Legal Assistant - Environment New

Job Description

Legal Assistant - Environment The Environment Section of the Environment, Health, and Human Services Division of the Utah Attorney General’s Office has an opening for a Legal Assistant.

The Legal Assistant will work under the general direction of attorneys, and other legal assistants. In accordance with the ABA Rules of Professional Conduct, Legal Assistants may perform minor legal tasks that an attorney would otherwise perform.

Applicants should have experience working as a paralegal, with experience in complex litigation preferred. Projects are complex in nature and often involve large quantities of documents, including electronically stored information and data.

The Legal Assistant will maintain the DEQ / APRO administrative hearing docket and coordinate with the ALJs as necessary.

The Legal Assistant should have sufficient direct legal experience to be given moderate independence in planning and completing their assignments.

• The Legal Assistant will assist in case preparation including preparing for hearings and trial; locating, obtaining, tracking, and disseminating information and evidence;
• conducting factual research; compiling and organizing information obtained throughout litigation; reviewing and managing case files and be responsible for maintaining document control;

search public and private records; tracks dockets and case calendaring; draft routine legal documents; and assist in preparing and formatting electronic pleadings, motions and other documents for e-filing in state and federal courts and other forums.

The Legal Assistant should be comfortable with processing electronic documents, electronic discovery, and case management and be proficient with modern legal office technologies, including Microsoft Office, Gmail, Google Drive, Adobe Acrobat Pro, Westlaw, and case management / document management software.

The Legal Assistant will be expected to produce quality work product, occasionally under tight deadlines, and work in a team environment.

This position may be filled at any of the following levels :

• Legal Assistant I (0-3 years experience)
• Legal Assistant II (3-5 years experience)
• Legal Assistant III (5+ years experience)
• This posting will be open until filled and may close without notice.*

Example of Duties

• Writes or drafts correspondence, reports, documents and / or other written materials.
• Analyzes, summarizes and / or reviews data; reports findings, interprets results and / or makes recommendations.
• Searches, retrieves and / or researches public and private records in accordance with applicable state and federal laws governing access to these records.
• Determine needs in discovery, and / or completes discovery; participates in decision making and strategy sessions in preparing cases for court and determining evidence to be used.
• Conducts interviews to gather or clarify information.
• Maintains document control, tracking and tracing; reviews case files and / or digests trial folders, etc.
• Prepares trial or hearing materials including designing questionnaires, organizing evidence, preparing trial displays and exhibits, locating, obtaining, tracking and disseminating information / evidence, etc.
• Manages trial exhibits and evidence; ensures procedures are followed / completed; takes notes and makes observations during proceeding;

participates in planning and strategy sessions, etc.

• Plans and conducts meetings.
• Maintains an administrative hearing docket.

Qualifications

includes knowledge, skills, and abilities required upon entry into position and trainable after entry into position)

• find, gather and collect information or data
• Uniform System of Citation
• court / hearing, rules, records, procedures and protocol
• deal with people in a manner which shows sensitivity, tact, and professionalism
• rules of evidence
• establish, organize and / or maintain files
• interviewing techniques
• laws, legal codes, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, the democratic political process, and legislative history
• formats for a variety of legal documents
• legal processes and procedures
• legal terminology
• monitor or track information or data
• speak clearly, concisely and effectively; listen to, and understand, information and ideas as presented verbally
• organize information in a clear and concise manner
• plan, organize and prioritize time and workload in order to accomplish tasks and meet deadlines
• laws governing access to public and private records (Government Records Access and Management Act)
• research methods, techniques, and / or sources of information
• perform legal research using case law and appropriate techniques
• use automated software applications
• communicate information and ideas clearly, and concisely, in writing; read and understand information presented in writing
• conduct a methodical examination
• proof read, review and / or edit documents for accuracy and completeness
• evaluate information against a set of standards
• enter, transcribe, record, store, or maintain information in either written or electronic form.
• principles, theories, and practices of meeting management
• make a decision or solve a problem by using logic to identify key facts, explore alternatives, and propose quality solutions
• use logic to analyze or identify underlying principles, reasons, or facts associated with information or data to draw conclusions

Supplemental Information

Associates Degree in Paralegal Studies (program completion at accredited institution consisting of 60 semester hours or equivalent quarter hours, with 15 hours of substantive legal courses);

Bachelors Degree in related field; or NALA, NFPA or NALS certifications.

• Risks found in the typical office setting, which is adequately lighted, heated and ventilated, e.g., safe use of office equipment, avoiding trips and falls, observing fire regulations, etc.
• Typically, the employee may sit comfortably to perform the work; however, there may be some walking; standing; bending;

carrying light items; driving an automobile, etc. Special physical demands are not required to perform the work.

• Requires compliance with the ABA Legal Assistant code of ethics.
3 days ago