Paralegal III
Safety/Security Status: This position is designated as safety/security sensitive and is subject to pre-employment, reasonable suspicion and random drug and alcohol screening. Security Status: This position is designated as safety/security sensitive and is subject to pre-employment, reasonable suspicion and random drug and alcohol screening.
SUMMARY The Paralegal provides comprehensive legal and administrative support to the Staff Attorney and legal staff. This position performs a variety of complex paralegal duties including contract review, legal document preparation, legal research, litigation preparation, records management, and coordination of City Council agenda items. The Paralegal ensures compliance with applicable laws, policies, and procedures while supporting the efficient operation of the legal department. The position requires critical thinking, effective communication, time management, self-motivation, strong organizational skills, and professionalism. Maintaining confidentiality of Legal Department information is essential to the position. Candidates must pass a criminal background check before employment and must provide a writing sample with their resume and application. There is also a component of general office work where this position assists and relieves lawyers and other legal personnel of administrative and clerical work by performing the following duties.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Contract Review: Examines and reviews contracts, agreements, and other legal documents for accuracy, completeness, and compliance with city policies and applicable laws.
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Responses: Processes and coordinates responses to FOIA and public records requests, ensuring timely and accurate disclosure of information in accordance with legal requirements.
Litigation Support: Prepares legal documents and exhibits for misdemeanor appeal jury trials; assists in case preparation, trial binders, and court filings.
Civil File Preparation and Discovery: Organizes and maintains civil litigation files; drafts discovery requests and responses; tracks deadlines and assists with document production.
City Council Agenda Preparation: Drafts and reviews ordinances, resolutions, and agenda items for City Council meetings; ensures legal accuracy and completeness prior to submission.
Agenda Review Coordination: Leads agenda review meetings with Accounting and Purchasing staff to ensure alignment on financial and procurement matters prior to Council presentation.
Legal Documents: Prepare and analyze legal research as directed by the Staff Attorney, for legal memos, court filings, or other documents.
Administrative Support: Schedules meetings and maintains calendars for the Staff Attorney and other legal personnel.
Travel Coordination: Prepares and processes travel requests and related documentation for legal staff.
Purchasing Support: Facilitates legal department purchasing requisitions and purchase order transactions in compliance with city procurement policies and procedures.
Manages calendar, arranges complex and detailed itineraries, compiles documents for travel-related meetings accompanying staff attorney when requested, assists in meeting deadlines, coordinates meetings, and performs other clerical duties such as scheduling appointments, screening incoming calls, providing information to callers, composing and typing routine correspondence, and reading and routing incoming mail.
Acts as custodian of documents and records by maintaining and keeping track of department filing system, accurately filing correspondence and legal documents, and ensuring proper indexing and filing of original legal documents.
Coordinate with Legal Administrative Assistant to schedule services such as computer and office equipment maintenance and repair, supplies, mail, and files.
Perform any other related duties as required or assigned.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES None.
QUALIFICATIONS To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. 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.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE Job related Associate's degree (A.A.) or equivalent from two-year college or technical school and five (5) years related legal experience and/or training; or equivalent combination of education and experience.
LANGUAGE SKILLS Ability to read, analyze, and interpret general business periodicals, professional journals, technical procedures, or governmental regulations. Ability to write reports, business correspondence, and procedure manuals. Ability to effectively communicate information and respond to questions from groups of managers, clients, customers, and the general public. Ability to read, analyze, and understand common scientific and technical journals, financial reports, and legal documents. Ability to respond to complex or difficult inquiries or complaints from customers, regulatory agencies, or members of the legal community.
MATHEMATICAL SKILLS Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals. Ability to prepare and interpret bar graphs. Ability to apply concepts such as fractions, percentages, ratios, and proportions to practical situations.
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of known variables in situations where only limited standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or diagram form.
REQUIRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Possession of a valid Driver’s License.
5 years’ experience in the legal field.
Graduation from an ABA certified paralegal program or equivalent.
PREFERRED CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS
Notary Public.
ACIC Certification.
Bilingual.
SOFTWARE SKILLS REQUIRED
Computer training in Microsoft Office.
Intermediate: Database, Spreadsheet, Word Processing/Typing.
Intermediate: 10-key, Accounting, Contact Management, Presentation/PowerPoint, Spreadsheet/Excel.
INITIATIVE AND INGENUITY:
SUPERVISION RECEIVED Under limited supervision and direction where a definite objective is set up or standard practice enables the employee to proceed alone planning and arranging own work, referring only unusual cases to supervisor.
PLANNING Considerable responsibility regarding general assignments in planning time, method, manner, and/or sequence of performance of own work, in addition, the work operations of a group of employees, all performing basically the same type of work. May also occasionally assist in the planning of work assignments performed by others within a limited area of operation.
DECISION MAKING Performs work operations which permit frequent opportunity for decision-making of minor importance and frequent opportunity for decision-making of major importance, either of which would affect the work operations of the organization and the organization's clientele.
MENTAL DEMAND Close mental demand. Operations require close and continuous attention for control of operations. Operations require intermittent direct thinking to determine or select the most applicable way of handling situations regarding the organization's administration and operations; also, to determine or select material and equipment where highly variable sequences are involved.
ANALYTICAL ABILITY / PROBLEM SOLVING Directed. Supervisory and/or professional skills using structured practices or policies and directed as to execution and review. Interpolation of learned things in moderately varied situations where critical thinking, reasoning, and independent decision-making are essential.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR WORK OF OTHERS Carries out minor supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws. Responsibilities may include, but are not limited to planning, assigning, and checking work, but also performing the same work as may be assigned. Content of work supervised is of a technical nature and varies in complexity.
RESPONSIBILITY FOR FUNDS, PROPERTY, AND EQUIPMENT Regularly responsible for organization's property where carelessness, error, or misappropriation would result in moderate damage or moderate monetary loss to the organization. Almost continuous care and attention is required when handling this property to prevent loss.
ACCURACY Probable errors would not likely be detected until they reached another department, office, or patron, and would then require considerable time and effort to correct the situation. Frequently, possibility of error that would affect the organization's prestige and relationship with the public to a limited extent, but where succeeding operations or supervision would normally preclude the possibility of a serious situation arising as a result of the error or decision.
ACCOUNTABILITY:
FREEDOM TO ACT Directed. Freedom to complete duties as defined by wide-ranging policies and precedents with mid to upper-level managerial oversight.
ANNUAL MONETARY IMPACT The amount of annual dollars generated based on the job's essential duties/responsibilities. Examples would include direct dollar generation, departmental budget, proper handling of organization funds, expense control, savings from new techniques or reduction in manpower.
Moderate. The job creates a monetary impact for the organization up to an annual level of $500,000.00.
IMPACT ON END RESULTS Moderate impact. Job has a definite impact on the organization's end results. Participates with others in taking action for a department and/or total organization.
PUBLIC CONTACT Regular contacts with patrons, either within the office or in the field, where the contact is initiated by the employee. Involves both furnishing and obtaining information and, also, attempting to influence the decisions of those persons contacted. Contacts of considerable importance and of such nature, that failure to exercise proper judgment may result in important tangible or intangible losses to the organization.
EMPLOYEE CONTACT Contacts of considerable importance with other departments or offices, and frequently with individuals in management level positions; consulting on problems which necessitate judgment and tact in presentation to obtain cooperation or approval of action to be taken. Also, important contacts with associates as required in advanced supervisory jobs, plus frequent contact with senior level internal officials.
USE OF MACHINES, EQUIPMENT AND/OR COMPUTERS Occasional use of highly complex machines and equipment; specialized or advanced software programs.
WORKING CONDITIONS Normal working conditions as found within an office setting, wherein there is controlled temperature and a low noise level, plus a minimum of distractions. The position may occasionally require attendance at City Council meetings or court proceedings outside of regular business hours.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS The following work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the functions of this job, the employee is continuously required to talk or hear; regularly required to sit, reach with hands and arms; frequently required to walk, use hands to finger, handle, or feel; and occasionally required to stand, stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds; regularly lift and/or move up to 10 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision; and color vision.
Moderate diversity, low physical. Work activities which allow for a moderate amount of diversity in the performance of tasks which are not as varied as those positions with high-level diversity and decision-making.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:
Lexis Nexis and Westlaw legal research procedures.
Knowledge of general legal terminology and legal principles.
Ability to perform legal research using reference materials generally available within a law library and/or electronic resources.
Knowledge of the policies and procedures relating to municipal government.
Ability to interpret and apply local, county, state, and federal codes and laws.
Ability to analyze and review contracts and other legal documents to ensure necessary provisions are contained therein.
Ability to draft form pleadings and discovery.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relations with others.
Exceptional ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
Ability to organize and prioritize workload.
Ability to understand and follow written and oral directions.
Ability to use and knowledge of modern office equipment, including MS Word software.
Perform related duties and responsibilities as assigned.
We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.