Paralegal

GENERAL STATEMENT OF JOB

 

Under limited supervision, this position is responsible for providing administrative, clerical, legal, and research assistance within the City Attorney's Office. Reports to the City Attorney.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

 

Provides administrative and legal support to attorneys and staff.   Performs legal research, confers with outside agencies and offices to address needs of various assignments. Travels within the City and surrounding localities to perform research and office support needs. Drafts and reviews documents and correspondence, pleadings, and other legal documents.   

Research statutes, regulations, rules, processes, procedures and laws affecting the interests of the City and prepares a variety of reports and correspondences; researches applicable case law in support of litigation through all available case law reporting services.   

Responsible for the preparation and maintenance of case files; coordinates the document production process to include bates-stamping, redaction, duplication, scanning, and indexing of all materials; assists with the filing of all court documents. Prepares and organizes court briefs, exhibits and appendices, research court files and records to determine the status of litigation; serves subpoenas for witnesses and documents; and responsible for monitoring case statuses for attorneys. Prepares correspondence, draft legal documents and papers, performing research as necessary.  Participates in departmental training, development, or other professional meetings to exchange information.   

Performs administrative support work such as word processing, creating spreadsheets, data entry and retrieval, assisting the public as needed by phone and in public, and all other functions that may require interpretation, judgment in determining appropriate processes to be used; reviews forms, data and other information to ensure accuracy and conformance to established procedures and policies.  

Performs other duties as assigned. Individual assignments will be determined by supervisor based on current workload and department needs.   

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS 

Knowledge of Job: Has general knowledge of government regulations and the democratic political process. Has general knowledge of litigation system including court rules, processes and procedures.  Has general knowledge of real estate law, legal property descriptions, land surveying, and plotting and mapping or real estate.  Has general knowledge of the principles and practices of real estate negotiation and sales. Has general knowledge of paralegal/legal assistant practices and procedures. Has general knowledge of legal terminology and legal research practices and procedures. Has considerable knowledge of the principles and processes for providing customer service.  Is able to use common office machines. Is able to compile technical information from a variety of sources and prepare clear and concise reports. Is able to exercise considerable initiative and independent judgment in analyzing and applying standards to a variety of situations. Is able to exercise considerable discretion in handling confidential files and information. Is able to establish and maintain effective working relationships as necessitated by work assignments.

 

Quality of Work: Maintains high standards of accuracy in exercising duties and responsibilities. Exercises immediate remedial action to correct any quality deficiencies that occur in areas of responsibility. Maintains high quality communication and interacts within department and division, and with co- workers and the general public.

 

Quantity of Work: Maintains effective and efficient output of all duties and responsibilities as described under "Essential Job Functions."

 

Dependability: Assumes responsibility for doing assigned work and meeting deadlines. Completes assigned work on or before deadlines in accordance with directives, city policy, standards and prescribed procedures. Accepts accountability for meeting assigned responsibilities in the technical, human and conceptual areas.

 

Attendance: Attends work regularly and adheres to city policies and procedures regarding absences and tardiness. Provides adequate notice to higher management with respect to vacation time and time- off requests. 

 

Initiative and Enthusiasm: Maintains an enthusiastic, self-reliant and self-starting approach to meet job responsibilities and accountabilities. Strives to anticipate work to be done and initiates proper and acceptable direction for completion of work with a minimum of supervision and instruction.

 

Judgment: Exercises analytical judgment in areas of responsibility. Identifies problems or situations as they occur and specifies decision objectives. Identifies or assists in identifying alternative solutions to problems or situations. Implements decisions in accordance with prescribed and effective policies and procedures and with a minimum of errors. Seeks expert or experienced advice and researches problems, situations and alternatives before exercising judgment.

 

Cooperation: Accepts supervisory instruction and direction and strives to meet the goals and objectives of same. Questions such instruction and direction when clarification of results or consequences are justified, i.e., poor communications, variance with city policy or procedures, etc. Offers suggestions and recommendations to encourage and improve cooperation between all staff persons within the department.

 

Relationships with Others: Shares knowledge with supervisors and staff for mutual and departmental benefit. Contributes to maintaining high morale among all department employees. Develops and maintains cooperative and courteous relationships with department employees, staffers and managers in other departments, representatives from organizations, and the general public so as to maintain good will toward the department and project a good departmental image. Tactfully and effectively handles requests, suggestions and complaints from other departments and persons in order to maintain good will within the city. Interacts effectively with fellow employees, program clients, Director of Social Services, professionals and the general public.

 

Coordination of Work: Plans and organizes daily work routine. Establishes priorities for the completion of work in accordance with sound time-management methodology. Avoids duplication of effort. Estimates expected time of completion of elements of work and establish a personal schedule accordingly. Attends meetings, planning sessions and discussions on time. Implements work activity in accordance with priorities and estimated schedules. Maintains a calendar for meetings, deadlines and events.

 

Safety and Housekeeping: Adheres to all safety and housekeeping standards established by the city and various regulatory agencies. Sees that the standards are not violated. Maintains a clean and orderly workplace.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

 

Requires post-secondary education and at least one year of experience in fields utilizing the required knowledge, skills, and abilities associated with such positions as Paralegal or Legal Assistant.  

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS

An acceptable general background check to include a local and state criminal history check and sex offender registry check.

  

Must possess Notary Public certification or the ability to attain within six months. 

Certified Paralegal and/or Certified Legal Assistant certifications from a national Paralegal Association is preferred. 

A valid driver's license with an acceptable driving record.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS OR STANDARDS REQUIRED TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS

Physical Requirements: Must be physically able to operate a variety of automated office machines which include computer, printer, adding machine, calculators, copiers, facsimile machines, multi-line telephone system, etc. Must be able to exert up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds of force frequently and/or a negligible amount of force constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects. Sedentary Work involves sitting most of the time, but may involve walking or standing for periods of time. 

 

Data Conception: Requires the ability to compare and/or judge the readily observable, functional, structural, or compositional characteristics (whether similar to or divergent from obvious standards) of data, people or things.

Interpersonal Communications: Requires the ability of speaking and/or signaling people to convey or exchange information. Includes giving instructions, assignments and/or directions to subordinates or assistants.

 

Language Ability: Requires the ability to read a variety of case files, reports, records, forms, etc. Requires the ability to prepare correspondence, orders, reports, indictments, subpoenas, etc., using prescribed formats and conforming to all rules of punctuation, grammar, diction, and style. Requires the ability to speak to people with poise, voice control and confidence.

 

Intelligence: Requires the ability to apply rational systems to solve practical problems deal with a variety of 

concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists; to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic, or schedule form.

 

Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to record and deliver information, to explain procedures, to follow oral and written instructions. Must be able to communicate effectively and efficiently using Standard English and possess a basic working knowledge of secretarial and computer operation terminology.

Numerical Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize mathematical formulas, to add and subtract, multiply and divide. Must be able to utilize decimals and percentages.

 

Form/Spatial Aptitude: Requires the ability to inspect items for proper length, width and shape.

 

Motor Coordination: Requires the ability to coordinate hands and eyes rapidly and accurately in using automated office equipment.

 

Manual Dexterity: Requires the ability to handle a variety of items, office equipment, control knobs, switches, etc. Must have minimal levels of eye/hand/foot coordination.

 

Color Discrimination: Does not require the ability to differentiate between colors and shades of color.

Interpersonal Temperament: Requires the ability to deal with people beyond giving and receiving instructions. Must be adaptable to performing under minimal levels of stress when confronted with persons acting under stress.

 

Physical Communication: Requires the ability to talk and/or hear: (talking - expressing or exchanging ideas by means of spoken words; hearing - perceiving nature of sounds by ear).

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA) REQUIREMENTS

The City of Portsmouth is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  ADA requires the City to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities.  Prospective and current employees are invited to discuss accommodations.

This is a class description and not an individual position description.  A class specification defines the general character and scope of duties and responsibilities of all positions in a job classification, but is not intended to describe and does not necessarily list the essential job functions for a given position in a classification.

 

FLSA Status: Non-Exempt

EEO Cat: 5