Paralegal Specialist

Recruitment #230116-6142AR-001

Location

Hartford, CT

Date Opened

1/18/2023 3:00:00 PM

Salary

$71,147 - $92,072/year (Individuals new to state service start at minimum of the pay plan)

Job Type

Open to the Public

Close Date

2/1/2023 11:59:00 PM

Go Back View Benefits

Introduction

The Office of the State Treasurer exists to provide and ensure effective financial management of public resources, high standards of professionalism and integrity, and expanding opportunity for State of Connecticut residents and businesses. We are recruiting for one (1) Paralegal Specialist position for our Unclaimed Property Division (UCP).

As A Paralegal Specialist, we can offer you:

Industry leading health benefits, including medical and dental coverage
Competitive starting salary
Pension plan and supplemental retirement offerings
Paid time off - including 13 paid holidays per calendar year
Culture that encourages work-life balance

Position Highlights:

First shift, Monday - Friday (8:30am - 5:00pm)
Full-time (40 hours per week)
On-site cafeteria
Covered parking garage
Newly renovated, state-of-the-art building
Centrally located in Hartford, CT with easy access to all major highways

The Division:

The Unclaimed Property Division (UCP) is responsible for safeguarding assets escheated to the Office of the Treasurer in accordance with state law until the rightful owners are located with the objective of reuniting rightful owners or heirs with their unclaimed property. Unclaimed assets include but are not limited to savings or checking accounts, uncashed checks, matured certificates of deposit, stocks, bonds or mutual funds, travelers' checks or money orders, and proceeds from life insurance policies.

Selection Plan

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. Please ensure that your application is complete prior to submitting. NOTE: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, supervisory references, attendance records, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQ’s) which will be sent to you via email after the closing date. Please regularly check your email for notifications, including your SPAM/JUNK folders. You must reply by the deadline indicated on the notification or you will be automatically disqualified from consideration. Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements and preferred qualifications of the position.

All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to das.shrm@ct.gov.

Should you have questions pertaining to any phase of this recruitment, please contact Johnette Tolliver, johnette.tolliver@ct.gov.

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.

The Paralegal Specialist will be responsible for independently reading and reviewing a variety of legal documents, interpreting, applying and determining compliance with state statues, rules, regulations, office policies and internal controls. Such documents may include, but are not limited to: wills, trusts, business acquisition or merger documents, Security and Exchange Commission filings, corporate or franchise documents, corporate subsidiary listings, power of attorney, beneficiary or custodial account documents, estate, decree to transfer, documents appointing a fiduciary, conservator or guardian from Probate Court, divorce decrees and third-party finder contracts.

Within a team of UCP claims processors, the candidate will be performing high level reviews on particular claims and providing assistance and training to examiners and processors as needed. The candidate will conduct reviews for inconsistencies from internal guidelines and procedures prior to sending particular and sample claims for payment. The candidate will interact with and correspond with a variety of constituents to research general and specific information regarding escheated property. Requests may include old bonds that may have been escheated, but not loaded to the database. The candidate will report to the Assistant Treasurer and provide other paralegal assistance on projects as needed and expected to provide excellent customer service.

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 the following experience/training:

Five or more years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance;
An Associates or Bachelors Degree in Paralegal Studies or equivalent;
Five years of experience in Legal Research & Writing including drafting legal correspondence or pleadings;
Strong analytical skills;
Experience providing customer service and handling challenging client interfaces;
Experience handling finances in a legal setting such as settlements, accounts payable, accounts receivable, or delinquent collections;
Experience with technology such as KAPS, Access, Westlaw, LexisNexis, or court e-tools;
Experience with law;
Experience with, familiarity with, and can interpret Conn. Gen. Statutes and related law pertaining to property ownership, unclaimed property, escheatment, probate, wills, trusts, business ownership, and bankruptcy; and,
Experience working successfully with a variety of personalities.

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.