STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Paralegal Specialist

Division of Legal and Governmental Affairs

Recruitment #200108-6142AR-001

Introduction

 

The Connecticut State Department of Education, Division of Legal and Governmental Affairs, is recruiting for a full-time Paralegal Specialist position.  The position is located at the State of Connecticut office building at 450 Columbus Boulevard, Hartford. This is a 40-hour position that operates Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

The Division of Legal and Governmental Affairs is responsible for providing a wide range of legal support and guidance to the agency. The Paralegal Specialist shall provide support in a wide range of areas, including but not limited to the following activities and other duties as assigned: assist with contract review; coordinate and collect responses to Freedom of Information requests; assist attorneys in monitoring collective bargaining activities pursuant to the Teacher Negotiations Act; coordinate residency and transportation hearings under Section 10-186; conduct basic legal research and analysis of legal sources; proofreading and correcting administrative pleadings, briefs, and other documents; answering telephone inquiries from the public and referring calls to designated recipients; assist with the discovery process and subpoena responses; assist in gathering evidence and documents and general case preparation for court cases and administrative hearings such as hearings before the CHRO, FOIC, and State Board of Education matters; update and maintain case records, pleadings, policy manuals, and filing systems; act as a liaison between the DLGA attorneys, courts, attorney’s offices and the general public; assist in the preparation of legal and administrative reports; and assist in the drafting and review of proposed legislation.

Selection Plan

  • New hires to state service start at the minimum of the pay plan. 
  • There are no supplemental attachments required at this time. Candidates selected for interview will be asked to provide a resume detailing experience in addition to three (3) pertinent professional references. State employees selected for interview will be asked to provide a copy of their last two service ratings.
  • Due to the volume of applications anticipated, the Bureau of Human Resources is unable to provide confirmation of receipt and/or the status of applications during the recruitment process. Updates will be provided through your JobAps portal account. Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position. For all other inquiries, please contact Kim Barberi at kim.barberi@ct.gov; 860-713-6691.

PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)

In a state agency, this class is accountable for providing advanced paralegal support in a highly complex legal unit. This class provides advanced technical leadership, research and consultation in the areas of preparing draft legal documents and draft decisions of highly complex cases; as a resource regarding issues, procedures, process and timeframe as related to cases and presenting legal matters as needed.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

Performs highly complex paralegal duties as defined in one or both of the following areas:

LEGAL OFFICE OPERATIONS: Interprets complex state statutes and federal regulations governing legal records and documents; determines and applies applicable state statute and/or regulation in preparing documentation; interprets court rules and agency policies and regulations; keeps abreast of the latest court rules, calendar changes and pending legislation; monitors and adheres to court deadlines; reviews legal documents and prepares legal documents such as briefs, writs and pleadings for court filings; responds to relevant case information requests from courts; performs legal research and analysis of law sources such as statutes, legal articles, legal decisions, opinions, rulings, memoranda and other legal material; prepares draft legal documents; provides assistance in the discovery process; provides paralegal assistance by interpreting applicable legal provisions, regulations, precedents and policies; responds to requests and obtains information of sensitive nature; acts as liaison between agency, court system, relevant attorney’s offices and general public; serves as agency liaison regarding relevant policies and procedures; prepares legal and administrative reports; updates and maintains case records, pleadings, policy manuals and filing systems; assists in the drafting of proposed legislation and advisory opinions; provides training and assistance to staff; may perform business mathematical computations; performs related duties as required.

CASE PRESENTATION OR HEARING: Analyzes highly complex cases; develops positions and strategies to settle or litigate cases at formal or informal hearings; prepares for and represents State’s interest at hearings or through case presentation; researches and gathers relevant evidence and documentation; interviews witnesses and clients; drafts legal documents, complaints, stipulations, detailed memoranda, letters and proposed findings and awards reviews substantiation appeals and provides recommendation to management regarding the legal sufficiency of substantiation findings; performs related duties as required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY

Considerable knowledge of legal processes and procedures; considerable knowledge of legal terminology and legal forms; considerable knowledge of legal research techniques; knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; knowledge of and the ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation; considerable skill in fact finding techniques including interviewing clients and compiling evidence; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable ability to evaluate pertinent facts, cases and evidence and compile and assemble such legal data; considerable ability to compose correspondence and draft legal documents; ability to understand complex laws and related reports; ability to utilize computer software.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

The General Experience is defined as one of the following:

1. A Bachelor’s degree in legal studies and one (1) year of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney.

2. An Associate’s degree in legal studies and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney.

3. Completion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program approved by the American Bar Association and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney.

4. Completion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program consisting of a minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney.

5. Completion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program from a business school approved by the State of Connecticut, Office of Higher Education and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney.

6. A Law degree from an accredited Law School.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

Preference will be given to applicants with experience in the following:

  • Three (3) years of experience providing paralegal support to an attorney in the area of employment litigation and/or education law.
  • Experience managing document preservation, collection and production.
  • Experience in administrative hearing preparation and litigation support.
  • Experience communicating and interacting with attorneys, staff and the public.
  • Experience responding to requests and obtaining information of a sensitive nature.
  • Understanding of electronic filing systems.
  • Ability to determine and apply applicable statutes in preparing documentation, including FOIA processing and E-Discovery compliance.

Conclusion

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.