GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 15TH CIRCUIT- LEGAL SECRETARY - 21015614

Requisition No: 841540 

Agency: Justice Administrative Commission

Working Title: GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE, 15TH CIRCUIT- LEGAL SECRETARY - 21015614

 Pay Plan: Justice Admin Comm.

Position Number: 21015614 

Salary:  $37,402.55 

Posting Closing Date: 12/15/2024 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

STATEWIDE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE

Legal Secretary

IMPORTANT! – Please navigate to the following website:  www.guardianadlitem.org to apply for this position:

• Click on the “Career Opportunities” icon.
• Scroll down to the link, “Submit Your Guardian ad Litem Employment Application Here.”
• Complete the “mini” job application and attach your current resume.
• Select PALM BEACH COUNTY for the job location

OR

• Email your mini application and resume directly to C15Apps@gal.fl.gov

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION

The Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office is Florida’s award-winning, state-funded child advocacy organization. With more than 10,000 staff and volunteers, which includes more than 180 attorneys, its primary focus is the powerful and effective representation of Florida’s abused, neglected, and abandoned children. Most of these children are abruptly removed from their homes, and sadly, many end up in foster care.  The Office’s mission is to provide the most vulnerable children in Florida with an adult from their community who will be a consistent, positive presence in the child's life as part of a multi-disciplinary team that always includes an attorney, child welfare professional and hopefully a community volunteer if one is available, providing the highest quality community advocacy and independent legal representation to protect each child's legal interests.

A critical function is to provide dependency judges with thorough and accurate information regarding the children under the court’s jurisdiction. The Office’s core values strongly reinforce and enhance its mission. Those values are:

• Commitment to Children
• Communication Built on Trust
• Collective Empowerment
• Collaboration
• Courtesy

An excellent overview of the Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office can be found at www.guardianadlitem.org.

As an employee with the State of Florida, your benefits are a significant part of your compensation with 19 percent of your total compensation coming from the benefits that the State offers. As a full-time employee, your insurance rate will be significantly low due to the contribution of the State of Florida. In fact, single coverage is as low as $50 per month, with family coverage costing only $180 per month. While the rates are higher for halftime employees, health insurance options are still available if you are in a salaried position.

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR THE GUARDIAN AD LITEM OFFICE:  

• State of Florida Retirement package – Pension or investment plan (3% employee contribution required)
• State group insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options
• Flexible spending account
• Nine paid state holidays each calendar year
• One paid personal holiday each fiscal year
• 13 paid sick leave days accrued within the calendar year
• 13 paid annual leave days accrued within the calendar year with an increase after five years
• Life insurance of $25,000 is provided by the state at no cost to you for all FTE positions.  Employees may purchase additional coverage
• Public Loan Forgiveness Program
• State tuition waivers

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

This is responsible work performing a variety of administrative support, and clerical duties for Guardian ad Litem Office Attorneys in a Guardian ad Litem Circuit office. 

ABOUT THE WORK

• The legal secretary is responsible for composing and typing correspondence, detailed reports and charts, memoranda, etc., using a personal computer. 
• The legal secretary is also responsible for establishing and maintaining a comprehensive office filing system, preparing travel arrangements, scheduling meetings, and preparing materials for supervisor's use. 
• A variety of working relationships are established within the Guardian ad Litem Office, and in state courts system personnel, vendors, judges and non-judicial officers, and the general public. 
• The legal secretary works independently and must exercise discretion in dealing with confidential and sensitive information. 
• Work is performed under general supervision of the Supervising Attorney.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING GUIDELINES

• Must have a standard high school diploma or equivalent and three years of administrative support experience, one year of which was in a Legal Secretary, Administrative Specialist II or comparable position preferred.
• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university, two-year college or vocational school may substitute for the recommended experience on a year for year basis. 

(The Executive Director or designee may waive the required training and experience requirements.)

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems. 
• Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar. 
• Knowledge of computer software applications including Outlook, Excel and Word.  Ability to talk to others and convey information. 
• Ability to respond patiently with the general public. 
• Ability to maintain confidentiality concerning sensitive information.

If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS at 1-844-377-1888 on how your current benefits may be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida.  Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.