Stephanie McMurray
Spring,TX
Summary
Experienced Legal Administrative Specialist skilled in case file management and legal document preparation. Oversaw court processes and liaised with clients to ensure timely, accurate case handling in high-volume settings. Expertise in automated systems enhances operational efficiency.
Overview
1
1
Certification
13
13
years of professional experience
Work History
Legal Administrative Specialist (In Court Services)
Executive Office of Immigration Review
Houston, TX
03.2021 - Current
- Directly supports Immigration Judges in the Houston Greenspoint Immigration Court in a fast-paced, high-volume office handling all administrative aspects of the Judges daily cases and managing a variety of day-to-day administrative court operations.
- Supervising new staff in the performance of a wide variety of administrative tasks related to individual and master calendar hearings, the first appearance of respondent in front of an immigration judge.
- Oversaw legal court processes.
- Ensuring staff is responsive to all case-related actions.
- Maintaining an electronic queue for attorneys for the E-Registry automated system.
- Verifying attorney representation.
- Directing the activities and processing of actions which support court proceedings.
- Providing technical assistance to staff in locating, generating, organizing, assembling, cross-referencing and providing required case information to the Immigration Judges.
- Liaised between court and public, respondents, counsel, and attorneys to ensure timely processing and distribution of hearing notices and legal correspondence.
- Examining, analyzing and overseeing a variety of technical legal documents and case files for hearings utilizing the CASE and ECAS base systems.
- Interpreting and applying knowledge of legal statutes, codes, regulations, administrative guidelines, and policy affecting operations of the court.
- Processed Board of Immigration Appeals and FOIA requests promptly and thoroughly for cases on appeal under the Freedom of Information Act.
- Processed incoming filings from attorneys and respondents at the court window. with taking in anywhere from 30 to 40 filings per day from attorneys and respondents.
- Routinely process anywhere from 100 to 150 pieces of incoming mail and preparing outgoing mail daily.
- Prepared motions, orders, and legal documentation to facilitate immigration judge's adjudication process.
- Preparing reports maintaining and editing case-related data and information using the CASE and ECAS automated system.
- Preparing and distributing reports to appropriate parties.
- Establishing and maintaining case files.
- Conducting research related to legal cases.
- Maintaining statistical data on cases.
- Searching files for material to assemble data into the proper format for reports.
- Composing original letters and memorandum not requiring legal interpretation.
- Providing assistance with electronic filing, scanning, and printing of documents.
- Responding to inquiries and requests for case-related information from judges, court administrators, attorneys.
- Determining the need to create or reassemble case files.
- Demonstrated proficiency in job-related competencies essential for court operations.
- Type 40 words per minute
- Use of case tracking and management databases
- Excellent telephone, interpersonal and verbal communication skills
- Hours per week: 40
- Series: 0986 - Grade: 12/2
Legal Administrative Specialist (In Court Services)
Executive Office of Immigration Review
Houston, TX
05.2018 - 03.2021
- Directly supports Immigration Judges in the Houston Immigration Court in a fast paced, high volume office handling all administrative aspects of the Judge's daily cases in a jurisdiction with over 49,000 pending cases.
- Specific duties included:
- Generated, assembled and provided case files to the Immigration Judge.
- Liaised between court and public, respondents, counsel, and attorneys to process and distribute hearing notices and legal correspondence efficiently.
- Organizing case files in record of proceedings for Immigration Judges during Master Calendar Hearings and Individual Merits Hearings.
- Processing and preparing motions, orders, subpoenas and legal documentation.
- Examining and analyzing variety of technical legal documents for hearings.
- Processing, analyzing and preparing legal correspondence and legal documents utilizing automated base systems.
- Prepared and maintained case-related reports and data using agency's automated system, ensuring accuracy and accessibility.
- Verifying attorney representation.
- Establishing and maintaining case files.
- Researched legal cases to support case preparation and decision-making processes.
- Maintaining statistical data on cases.
- Searching files for material to assemble data into the proper format for reports.
- Composing original letters and memorandum not requiring legal interpretation.
- Providing assistance with electronic filing, scanning, and printing of documents.
- Responding to inquiries and requests for case-related information from judges, court administrators, attorneys.
- Determining the need to create or reassemble case files.
- Identified job-related competencies for effective performance.
- Microsoft Office proficiency
- Type 40 words per minute
- Use of case tracking and management databases
- Excellent telephone, interpersonal and verbal communication skills
- Worked a consistent 40 hours per week to support court operations.
- Classified as Series 0986, Grade 11/1 for position recognition.
Legal Assistant
Executive Office of Review
Denver, CO
05.2013 - 05.2018
- Directly supports one Immigration Judge in a fast paced, high volume office handling all administrative aspects of up to 50 individual cases daily in a jurisdiction with over 10,000 pending cases.
- Managing day-to-day administrative court operations to support case handling and workflow.
- Oversaw legal court processes to ensure compliance and efficiency.
- Directing the activities and processing of actions which support court proceedings
- Interpreting and applying knowledge of legal status, codes regulations, administrative guidelines, and policy affecting operations of the court.
- Ensuring staff is responsive to all case-related actions.
- Providing technical assistance to staff in locating, generating, organizing, assembling, cross-referencing required case information to Judges.
- Supervising new staff in the performance of a wide variety of administrative tasks related to master calendar hearings, the first appearance of the respondent in front of an immigration judge.
- Preparing and distributing filings electronically, scanning, and printing of documents.
- Liaised between court and public, respondents, counsel, and attorneys to facilitate communication and case progress.
- Maintaining an electronic queue for attorneys.
- Verifying attorney representation.
- Processing incoming and outgoing mail.
- Establishing and maintaining case files.
- Preparing and processing legal correspondence.
- Responding to Freedom of Information Act requests.
- Conducting research related to legal cases.
- Maintaining statistical data on cases.
- Examining a variety of technical legal documents.
- Searching files for material to assemble data into the proper format for reports.
- Checking and retiring files to the Federal Record Center.
- Composing original letters and memorandum not requiring legal interpretation.
- Running and distributing reports.
- Responding to inquiries and requests for case-related information from judges, court administrators, attorneys.
- Determining the need to create or reassemble case files.
- Receiving and processing Board of Immigration Appeals requests in a timely and complete manner for cases that are on appeal.
- Processed Freedom of Information Act requests promptly and thoroughly.
- Acting as liaison for Xerox issues
- Worked 40 hours weekly in a fast-paced environment.
- Series: 0986 - Grade: 8/4
Education
High school diploma or equivalent -
East High School
Denver, CO05-1984
Skills
- Legal statutes expertise
- Legal documentation
- Case file organization
- Court oversight
- Case management systems
- Client coordination
Certification
CAOHC Hearing Technician Certification (Certification Number: 097208A), BLS (Basic Life Support)
Language skills
English Spoken: Advanced | Written: Advanced | Read: Advanced
Additional information
- I have received the following awards: Certificate of Appreciation 2008 Retiree Appreciation Day (MEDDAC), Great Idea to Improve Customer Service, Customer Service Skit, and Support with a project, Happy Gram, Zorro Gram, Perfect Attendance
- Six Sigma Green Belt Training
- Proficient in Word/Excel
- Held a Excellent performance rating
- Good communication, oral, written skills
- Strong time management and follow-up skills
- Planning and organizing skills
- Demonstrates teamwork
- Type 40 WPM
Timeline
Legal Administrative Specialist (In Court Services)
Executive Office of Immigration Review
03.2021 - Current
Legal Administrative Specialist (In Court Services)
Executive Office of Immigration Review
05.2018 - 03.2021
Legal Assistant
Executive Office of Review
05.2013 - 05.2018
High school diploma or equivalent -
East High School