Paralegal 3 PCN 021417

State of Alaska • Anchorage, AK

3d • Onsite

About The Position

This position provides paralegal support to attorneys in the Agency’s Civil section of the Anchorage office and supervises the support staff two paralegals and one law office assistant. Our attorneys in this section represent individuals in all phases of litigation in child in need of aid and commitment cases; this section also handles other case types with significant mental health issues. This position is responsible for assisting attorneys in organizing and managing cases, providing direct client assistance, and utilizing the internal case management system to draft letters and pleadings among other duties. 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 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

• Competency in Law: 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.
• Competency in Leadership: Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
• Competency in Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: 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.
• Competency in Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
• Competency in Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
• 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 paraprofessional legal support in either the legal, law enforcement, or social service 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).
• Full disclosure of ALL past criminal convictions (both misdemeanor and felony including suspended impositions of sentence) at the time of application is required.

Responsibilities

• Supervises the support staff (two paralegals and one law office assistant).
• Assists attorneys in organizing and managing cases.
• Provides direct client assistance.
• Utilizes the internal case management system to draft letters and pleadings.
• Completes conflict of interest analysis.
• Makes recommendations to withdraw from representation where a conflict of interest exists.

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 the constitutional rights of all Alaskans.
• 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