Paralegal (Civil Recovery Section) - Salem

State of Oregon • Salem, OR

15d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Oregon Department of Justice is seeking an experienced Litigation Paralegal to join the Civil Recovery Section in Salem for a hybrid in-office/remote position. The Civil Recovery Section assists Oregon state agencies in a variety of investigative and litigation matters, including issues relating to wildfires, contract disputes, recovery of overpayments and other monies owed, wage claims, judicial foreclosures, injunctions, bankruptcies and receiverships. If selected, you will join our wildfire litigation team and provide crucial investigative and litigation support to the Civil Recovery Section, working closely with the Assistant Attorneys General to investigate, analyze, and prepare cases for pre-filing action, such as issuing demands and settlement/mediation conferences, through litigation and trial, and post-judgment tasks. You may also participate in non-wildfire litigation. Training will be in person at our Salem legal office. After training is complete this position offers a hybrid schedule which requires a minimum of 2 days in office and up to 3 days remote work. If you are a legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced environment, we would like the opportunity to consider you. If selected, we will ensure you are paid well and equitable to your peers, make work-life balance attainable, and show you the door to professional development and job satisfaction.

Requirements

• Two-year Associate degree in Paralegal or Legal Assistant Studies; OR Eighteen months of Paralegal experience; OR Any combination of training and experience that demonstrates experience in legal work, independent judgment, legal terminology principles, concepts, systems, and processes. Experience must include discovery and trial methods and procedures, legal ethics and skill in preparing legal documents, interviewing witnesses and explaining legal issues.
• Work experience is based on a 40-hour work week. (Example: 20 hours a week for one year would equal six-months of work experience.)

Nice To Haves

• Preference may be given to those with working professional experience as a paralegal and experience working with e-discovery and/or digital litigation software.
• Ability to organize and prioritize work duties and deadlines.
• Experience assisting with investigation of potential claims.
• Experience working independently as a paralegal in all aspects of a civil litigation caseload that includes a variety of matters and legal issues.
• Experience working on Oregon state court civil litigation.
• Experience drafting complaints, petitions, motions, discovery requests, subpoenas, jury instructions, trial exhibits, orders and judgments.
• Experience gathering, reviewing, analyzing, processing and organizing large volumes of documents, including working in databases such as Relativity, EDT, or Everlaw.
• Experience assisting multiple attorneys in civil litigation matters, including electronic filing in both federal and state courts, trial preparation and courtroom support.
• Experience interviewing witnesses, deposition preparation and summarizing depositions.
• Experience working with clients and third-parties, including written or oral communications.
• Experience maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive case information.
• Proficiency with Outlook, Word, Kofax, TEAMS, Excel, Power Point and billing software.
• Experience using an electronic case management system.
• Experience working collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to communicate clearly and efficiently with multiple attorneys, paralegals, legal assistants, and other staff members as needed.
• Dependability, flexibility and adaptability with change and shifting priorities.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive support to Assistant Attorneys General and state agencies in wildfire investigations and cost recovery litigation, including pre-litigation discovery, document review, and all phases of litigation.
• Assist with investigations by coordinating and preparing subpoenas and civil investigative demands, and managing document collection from state agencies, defendants, and third parties.
• Independently manage a high-volume litigation caseload involving wildfire and non-wildfire matters, including monitoring deadlines; drafting pleadings, motions, orders, judgments, and other court filings while ensuring compliance with approved pleading and practice standards; preparing trial notebooks; organizing case files; and electronically filing documents in both state and federal court.
• Review, organize, summarize, and analyze document productions from state agencies, third parties, and opposing parties, utilizing e-discovery platforms such as Relativity, EDT, or Everlaw as needed.
• Preparing documents for production; preparing responses to requests for admissions and interrogatories.
• Read and summarize deposition transcripts and documents relevant to legal and factual issues.
• Assist with deposition preparation, including identifying potential exhibits, organizing and labeling documents, assembling exhibit sets, and coordinating deposition scheduling.
• Conduct and summarize legal research and assist in applying facts to legal theory to develop case theory and strategy.
• Perform accurate data entry and retrieval within the case management and docketing systems to ensure timely and organized case tracking.
• Independently and accurately track, summarize, and record work performed on all matters using timekeeping software.

Benefits

• Permanent, full-time employment in Salem, Oregon.
• Vacation, sick leave, 11 paid holidays a year, and special days off.
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Pension and retirement programs.
• Peer and management support, and representation by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
• Opportunity to expand your professional skills.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree