Paralegal

Hennepin County•Downtown Minneapolis, MN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office (CAO) is seeking a Paralegal to join their Child Protection Legal Writing Unit and to create a list for future vacancies across the department. Legal Writer Paralegals are responsible for preparing Emergency and Permanency Petitions for children who are in need of protection services. As a Paralegal with the CAO, you will be a key player in supporting certain responsibilities of the chief prosecutor for Hennepin County. Other paralegals assist in representing the county government in civil lawsuits, child support matters, and child protection actions. Position may also assist in providing legal counsel to the Board of Commissioners and all county departments. Your day-to-day tasks may include supporting these missions by performing client and witness interviews, researching cases, or appearing at trials taking notes of testimony. Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit the employee referral page. Find us here at upcoming career fairs!

Requirements

Associate's degree or higher in paralegal studies, certification from an accredited legal assistant program, and two years or more of experience performing legal work.
Related education and/or experience to total four years or more.

Nice To Haves

Experience working as a paralegal.
Experience in legal document drafting and summarizing, including the ability to identify essential information and rewrite it clearly and concisely while preserving the intended meaning.
Experience preparing files/cases/assignments.
Experience working in a public law office.
Experience working with police reports, medical records, substance use records, or comparable documentation, including collecting, organizing, and summarizing information.
Experience working directly with witnesses, social services and care providers.
Effective interpersonal and organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.
Skill using Microsoft Office products, including Access, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
Skill using case management systems including Minnesota Government Access (MGA) and Westlaw with the ability to conduct electronic research.
Ability to work under pressure during periods of high-volume activity.
Ability to provide prompt, polite, and respectful customer service to all persons requesting service.
Ability to communicate verbally and in writing in an organized, concise, and accurate manner.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and effectively in a team environment.
Ability to problem solve and think critically.

Responsibilities

Prepare, review edit, file and/or serve legal documents, including emergency or permanency petitions, letters, motions, affidavits, court orders, subpoenas, and other legal documents.
Organize, index, assemble and/or summarize files, facts, records, pleadings, exhibits and other relevant documents for case preparation; prepare legal documents and other case materials.
Identify, collect, review and evaluate information to assist attorneys in the determination of appropriateness of legal action, development of legal issues and preparation of cases.
Prepare, file and/or serve legal documents, including letters, motions, affidavits, court orders, subpoenas, stipulation and discovery requests, depositions, interview summaries, and trial notebooks.
Summarize, organize, and assemble facts, records, pleadings, exhibits and other relevant documents for case preparation.
Conduct research for attorneys on current cases and issues of concern.
Gather information from clients and witnesses through interviews and from documents.
Monitor case files to ensure compliance with appropriate rules and procedures.
Appear at trial or other court proceedings to assist attorney with referencing and accessing pertinent documents, taking notes of testimony, witness assistance, exhibit coordination, etc.