Attorney Assistant 1 - Washington, United States - UMWA Health & Retirement Funds

Description

SUMMARY

Performs legal and administrative duties requiring knowledge of legal case management databases, civil procedure, and certain substantive areas of law.

Performs review of physical and online source materials and prepares initial drafts of documents in lower-level matters, such as Overpayment matters in the under $2,000.00 range.

Completes legal case management database entries and updates as required.


ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following:
Reviews and summarizes data from departmental income, withdrawal, audit workpapers, eligibility and OGC litigation files.

Maintains and manipulates a comprehensive legal case management, calendaring, and time database, while adhering to office requirements and procedures.

Directly contacts state corporate information offices, bankruptcy courts, Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), and other federal and state agencies for records, or obtains such records from established online sources.

Coordinates Freedom of Information Act requests with various agencies.

Obtains quarterly Section 6621 Interest Rate Bulletins from Lexis, which are disseminated to attorneys in OGC.

Enters Database matter closings on legal case management database for advice matters, including imaging of closing materials, completing calendared workflow tasks, and updating database fields as set forth in established procedures.

Responsible for reviewing and updating files, online sources, and preparing draft recommendations, and completing forms for attorney review in low-range collection referral matters.

Responsible for the Imaging of all documentation to the matter, completing calendared workflow tasks and following established procedures.

Prepares de minimis recommendation memo memos, gathers appropriate information for the memorandum using legal case management database queries and templates while following established procedures.

Prepares Initial drafts of pleadings using document templates contained in OGC's case management database for attorney review; and assists OGC in the preparation of service of process on complaints.

Prepares litigation files for Attorneys and Support Staff Supervisor.

Assists in gathering files and documents in response to litigation discovery requests. Catalogs, abstracts, and indexes litigation discovery materials.

Assists in gathering files and documents in response to audits and information requests and copying and/or imaging of the materials as necessary.

Responsible for maintaining inventory of files and documents to ensure proper return of originals from requesting party.

Reviews and summarizes incoming mail and pleadings for entry in a case management database.

Maintains confidentiality of audit workpapers, coal company and beneficiary information.

Operates office equipment, including but not limited to, photocopiers, printers, calculator, desktop computer or laptop, and imaging hardware.

Assists staff in carrying out the various day-to-day activities of the Office of the General Counsel.

Travels as required to conduct Funds' business.

Responsible for adhering to all Funds' policies and procedures adopted to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) governing the privacy, security, and use of protected health information.

QUALIFICATIONS
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.


EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university or a comparable degreed program PLUS 2 or more years' paralegal experience.

OR

Two (2) years' experience as a civil litigation paralegal (preferably collection litigation) that occurred within the last five years PLUS one (1) year experience with a case management software; PLUS, experience drafting complaints, affidavits, interrogatories, and other pleadings.

OR

Five (5) or more years' experience as a legal support staff member in the Office of the General Counsel PLUS demonstrated proficiency in using the Office of the General Counsel's case management software.

TECHNICAL, BUSINESS, and INDUSTRY KNOWLEDGE
Demonstrated experience with computer databases and Microsoft Office products. Demonstrated understanding of legal documents. Demonstrated understanding of Funds and/or office policies and procedures relevant to job duties. Demonstrated ability to follow detailed oral and written instructions.

Demonstrated ability to enter data onto a spreadsheet software program plus an understanding of worksheet contents, area, and structure. Demonstrated ability to perform basic calculations and sort data within a spreadsheet.

Demonstrated ability to work with documents in Microsoft Word, including creation, edi