Paralegal/Hearings Officer

Commonwealth of Massachusetts • Boston, MA

3d • $65,000 - $80,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) Commission is an independent agency that oversees law enforcement departments and officers throughout the Commonwealth. The Commission is charged with establishing certification standards, determining if standards are met, developing regulations and policies, decertifying or sanctioning officers for misconduct, maintaining and disseminating law enforcement information, and conducting investigations, adjudicatory proceedings, and public hearings. The Commission is governed by Chapter 6E of the Massachusetts General Laws and collaborates with the Municipal Police Training Committee. The Commission is seeking a Paralegal/Hearings Administrator for its Legal Division. This role, under the General Counsel, will focus on legal, policy, and administrative matters related to hearings and the Commission's adjudicatory process. Key duties include facilitating the process through communication, managing dockets and records, and serving as the administrative contact for proceedings.

Requirements

• A Bachelor’s degree and/or related experience as a paralegal in litigation, administrative law, regulatory matters, records disclosure or management, or another relevant field.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent judgment in handling confidential and sensitive information.
• A strong work ethic and commitment to producing work at the highest levels of quality.
• Outstanding organizational skills and attention to detail.
• The ability to take ownership of, prioritize, and complete multiple projects under time constraints and with available resources.
• Strong project and case management skills.
• An ability to work independently, efficiently, and creatively in an evolving environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills; an appreciation for teamwork and collegiality; and an ability to interact diplomatically with people at all levels within the Commission, stakeholders, outside counsel, outside vendors, and members of the public.
• A willingness to perform routine administrative and clerical duties, as needed.
• Proficiency with computers and the MS Office Suite (Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint) and willingness to learn state- and Commission-specific electronic systems.
• Working knowledge of reference and related sources available for legal research (Westlaw, Lexis/Nexis).
• An appreciation for the mission of the Commission.
• A commitment to performing ethically.
• A commitment to ongoing professional development and satisfying any internal continuing education requirement.
• An appreciation of the value of diversity, equity, and inclusion; and the importance of interacting respectfully and sensitively with people of different backgrounds.
• A commitment to adhere to the 'Residency and Work Location' requirements.

Nice To Haves

• Experience or familiarity with public sector law.
• Experience or familiarity with the Massachusetts Open Meeting Law, the Conflict-of-Interest Law, Public Records Law or Administrative Procedure Act.
• Experience with legal research, writing, or editing.
• Experience with court case management, clerk’s offices, or operations.
• Experience supporting judges or other adjudicators.
• Experience with civil or criminal litigation.
• Experience with administrative agency adjudications or informal hearings.
• Experience with legislative affairs and government relations.
• Experience with professional licensure or discipline.
• Experience with policy development.
• Experience building a new entity.
• Experience with training or compliance initiatives.
• Experience with conference or event planning.
• Experience handling confidential information in accordance with privacy or security protocols.
• Experience with virtual hearing platforms.
• Experience with digital content creation and electronic system development.
• Experience with Salesforce technology systems.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal, technical, and administrative support to the Legal Division and Hearing Officers, collaborating with other agency parts.
• Develop familiarity with key sources of law governing the Commission's work.
• Assist in preparing, reviewing, and disseminating Commission meeting materials and minutes.
• Assemble, redact, and organize large sets of documents, including creating tables of contents, indexes, and privilege logs for litigation, adjudications, and public records requests.
• Support the promulgation of regulations by organizing public hearings, managing public comments, and filing papers.
• Help organize internal training programs.
• Maintain and organize policies, protocols, and advisories adopted by the Commission and its Legal Division.
• Develop and maintain adjudicatory dockets, case management systems, and other electronic file management systems.
• Prepare and file reports, certifications, and other official documents with government offices.
• Organize remote and in-person adjudicatory proceedings, public hearings, and conferences.
• Provide technological instruction and assistance to Commission personnel.
• Manage the administrative aspect of the Commission’s adjudicatory system.
• Develop and update standard operating procedures, protocols, forms, notices, and templates.
• Coordinate with parties to proceedings regarding scheduling, filings, exhibits, technology, accommodations, and procedural questions.
• Provide administrative and legal support to presiding officers before, during, and after adjudicatory proceedings.
• Prepare administrative documents including notices, scheduling orders, witness lists, exhibit lists, and other documents associated with the adjudicatory process.
• Ensure the Commission records receipt of meetings and hearings documents, marks and identifies documents and exhibits, retains documents for the required period, and compiles them into an administrative record.
• Develop policies and guidelines to improve hearing procedures and materials for Commission meetings.
• Assist with regulatory development, legal compliance, public records, and other legal initiatives of the Commission.

Benefits

• Outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package.
• Work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level