Paralegal

City of Gastonia•Gastonia, NC

33d•Onsite

About The Position

Performs responsible professional work in assisting the City’s attorneys with handling the legal affairs of the City; performs related administrative work as required. Work is performed under the general supervision of the City Attorney and Assistant City Attorney.

Requirements

Thorough knowledge of legal practices and procedures, including judicial and quasi-judicial proceedings
Ability to perform all aspects of public records research to analyze, interpret and apply research performed and to formulate recommendations as required
Working knowledge of municipal law and City organization, functions and procedures
Comprehensive knowledge of legal terminology
Ability to interpret and apply federal, state and local laws, ordinances and regulations
Ability to organize and perform tasks independently
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with City staff, the public and other members of the legal community
Ability to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing
Comprehensive knowledge of North Carolina real estate law
Ability to perform and organize work independently
Ability to independently conduct title research and prepare summaries based thereon
Ability to prepare effective correspondence on routine matters and to perform routine office management details without referral to supervisor
Graduation from a North Carolina Qualified Paralegal Studies Program by the North Carolina State Bar, with an Associate’s degree in paralegal studies or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience
Substantial experience in advanced level PC applications (Word, Excel, Power Point)
Valid driver’s license
Possession of Commission as a Notary Public in the State of North Carolina within 6 months
Board of Paralegal Certification
Drug screening and criminal background checks required

Nice To Haves

Moderate experience as a paralegal, municipal or local government environment preferred
Preference for experience with modern AI tools as well

Responsibilities

Drafts a variety of legal documents, including ordinances, resolutions, pleadings, legal notices, advertisements, and draft contracts
Prepares District Court Civil Actions to collect monies owed to City, to enforce Housing Code, Nuisance Code, and Zoning Code as directed, to conduct condemnation proceedings, and provides litigation assistance as needed
Performs scheduling and maintains calendars, monitors and provides notification of deadlines, appointments and meetings
Files or records pleadings, lis pendens, liens, ordinances, variances, and conditional zoning documents as required
Performs real estate title searches and prepares title opinions, deeds, easements, closing documents and attends closings as supervised by City Attorney or Assistant City Attorney
Routes requests to annex City real property and to un-dedicate streets, alleys and easements and then prepares appropriate agenda item for Council action, if any
Assists City staff with questions regarding State statutes, City ordinances, city policies and code enforcement procedures
Performs special research projects and prepares corresponding memoranda as required
Assists the City Clerk and Deputy City Clerks as needed with receiving telephone calls and personal callers for the Executive Administration
Maintains real estate files, title files, litigation files, and other records as instructed by attorney staff
Processes Public Records Requests as needed
Performs related tasks as required