Legal Assistant - General Counsel

Original Job Posting Date:

2026-10-12

Legal Assistant - General Counsel

Make an impact: The City of Salem is seeking a qualified professional to join the City Attorney's Office General Counsel team and provide high‑impact legal support that enables the City Council, City Manager, City departments, and City boards and commissions to serve Salem residents effectively.

We invite you to apply if you enjoy a range of responsibilities, demonstrate exceptional attention to detail, and are motivated to create a meaningful impact.

Learn and grow:

The City has an innovative and forward-thinking approach to government and community engagement that will provide a variety of opportunities in different practice areas for the successful candidate to advise, solve problems, and help to implement the City's strategic plan.

What you will do:

The Legal Assistant will provide high-level administrative and clerical support to General Counsel attorneys by managing case files; composing, proofreading and formatting legal documents and correspondence, and preparing reports; maintaining calendaring, case‑management, and document‑tracking systems; assisting with trial, motion, and hearing preparation by organizing case files and preparing trial/appellate notebooks and records, supporting discovery and subpoena preparation and response, and coordinating depositions or investigative interviews; processing invoices and departmental paperwork, including travel authorizations and travel arrangements; conducting fact‑gathering and basic legal research; and arranging and coordinating meetings and court dates.

In addition, the position will provide cross‑unit support to the prosecution unit, assisting with overflow administrative tasks, routine reporting, and other clerical duties to help ensure timely case processing and department continuity.

Additional information on job responsibilities:

• Research and document drafting and review in support of the work of the Legal Department.
• Track case data and produce routine and ad‑hoc reports from a case‑management system.
• Register attorneys for trainings and arrange travel/lodging in accordance with City training and travel approvals.
• Monitor office and specialty supplies; order and reconcile purchases using the department purchasing/credit card.
• Review outside‑counsel invoices and process departmental payments; resolve billing issues with Finance.
• Provide professional customer service to all City departments and external contacts, routing requests and escalating legal issues as appropriate while maintaining confidentiality.
• Provide cross‑unit administrative support for the City's Legal Department.
• Support special projects and process improvements.

What can we offer you for all your hard work?

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family.
• Paid vacation and sick time in accordance with City policies.
• Competitive pay.
• Employer-paid PERS contribution of 6%.
• Opportunity for voluntary pre-tax contributions to a 457b account.
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Voluntary long-term care.
• Employee wellness program.
• Employee assistance program.
• Employee health clinic.
• Position schedule is Monday to Friday, 8:00am - 5:00pm
• The Legal Department team follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office, based on demands of specific tasks and manager approval. This is subject to change based on business needs.
• The City of Salem offers a comprehensive and equitable base salary within the listed range based on your experience, skills, and education. We encourage you to clearly describe how you meet the minimum qualifications and essential attributes in your application materials. Learn more about Equal Pay.

What are the minimum qualifications?

• Must pass the pre-employment background check.
• High school diploma or GED and three years of experience as a legal assistant or in related field or any combination of experience and training that demonstrate possession of the knowledge, skills, and abilities as listed, and ability to perform the essential job functions.
• Notary Public license or ability to obtain one within the first six months of employment.
• Must pass criminal background check necessary to obtain Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) clearance (clearance must be maintained throughout employment).
• Must have Law Enforcement Data System (LEDS) certification or ability to obtain within 30 days of hire (clearance must be maintained throughout employment).

Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job advertisement.

What you will bring along:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite; ability to use redline/track changes and create professional Tables of Contents and Tables of Authorities.
• Comfortable working with databases and spreadsheets to validate data accuracy, create summaries, and present findings in clear formats for decision‑making.
• Experience in the public sector is preferred; equivalent combinations of education, training, or private sector experience will also be considered.
• Bilingual (Spanish/English) skills helpful.
• Experience as a legal assistant or performing administrative and office-support duties is preferred; equivalent combinations of education, training, or experience will also be considered.
• Experience using case‑management software and the ability to extract, analyze, and produce routine and ad‑hoc reports from case/data sets to support attorneys and supervisors.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills and strong customer‑service orientation when interacting with internal and external clients.
• High attention to detail, ability to take initiative, and consistent follow‑through to complete assigned tasks accurately and on time.

Where can I find out more about the position?

Go to the menu option for Class Specifications and search for Legal Assistant or view by clicking here.

How can I apply?

The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.

To apply, click on the "Apply" button to complete your application.

Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.

This announcement is not an implied contract and may be modified or revoked without notice.

Work Shift:

Benefits Information:

For benefits information, please, go to:

https://www.cityofsalem.net/government/jobs/employment-information/unrepresented-employee-benefits

Hiring managers do not have access to view resumes as part of the application review process, so please make sure to give detailed information in your application that includes your experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities as requested in the supplemental questions and job application.

In some cases, if we are unable to hire a qualified candidate for this classification, we may also consider candidates for related classifications.

If applicable for this posting, other job classifications that may be considered are listed below:

Legal Assistant

As applicable for this posting, the pay range(s) below include the combined hourly and/or salary ranges for all classifications listed above. The exact pay range will depend on the specific classification for which you are hired.

This position's estimated compensation is:

$0.00 - $0.00/

Job Type:

Department:

Location:

295 Church St SE Suite 210

Opening Date:

2026-10-12

About us:

Salem is the second largest city in Oregon and the capital city. Centrally located in the Willamette Valley, Salem is 49 square miles in size and extends across to counties, Marion and Polk. The community has well-established neighborhoods and carefully preserved historic buildings with wide diversity and a family-friendly ambiance. The city is home to nearly 180,000 residents. For a full community profile detailing demographics and housing statistics, visit the City of Salem website.

The City of Salem organization has eight primary departments: Community Services, Finance, Fire, Enterprise Services, Legal, Police, Public Works, and Community Planning and Development. Several departments also have functional divisions within their department. The City of Salem employs roughly 1,350 talented and dedicated staff members and works collaboratively with five labor unions.

The Salem Police Department is the fourth largest agency in Oregon. We are a full-service department with myriad special teams and career advancement opportunities. In November 2020, the department moved into a modern 104,000-square-foot facility with many amenities for employees, featuring purposeful efficiency design for operations and amenities that promote employee wellness.

The Public Works Department values employees and their professional development. If you are someone that takes pride in collaborating on innovative ideas, proactively responding to community needs, and being a good environmental and financial steward, we look forward to meeting you! The Public Works Department promotes a healthy work life balance, while maintaining the utmost dedication to the health, safety, and welfare of our community, including our team!

The Urban Renewal Agency and the Salem Housing Authority are separate municipal corporations. The Agency contracts with the City for services and the Authority is led by the Housing Administrator within the Urban Development department.

How can I apply?

The City of Salem invites individuals of all diverse communities and backgrounds to apply for our available job opportunities as we strive to provide the best service to everyone. The City of Salem is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all and has a culture that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. We believe that by welcoming differences, encouraging new ideas and views, listening to, and learning from each other, we are better able to serve the community.

Select the "Apply" button to complete your application. Make sure that you specify how you meet the qualifications outlined in the class specification and complete the application.

Applicants that meet the minimum qualifications as outlined above but not selected for this position may be placed on an eligibility list, and candidates may be hired from the list. Eligibility lists are valid for six months. The City will send email notifications to eligible candidates about potential hiring opportunities so please ensure your email settings accept our system generated email notifications.

You may subscribe for automatic notification of job openings at the City by setting up Job Alerts, you will receive an email confirming you want to Opt-In to Job Alert communications from the City of Salem.

For more information about employment at the City of Salem, please visit our Career Site.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS NOT AN IMPLIED CONTRACT AND MAY BE MODIFIED OR REVOKED WITHOUT NOTICE