Cape Town Local Office – High Court Unit Secretary at Legal Aid South Africa

KEY OUTPUTS

• To provide administrative and secretarial support to the High Court Unit in accordance with Legal Aid SA policies, procedures and standards.
• Carry out the High Court Unit administrative function effectively.
• Provide efficient secretarial support to the High Court Unit.
• Obtain, source, type, proofread, make copies and distribute according to instructions received.
• Co-ordinate and monitor all High Court Unit administrative matters.
• Participate and provide support to implement an effective filing and diary system to ensure that the High Court Unit addresses matters on behalf of clients and the availability of High Court practitioners.
• Assist legal practitioners with all ancillary matters to the preparation and presentation of cases.
• Develop and maintain a system to ensure that receipt of documents emanating from other units and/or offices are acknowledged.
• Develop a system to ensure that documents received from High Court staff, Correctional Centres, legal practitioners, the DPP and others are received and distributed to the relevant High Court practitioner, timeously.
• Develop a system to record sensitive documents and to ensure same day distribution of these documents.
• Gather required information and arrange for consultative interviews.
• Assist with the completion of routine forms for legal practitioners and ensure that they are submitted for approval.
• Maintain and update meeting schedules.
• Maintain record keeping and filing system.
• Ensure that reports and documentation are timeously sent/delivered to the relevant people.
• Ensure that physical assets are reconciled to each individual office list at the Local Office on a monthly basis.
• Maintenance and issuing of stationery in accordance with relevant Legal Aid SA procedures.
• Maintain attendance registers in accordance with the Legal Aid SA HR Policy.
• Maintain a register of mail items and court documents sent by Docex and track their delivery.
• Maintain a register of documents sent to High Court staff, Correctional Centres, legal practitioners, the DPP and others.
• Maintain list with regular fax numbers and double check with customers to determine full instructions for handling of faxes with full adherence to customer instructions.
• Attend to photocopying and binding of documents as required.
• Attend to proper allocation of duplication/stationery costs as per Legal Aid SA policies/procedures.
• Assist with the updating of any webpages designed to capture information for the High Court Unit.
• Keep handy the complete list of all relevant contact numbers for office personnel and major customer/role players at all times.
• Assist in the management of Judicare files and instructions to practitioners as well as providing briefs in matters allocated to them.
• Assist in the sourcing of Judicare progress reports and updating the relevant webpage.
• Assist in the processing of Judicare accounts for payment including payment tracking and attending to Judicare practitioner payment queries.
• Assist in travel and accommodation procurement for High Court and Judicare practitioners attending to Circuit Courts.
• Adhere to proper telephone etiquette and accurate taking and conveying of messages at all times.

COMPETENCIES (SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ATTRIBUTES) REQUIRED              

• National Senior/Matric certificate with a Secretarial Diploma.
• Minimum of three (3) years of practical secretarial experience within a complex organisation.
• Experience in legal practice is necessary, as well as a high level of proficiency in using MS Office programmes.
• Experience that would assist the incumbent in driving a service excellence mindset and building relationships between the Chief Legal Executive and other Executives.
• Project management skills would be advantageous.
• Knowledge of the core secretarial function and how to implement within the High Court Unit.
• Functional ability in the utilisation of electronic secretarial systems and technologies.
• Able to effectively liaise with Judicare practitioners and High Court personnel in order to tend to queries.
• Able to adapt and grasp the functioning of the Local Division of the High Court and to provide support to practitioners within the High Court Unit through this understanding.
• Excellent analytical and organisational skills, business acumen and the ability to deal with ambiguity and meet demanding deadlines and manage projects.
• Consulting skills and a collaborative style is necessary for this position. Basic financial and people skills are necessary.
• Service excellence imperative.
• Multi-level and diverse stakeholders.
• Complexity in co-ordinating across organisational levels.