City of San José
LEGAL SERVICES ADMINISTRATOR (U) (8013)
CLASS PURPOSE
Under administrative direction, does work of considerable difficulty in
directing, planning and coordinating administrative services for the Offices of
the City Attorney and General Counsel. Performs related work as required.
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESULTS (Any one position may not include all the
duties listed, nor do the examples cover all the duties which may be performed.)
- Direct the planning, coordination, and management of all administrative
services for the Offices of the City Attorney and General Counsel including,
but not limited to, contracts, facilities, fiscal, human resources, and
information systems.
- Direct and participate in the preparation of the annual budgets for both
the Offices of the City Attorney and General Counsel; responsible for budget
administration.
- Establish departmental procedures on fiscal matters, including accounting.
- Direct centralized timekeeping, equipment inventory, purchase
requisitioning, and accounts payable services.
- Direct the management of support staffs for the Offices of the City
Attorney and General Counsel.
- Direct the development of computer and information systems appropriate to
a law office.
- Direct and coordinate the management of the law library, including online
legal resources.
- Prepare, administer and monitor contracts with outside legal counsel,
consultants, experts, and other businesses/individuals providing services to
the Offices of the City Attorney and General Counsel.
- Direct the coordination of complex litigation and discovery.
- Direct management of facilities for the Offices of the City Attorney and
General Counsel.
- Direct appropriate departmental personnel activities in discipline and
employee investigations, management of disabilities, and modified duty
assignments.
- Direct the departmental human resources program, including, but not
limited to, employee selection processes, classification studies and
maintenance of the City Classification Plan.
- Confer and negotiate with external providers of test development and
administration services.
- Confer with program directors, members of professional staff, and other
officials concerning the administrative needs and requirements of programs,
policies, and rules and regulations; enforce policies and procedures.
- Review proposed programs, costs, and benefits with the executive staff of
the department and write budget specifications.
- Plan, direct, counsel, provide guidelines, and review accomplishments as
steps to improve departmental performance and morale.
- Establish guidelines for monitoring departmental revenues and expenditures
and coordinate requests for budget adjustments.
- Participate in planning and reviewing departmental staffing requirements
and resolution of problems related to personnel transactions.
- Maintain effective working relationships with other City departments,
County offices, and State and Federal agencies involved in the activities of
the department.
- Process all departmental encumbrance and expenditure documents for
operating functions.
Typical End Results Include
Providing high quality and timely administrative support to the Offices of
the City Attorney and General Counsel; planning, organizing, staffing, and
supervising administrative services; developing and producing a comprehensive
and adequate budget for effective and efficient operations; establishing and
enforcing departmental polices and procedures; providing departmental fiscal
controls and expenditure review to ensure program accomplishments within
budgetary restraints; direct management of computer network and information
systems, management of law library to ensure that current legal resources are
available to staff.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This is a single position classification in the Management series for the
Offices of the City Attorney and General Counsel. The incumbent reports to the
City Attorney and is responsible for directing the comprehensive administrative
services function including personnel, accounting and budget, office procedures,
procurement, information systems, and acquisitions of legal support services and
law library materials.
This class differs from that of the Administrative Officer Series in that the
incumbent performs supervision and administration of the law office operations
and is responsible for the control of legal discovery in complex litigations.
Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of public and personnel
administration.
- Knowledge of governmental budgeting and accounting systems.
- Knowledge of law office operations, legal support services, and legal
research materials.
- Knowledge of the principles and practices of supervision.
- Knowledge of contract law and the administration thereof.
- Knowledge of the rules of evidence and Civil Procedures.
- Knowledge of report writing techniques and principles of editing.
- Ability to coordinate and monitor complex litigation and discovery.
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.
- Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships and
coordinate with City departments, public agencies, officials, boards,
commissions, and the legal community.
- Knowledge of legal software and ability to evaluate new products.
- Ability to develop and implement new methods and procedures.
- Ability to coordinate and prepare major operating budgets.
- Ability to use modern office automation to maximize resource productivity.
- Ability to review and approve expenditure documents, purchase
requisitions, and personnel requisitions.
- Ability to anticipate, plan, and implement action to solve human, fiscal,
or material resource problems effectively.
Competency Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
- Knowledge of the organizations, function, and processes of the City of San
José.
- Knowledge of City procedures for appropriations, finances, budgeting, and
budgetary control.
- Knowledge of City personnel policies and procedures.
- Ability to interpret policies and procedures relating to administrative
services.
- Ability to manage a departmental or citywide function and recommend and
implement changes for increased efficiency.
- Ability to coordinate reports and analyses for departmental management.
Education
Completion of a Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or
university.
Experience
Six years of increasingly responsible experience in business management
and/or administration, including a minimum of three (3) years in a legal
environment. Three years of supervisory experience required.
(Rev. 6/87) (Rev. 2/92), (U added 6/97)
rev. 03/01 (8013s000)