STATE OF CONNECTICUT EXECUTIVE BRANCH JOBS

Paralegal Specialist

Hybrid

Recruitment #240201-6142AR-001

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Introduction


Are you looking to grow your Paralegal career with the State of Connecticut?

The State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) is currently seeking a Paralegal Specialist to join our team in New Britain, CT.

State of Connecticut employees participate in a competitive benefits plan that includes: 
  • NEW: A Platinum Healthcare Plan, the nation’s best for state employees and dependents, according to a report by Georgetown’s Center on Health Insurance Reform and article by Ellen Andrews, Ph.D., along with comprehensive benefit offerings.
  • Sick and personal leave.
  • We encourage a healthy work/life balance to all employees.
  • State of Connecticut is an eligible Public Service Loan Forgiveness employer, meaning you may be eligible to have qualifying student loans forgiven after 10 years of service. Click here for more information.
Discover the opportunity to: 
  • To work for a Forbes top company: ‘Forbes’ State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible Schedule.
  • Engage in a rewarding career.
  • Assist our employees so they can achieve success.
  • Make a difference in the public sector.
  • Work together in a collaborative team environment.
Position Highlights
  • The schedule for this position is Monday- Friday between 8am-5pm.
  • This role will be located at 10 Franklin Square in New Britain, CT, with hybrid schedules available. 
  • As a paralegal with DEEP, your job opportunities would include, but not be limited to:
    • Interpreting and administering energy, broadband/telecommunications and environmental laws;
    • Drafting, reviewing, and tracking requests for proposals and contracts;
    • Tracking federal funding opportunities and filing grant proposals and other documents with federal agencies;
    • Advising and drafting regulations; assisting in the interpretation of statutes and regulations;
    • Responding to Freedom of Information requests;
    • Preparing, reviewing, and filing legal documents;
    • Drafting notices of administrative proceedings; administering and enabling participation in remote and in-person proceedings;
    • Consulting with the Office of the Attorney General on litigation matters;
    • Managing legal case timelines, case records, and reports.
About Us
PURA is statutorily charged with ensuring that Connecticut's investor-owned utilities, including the state’s electric, natural gas, water, and telecommunications companies, provide safe, clean, reliable, and affordable utility service and infrastructure. PURA’s mission is essential to advancing the state’s energy, economic, and environmental goals and is critical to maintaining public health and safety as well as a robust economy.

PURA is a quasi-judicial agency that interprets and applies the statutes and regulations governing all aspects of Connecticut’s utility sector. Among other things, PURA sets the rates charged by investor-owned utilities, advances the modernization of the electric distribution system, regulates the retail electric supplier market, implements federal requirements for natural gas pipeline safety, ensures adequate water system infrastructure investments, reviews mergers and acquisitions, provides education and outreach for consumers, and regulates the expansion of telecommunications infrastructure.

For an inside look at what it is like to work as a State of Connecticut employee, check out the video below!

Selection Plan

For current state employees, salary calculations are not necessarily comparable from branch to branch, but it does not impact your state service credit.

FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:  Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply!

To Apply
  • In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on this job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.
  • The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.
  • Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system.
  • 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.
Important Information After You Apply
  • This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam.
  • Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process.
  • 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, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.
  • The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.
For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Nicholas Naples at Nicholas.Naples@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, and is 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 the 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; 
    • legal terminology and legal forms; 
    • legal research techniques; 
  • Knowledge of
    • relevant agency policies and procedures; 
    • and the ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation; 
  • Considerable
    • interpersonal skills; 
    • oral and written communication skills;
    • skill in fact finding techniques including interviewing clients and compiling evidence; 
  • Considerable ability to
    • evaluate pertinent facts, cases and evidence and compile and assemble such legal data; 
    • compose correspondence and draft legal documents; 
  • Ability to
    • understand complex laws and related reports; 
    • utilize computer software.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE

The General Experience is defined as one of the following:

  • A Bachelor’s degree in legal studies and one (1) year of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; OR
  • An Associate’s degree in legal studies and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; OR
  • 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; OR
  • 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; OR
  • 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; OR
  • A Law degree from an accredited Law School.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Experience with administrative or regulatory agencies, including administrative proceedings and the administrative procedures act;
  • Experience with fact finding techniques and developing administrative proceeding records; 
  • Experience with legal research techniques; 
  • Experience interpreting and applying statutes, regulations, and legislation, including Title 16 of the General Statutes and the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act;
  • Experience working within a team of lawyers;
  • Experience with oral and written communication; 
  • Experience evaluating facts, cases and evidence, and compiling and assembling such legal data; 
  • Experience in utilities, accounting, finance, or energy fields;
  • Supervisory experience.

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.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

As defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.  As such, a job class is not meant to be all-inclusive of every task and/or responsibility.




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