Senior Legal Assistant - Right to Know Unit

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 City of Philadelphia Law Department acts as general counsel for the entire City government structure. We provide legal advice to all City officials, employees, departments, agencies, boards, and commissions concerning any matters related to the exercise of their official powers.

The Law Department's civil practice includes unique issues involving public interest in business, health, safety, commerce, civil rights, taxation, and community development. We employ more than 220 attorneys and 100 professional staff to support seamless operations, reduce legal liability for the City, and challenge threats to quality of life impacting the taxpayers of Philadelphia.

We are an ever-evolving Department where all are empowered to reach their full potential, to collaborate with clients as true partners, and to see their work have real impact on the city of Philadelphia. We celebrate the diversity of our staff, the City’s workforce, and the residents whom we serve and promote an environment of comradery, accountability, and inclusiveness.

The Right-to-Know Unit of the Compliance, Investigations, and Privacy Group is a collegial, fast-paced, challenging practice group that bridges both litigation and transactional practice in which attorneys are, with appropriate training and supervision, expected to independently manage a high-volume caseload of Right-to-Know Requests, appeals, and related legal guidance to all City departments, offices, and boards.

Job Description

The City of Philadelphia Law Department seeks a Senior Legal Assistant for the Compliance, Investigations, and Privacy Group’s Right to Know Unit. Responsibilities include assisting attorneys in representing all City departments, offices, boards in their compliance with the Right-to-Know Law, and various other laws concerning privacy, confidentiality, and the release of public records. The Unit also provides guidance to departments on record retention in coordination with the Department of Records. Essential skills of a qualified candidate are: strong task management and spreadsheet organization skills; care for data-entry accuracy and error correction; and an aptitude for planning, logistics, and learning new processes. 1-5 years experience with litigation and eDiscovery experience strongly preferred.

Essential Functions

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Assisting attorneys of the City of Philadelphia in all matters relating to the Right-to-Know Law, as well as other related laws and matters.
• Working closely with Law Department attorneys representing clients to assure compliance with applicable law.
• Inputting, updating, and maintaining data/information for all matters handled by the unit, using customized, proprietary case and docket management systems for attorney work files;
• Assisting attorneys with the logistics of case management, document production preparation, filing, and docket monitoring, including maintaining an appeals docket calendar.
• Compiling recurring and as-needed reports for the Chief, the Chief’s chain of command, and matters handled by the Unit.
• Calendaring matters for response and maintain attorney and group calendars for all hearings;
• Liaising with more than 25 client departments, commissions, boards, and offices of the City;
• Communicating with the public regarding submission of RTKL requests;
• Submitting statutory notifications to RTKL requesters;
• Copy and scan mailed request documents and input into case management system;
• Reviewing, organizing, and redacting sensitive information from records for public release in response to req