizing, open-mindedness, and tact.

Additional Desirable Qualifications

All Levels:

Education equivalent to completion of the twelfth grade.

Class History