Paralegal Specialist 1 (02-1379)

State of Alaska • Anchorage, AK

7d • Onsite

About The Position

This position focuses on providing litigation support to the Anchorage leadership team and supervises several teams of paralegals and LOAs in the Agency. Litigation support duties for this position include trial preparation, expert witness coordination, and holistic client support among others. As a supervisor, this position provides coaching, develops training and performance metrics, evaluates performance, and manages workflow and workloads. The position works with Agency leadership, administrative staff, attorneys, and support staff across the state. The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel in many types of cases and the Public Defender Agency is appointed by the Court to represent people who are unable to afford counsel on their own. Paralegals and Paralegal Specialists are an integral part of providing that representation and protecting our clients' rights. They work closely with attorneys and other Agency staff to complete conflict of interest analysis to ensure that Agency representation of individual clients is and remains conflict-free. They will make recommendations to withdraw from representation where they determine a conflict of interest exists. This position is essential to the success of the division by providing advanced legal analysis and managing the success of the team.

Requirements

• Knowledge of State and federal laws, including legal and court procedures, regulations, guidelines, precedents, admissibility of evidence, case preparation, and/or settlements for applicable areas of law practiced or supported.
• Knowledge of procedures for assessing, evaluating, and monitoring programs or projects for compliance with State and federal laws, regulations, and guidance.
• Ability to influence, motivate, and challenge others; adapt leadership styles to a variety of situations.
• Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
• Ability to understand and appropriately apply principles, procedures, requirements, regulations, and policies related to specialized expertise.
• Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal, paralegal, criminal justice, or similar legal support area and/or progressively responsible experience providing a variety of legal support in either the legal, law enforcement, legislative, or social service field; or practice in social service field with experience in either the legal, law enforcement or legislative field.
• Ability to obtain a Notary Public upon hire.
• Ability to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and National Crime Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS).
• Ability to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney.

Responsibilities

• Provide litigation support including trial preparation and expert witness coordination.
• Supervise teams of paralegals and LOAs.
• Provide coaching, develop training and performance metrics, and evaluate performance.
• Manage workflow and workloads.
• Work with Agency leadership, administrative staff, attorneys, and support staff across the state.
• Complete conflict of interest analysis and make recommendations to withdraw from representation where conflicts exist.
• Provide advanced legal analysis and manage team success.

Benefits

• Opportunity to learn about the legal system.
• Hone administrative skills for career development in the legal field.
• Meaningful contributions to Alaska.
• Work impacts people's lives and protects constitutional rights.
• Helps improve case outcomes for individuals charged with crimes.
• Helps re-unify families.
• Provides the foundation for successful re-entry into communities.
• Skills and experience gained can transition to investigative and administrative management positions.
• Formal and on-the-job training with supervisor and colleagues during the first 12 months (probationary training period).

What This Job Offers

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