Paralegal I

DAT Charter Unit • Baltimore City, MD

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation (SDAT) is seeking a highly organized and customer-focused Paralegal to support the Legal Review and Ground Rent units. The primary purpose of this position is to ensure the timely, accurate, and courteous processing of business charter and ground rent filings. The incumbent performs a variety of paralegal and administrative duties, including reviewing routine business charter and ground rent filings for compliance with applicable Maryland statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures; processing transactions; conducting legal and administrative research; preparing correspondence; and responding to inquiries from businesses, attorneys, property owners, title companies, registered agents, and members of the public.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
• Two years of experience as a legal assistant or legal secretary performing legal research or preparing legal documents on behalf of an attorney.
• Operation of a motor vehicle may be required; possession of a motor vehicle operator’s license valid in the State of Maryland is necessary for assigned duties.

Nice To Haves

• One year of professional experience conducting legal research, title searches, or processing filings specifically related to Maryland real estate, property records, deeds, or Maryland Ground Rent laws and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience performing high-volume administrative or legal document intake and auditing filings for strict regulatory compliance or legal sufficiency under tight daily accuracy standards.
• Experience explaining complex regulatory requirements, filing procedures, or statutory mandates to both the general public and legal professionals (such as attorneys or paralegals) in a high-volume customer service, court, or government agency environment.
• Experience serving as an administrative liaison or project coordinator between legal staff (attorneys and paralegals) and clerical or processing staff to streamline organizational workflow.
• Direct professional experience utilizing state government databases or proprietary filing tracking systems (such as the Maryland Business Express System or equivalent).

Responsibilities

• Review routine business charter and ground rent filings for compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Determine whether submitted documents meet filing requirements.
• Identify deficiencies and prepare appropriate notices or correspondence.
• Escalate filings requiring advanced legal analysis or statutory interpretation.
• Maintain confidentiality and accuracy throughout the review process.
• Timely process approved filings using SDAT systems.
• Maintain electronic records and update databases.
• Verify fees, supporting documentation, and required information.
• Complete assigned work in priority order.
• Assist with backlog reduction and workload balancing.
• Serve as the primary customer service contact for the public.
• Respond to inquiries from customers, businesses, attorneys, title companies, and other members of the public.
• Explain filing requirements and procedures.
• Draft correspondence regarding filing deficiencies.
• Provide professional service through telephone, email, written correspondence, and in-person interactions.
• Conduct research using statutes, regulations, agency policies, databases, and filing history.
• Assist with special projects.
• Maintain records and documentation.
• Support implementation of procedural improvements.
• Work cooperatively with Ground Rent and Charter Review staff.
• Share knowledge and assist coworkers.
• Maintain regular attendance.
• Protect confidential information.
• Complete required training.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• 10 to 25 days of annual (vacation) leave per year (depending on seniority)
• 15 days of sick leave
• 6 personal days
• 11 paid state holidays
• Paid family and medical leave to care for a child within six months of birth or adoption
• Affordable medical, prescription, dental, and vision plans for you and your dependents
• State's defined benefit pension plan (vested after 10 years)
• Optional supplemental retirement savings plans
• Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) for healthcare and dependent daycare costs
• Flexible work schedules
• Teleworking opportunities
• Eligibility for Federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program
• Eligibility for Maryland Student Loan Debt Relief Tax Credit

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: High school or GED