Job Description

Job Title: Legal Assistant

Department: Legal Department

Reports to: General Counsel

FLSA Status: Exempt

JOB SUMMARY:

The duties of the Legal Assistant primarily involve office work in the legal department. Performs administrative work that is directly related to the Housing Authority’s management operations with respect to the residents’ compliance/noncompliance with applicable HUD regulations, Housing Authority rules, policies, and lease requirements. Coordinate with the Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) and Low-Income Public Housing (LIPH) Department’s decision to terminate benefits of the residents and/or program participants due to program violations.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

The duties listed below illustrate the various types of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements regarding the duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment with this position. Undertakes and performs the following and all other work-related duties as assigned.

• Provide assistance to the General Counsel.
• Research laws and regulations pertaining to the ever-changing landscape of housing from federal, state, and local viewpoint.
• Provide written or verbal summations of new regulations, laws or procedures.
• Maintain all Legal Department files that pertain to residents that are involved with the housing authority grievance hearing process and the eviction process.
• Responsible for the preparation of the grievance hearing docket and the landlord-tenant court docket which include generating and mailing hearing notifications to participants and/or owners and document in Elite system of each scheduled hearing.
• Prepare summaries for hearings; assist General Counsel in hearings, generate hearing decision letters for hearing officer to use at hearings.
• Maintain and retain hearing recordings of each hearing and document hearing decisions in Elite.
• Lead the grievance hearing docket.
• Responsible for the data and recordkeeping of all eviction set outs.
• Responsible for sending eviction cases to outside counsel and calendaring court date communication between General Counsel and Housing Operations (property manager and assistant manager) and public safety when necessary.
• Responsible for the assignment and the coordination of the collection of judgments that are assigned to outside legal counsel.
• Assist General Counsel with litigation and coordination with outside legal counsel including for matters such as tort, employment, and other claims.
• Meet with debtors for both HCV and LIPH and enter into repayment agreements, collect HCV and LIPH debts, process payments, issue receipts via mail (if applicable) and mail late notices.
• Constructs debt collection file and completes data entry pertaining to debt and payments in Elite.
• Keeps and maintains Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) and Debt Offset Program (DOP) records for all Authority debts.
• Reports debts and payments to DOR and DOP and completes invoicing.
• Responsible for notifying debtors of DOR refund intercept.
• Communicates with debtors who are appealing the interception of the tax refund.
• Keeps and maintains excel spreadsheet of all payments received by the participant, DOP, or other organizations on behalf of participant.
• Communicates with utility companies to verify utility service.
• Coordinates all aspects of file review request from legal aid.
• Reports complaints/investigations to Public Safety regarding lease and program violations of HCV and LIPH participants.
• Performs other related duties, responsibilities, and tasks as assigned or required to meet the needs of the department and organization.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

None

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform the duties of this job successfully, and individual must be able to perform the duties using independent judgment and discretion using prescribed procedures and standards. In addition, each essential duty must be performed in a satisfactory manner. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Job Knowledge: Exhibits requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the position effectively.
• Commitment: Sets high standards of performance; pursues aggressive goals and works hard/smart to achieve them.
• Customer Service: Meets/exceeds the expectations and requirements of internal and external customers.
• Effective Communication: Ensures important information is passed to those who need to know.
• Initiative Proactively: seeks solutions to resolve unexpected challenges.
• Responsiveness and Accountability: Demonstrates a high level of conscientiousness.
• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities.
• Strong research and writing skills: These skills are necessary for drafting responses, researching memorandums, correspondences, and other documents.
• An ability to multitask: This is a deadline-heavy profession.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE:

Some college supplemented with an administrative certification or one (1) year of relevant experience in a legal setting or equivalent combination of education and experience. College Degree preferred.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS:

Valid State issued driver’s license.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

Incumbent(s) must be able to meet the physical requirements of the classification and have mobility, balance, coordination, vision, hearing, and dexterity levels appropriate to the functions performed.

Work is performed primarily in an office environment with occasional travel to meetings and hearings.

CONTACTS:

The employee's personal contacts are primarily with residents, nonresidents, program participants, suspicious persons, and other public safety personnel.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:

1. May be required to work an unusual work schedule.
2. Must work with the highest degree of confidentiality.
3. Must pass employment drug screening & criminal background check.

The Housing Authority of Kansas City, Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.