Legal Assistant

Company Description

A best-in-class city that attracts best-in-class talent, Philadelphia is an incredible place to build a career. From our thriving arts scene and rich history to our culture of passion and grit, there are countless reasons to love living and working here. With a workforce of over 30,000 people, and more than 1,000 different job categories, the City of Philadelphia offers boundless opportunities to make an impact.

As an employer, the City of Philadelphia values inclusion, integrity, innovation, empowerment, and hard work above all else. We offer a vibrant work environment, comprehensive health care and benefits, and the experience you need to grow and excel. If you’re interested in working with a passionate team of people who care about the future of Philadelphia, start here.

What we offer

• Impact - The work you do here matters to millions.
• Growth - Philadelphia is growing, why not grow with it?
• Diversity & Inclusion - Find a career in a place where everyone belongs.
• Benefits - We care about your well-being.

Agency Description

The Board of Ethics is an independent body that administers and enforces the City’s ethics, campaign finance, and lobbying laws. The Board’s mission is carried out by a dedicated team of approximately fourteen staff members, including attorneys and compliance professionals. The Board’s staff carries out the day-to-day functions of the Board, subject to the Board’s oversight. General Counsel staff provides advice, training, and compliance assistance to City workers, candidates, lobbyists, businesses, and City residents.

Compliance staff supports the Board’s disclosure and ethics programs through filing assistance, compliance communications, and outreach to filers. Enforcement staff investigates and prosecutes violations of the City’s campaign finance and lobbying laws, financial disclosure requirements, conflict of interest rules, political activity restrictions, and other ethics rules.

General Counsel staff is a team of five attorneys. In addition to serving as the Board’s principal legal advisor, the team’s work includes reviewing and updating ethics regulations, providing informal and formal advice on the City’s ethics laws, conducting ethics training, advising the Board and its Hearing Officer in adjudications of administrative enforcement matters, and maintaining and updating key legal and policy documents and educational materials

Position Summary

The Office of the General Counsel of the Board of Ethics is seeking a Legal Assistant to support the work of General Counsel staff. The Legal Assistant will coordinate the administrative and logistical aspects of team’s work on administrative enforcement proceedings, drafting and promulgation of Board regulations, training, and informal advice. The Legal Assistant will also be responsible for drafting and maintaining correspondence, acting as a point of contact for scheduling and advice requests, drafting procedural orders, and organizing and managing both electronic and paper files.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Communications

• Initiate and maintain communications with external parties including drafting cover letters, managing emails, scheduling hearings and reserving meeting space for adjudications and other administrative enforcement matters

• Schedule and coordinate in-person and virtual ethics training sessions with City offices and City boards and commissions

• Assist with maintenance and updating of public-facing educational materials including ethics manuals, brochures, website content, form letters, and explainers

• Cultivate and manage intra-City department relationships and contact lists

• Support official BOE social media including by scheduling posts and updating pre-formatted, recurring content

Legal Research & Writing

• Under the supervision of attorneys, draft basic legal documents including orders, memoranda, and other legal documents as needed

• Assist with research, drafting, version control, and proofreading of regulatory and legislative work product

• Assist attorneys with other research as needed

Records Management

• Serve as minute secretary for monthly Board meetings by recording, organizing, and distributing Board meeting minutes

• Coordinate with Board staff to compile monthly Board meeting materials and annual report

• Organize and maintain paper and electronic records including documentation of formal and informal advice

• Assist attorneys in creation and management of internal policies and procedures Administrative Support

• Manage and update electronic tracking system for both informal guidance and training compliance programs

• Update and manage shared calendars

• Provide other administrative support as needed

Competencies & Qualities

• Excellent organizational and time-management skills

• Effective verbal and written communication, including professional telephone and email etiquette

• Ability to work independently and proactively address challenges

• Flexibility in taking on new tasks and learning new skills

• Ability to manage and prioritize numerous assignments

Skills and Abilities

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint)

• Zoom (meeting scheduling, polls, registration)

• Google Suite (Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms)

• Online engagement tools (Buffer, Bitly)

• Additional preferred skills & abilities:

• Experience exercising discretion and confidentiality with sensitive information

• Understanding of legal concepts such as attorney-client privilege, burdens of proof

Qualifications

Associate or bachelor’s degree strongly preferred, high school diploma or equivalent (GED) considered with 4+ years of relevant experience. A degree in paralegal studies from an ABA-approved program is a plus. Minimum of 2 years of experience working in an office setting. Experience in the legal, social service, education, or non-profit sectors preferred.

Candidates may be asked to provide references or additional materials.

All questions regarding this posting should be directed to Senior Staff Attorney Tom Klemm at ***email_hidden*** or 215-686-9450.

Additional Information

TO APPLY: Interested candidates must submit a resume.

Salary Range: $48,000-$60,000

Discover the Perks of Being a City of Philadelphia Employee:

• Transportation : City employees get unlimited FREE public transportation all year long through SEPTA’s Key Advantage program. Employees can ride on SEPTA buses, subways, trolleys, and regional rail for their daily commute and more.
• Parental Benefits: The City offers its employees 8 weeks of paid parental leave.
• We offer Comprehensive health coverage for employees and their eligible dependents.
• Our wellness program offers eligibility into the discounted medical plan
• Employees receive paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays
• Generous retirement savings options are available
• Pay off your student loans faster - As a qualifying employer, City of Philadelphia employees are eligible to participate in the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Join the ranks of hundreds of employees who have already benefited from this program and achieved student loan forgiveness.
• Unlock Tuition Discounts and Scholarships - The City of Philadelphia has forged partnerships with over a dozen esteemed colleges and universities in the area, ensuring that our employees have access to a wide range of tuition discounts and scholarships. Experience savings of 10% to 40% on your educational expenses, extending not only to City employees but in some cases, spouse and dependents too!

Join the City of Philadelphia team today and seize these incredible benefits designed to enhance your financial well-being and personal growth!

*The successful candidate must be a city of Philadelphia resident within six months of hire

Effective May 22, 2023, vaccinations are no longer required for new employees that work in non-medical, non-emergency or patient facing positions with the City of Philadelphia. As a result, only employees in positions providing services that are patient-facing medical care (ex: Nurses, doctors, emergency medical personnel), must be fully vaccinated.

The City of Philadelphia is an Equal Opportunity employer and does not permit discrimination based on race, ethnicity, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, marital status, source of income, familial status, genetic information or domestic or sexual violence victim status. If you believe you were discriminated against, call the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations at 215-686-4670 or send an email to [email protected].

For more information, go to: Human Relations Website: