Administrative Associate

27526BR

Law School

Position Overview

This position is responsible for overseeing the administrative operations for two in-house clinics at the KU School of Law: The Project for Innocence and Post Conviction Remedies and the Douglas County Legal Aid Society, Inc. (DCLAS) / the Legal Aid Clinic. The position is full-time and benefits eligible.

Job Description

Office Management: (30%)
Perform litigation support including conducting initial case screening and obtaining initial case intake information over phone; communicate professionally in properly formatted written correspondence and email communications with court personnel and outside stakeholders; format and proofread legal documents as directed; manage office calendars in accordance with legal ethical requirements.  File documents with municipal, state, and federal courts using electronic filing systems and paper filing when required. Communicate with court clerks and personnel regarding case appointments, dockets, and scheduling, and maintain updated knowledge of court filing systems and rules through collaboration with attorneys.

Maintain front office presence to communicate professionally in person and over the phone; provide appropriate referral and resource information with clients the clinics cannot serve; maintain community resource and referral network information for visitors and law students to use when connecting clients with outside agencies; supervise student worker who may provide front desk support at times.

Specialized Administrative Support: (35%)

• Administer, adapt, and maintain the Clio case management system. Perform case initiation tasks including sending and receiving applications or court appointment documents, performing conflict checks, entering client, witness, and other party information into database, creating client files, uploading intake information, obtaining records and discovery and uploading the same into the system, and securing all necessary information from prospective clients and outside parties (courts, outside lawyers) to enter and upload into Clio. Maintain the integrity of Clio, the client files, and the office calendar for deadlines and docketing of cases. Utilize Clio to track all billing and generate reports for federal and state contracts and billing. Must be able to create or change custom fields within Clio as necessary. Attend Clio online training sessions and participate in improving and updating electronic case management processes as new features are released.

Specific to Douglas County Legal Aid Society: Accounting and Board Relations

• Maintain bank accounts including operational accounts, client trust accounts, and other accounts as necessary, and maintain ethical and professional standards in record-keeping for client monies held by the firm.
• Use Quickbooks and other accounting software as directed. Prepare invoices and reports for outside organizations and courts and pay bills as directed.
• Participate in preparation of financial materials and reports for grant applications. Assist Director in working with internal (KU) and external accountants to provide information for budget and tax reports and provide quarterly reports to Board of Directors for financial oversight. Assist Director in organizing periodic Board of Directors meetings.
• Use Clio to prepare invoices, grant applications, and reports for outside stakeholders

• Utilize Clio to track billing and generate reports for federal contracts with the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Timely provide the reports to the KU Center for Research for monthly billing.
• Utilize Clio billing to prepare quarterly invoices to the Board of Indigent Defense Services for cases in which the Clinic is appointed counsel. Track all billable hours, keep track of contract caps and when the caps are exceeded and additional funds need to be requested from the district court as an exceptional case.
• Assist with the preparation of new Federal Bureau of Prisons contract applications.

Assist the Director and supervising attorneys by helping to coordinate with attorneys and student interns, including tracking student time, preparing reports, participating in staff meetings, and working with the client files within Clio.  Assist with managing workflow and litigation.

Assist with supervision of office procedures: (10%)
Assist with supervision of student interns by teaching office procedures, proper use of Clio, and maintenance of client files both electronically, and if necessary hard copies. Prepare and maintain classroom materials, office manuals, and Canvas educational site. Coordinate with IT for updates and repairs to phones, computers, copier system as needed. Assist with intern application, 715 license application preparation, and enrollment.

Public Relations: (10%)
Serve as the initial point of contact for Project and Legal Aid Clinic inquiries and review and route inquiries as appropriate. Handle incoming and out-going correspondence and forward applications to potential clients. Oversee reception and phone activities.  Screen calls from clients, the public, and family members.  Schedule appointments and manage office calendars. Maintain supply inventories and perform other duties as assigned. 

Position Requirements

On-Site

Required Qualifications

Preferred Qualifications

Contact Information to Applicants

Jean Phillips
Director, Clinical Programs
[email protected]
785-864-9214

Additional Candidate Instruction

A complete application consists of: 

• Review of applications will begin on April 15, 2024, and continue until a pool of qualified applicants is identified. For best consideration, apply by the review date.

Advertised Salary Range

Minimum starting salary: $42,000

Application Review Begins

15-Apr-2024

Anticipated Start Date

06-May-2024

Primary Campus

University of Kansas Lawrence Campus

Employee Class

U-Unclassified Professional Staff

Work Schedule

M-F; 8am-5pm
Position requires a physical presence in each clinic. Rotation schedule to be determined.

Job Family

Administrative Support-KUL

Work Location Assignment

On-Site

Disclaimer

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, and genetic information in the university's programs and activities. Retaliation is also prohibited by university policy. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the nondiscrimination policies and is the Title IX coordinator for all KU and KUMC campuses: Associate Vice Chancellor for Civil Rights and Title IX, [email protected], Room 1082, Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, 785-864-6414, 711 TTY.