Paralegal 1/2

Job Description

This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our

residency definition

to determine if you qualify.

This position will be filled at either the Paralegal 1 or Paralegal 2 level, depending on the selected applicant's qualifications and job experience.

What You Will Be Doing

This position works in the Public Defender Agency’s Bethel office and is responsible for providing litigation assistance to attorneys representing clients in criminal, civil, child in need of aid, and commitment cases. This position is also 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

Our Organization, Mission, and Culture

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. Paralegals work closely with attorneys and other Agency to acquire complete records and transcripts, provide high-level assistance on litigation preparation, and communicate with clients frequently in writing and over the phone. This position is essential to the success of this section by providing advanced administrative and legal support.

The Benefits of Joining Our Team

Support staff at the Public Defender Agency have the opportunity to learn about the legal system and hone their administrative skills to further their career development in the legal field. Most importantly, they get to do this while working as a team to provide meaningful contributions to Alaska, as the work we do impacts people’s lives and protects the constitutional rights of all Alaskans. This important work helps improve case outcomes for individuals charged with crimes, helps re-unify families, and provides the foundation for successful re-entry into communities. Many paralegals use the skills and experience they gain to transition to investigative and administrative management positions within the Agency, the State of Alaska, or the private sector.

Your first 12 months in the Agency are probationary and considered a training period, with formal and on-the-job training with your supervisor and your colleagues.

The Working Environment You Can Expect

The office is located in Bethel, Alaska. The hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM with an hour lunch at noon. The position interacts and works closely with attorneys, investigators, paralegals, and law office assistants in the Bethel office and communicates regularly with co-workers across the state, clients of the Agency, and court system staff.

Minimum Qualifications

Paralegal 1 Minimum Qualifications (Range: 14)

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

Attention to Detail:

Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

Interpersonal Skills:

Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Reading:

Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.

Written Communication:

Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal or legal support area and/or experience preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents such as affidavits, court reports, demand letters, discovery requests or responses, hearing transcripts, memoranda of advice/instruction/understanding, letters of agreement, motions, legal opinions, subpoenas, and/or writs.

Special Note (All Levels):

Positions may require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire, and to be able 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). If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

Some positions are required to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney. If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

“Competencies” means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.

“Paraprofessional” work is typically associated with and supportive of a professional field. It involves extensive practical knowledge gained through experience and/or specific formal or on-the-job training. Work in these occupations may involve substantial elements of the work of the professional or administrative field, but requires less than full knowledge of the field involved.

“Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.

“Technical” means performing tasks, methods, procedures, and computations that are covered by established precedents or guidelines and often require a high degree of skill, care, and precision.

“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.

“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.

Paralegal 2 Minimum Qualifications (Range: 16)

Successful completion of training under a formally established Paralegal 1-2 flexible staffing training plan with the State of Alaska;

OR

Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:

Adaptability:

adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.

Administrative Law:

Knowledge of State and federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.

Attention to Detail:

Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.

Interpersonal Skills:

Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.

Stress Tolerance:

Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).

Equivalent to those typically gained by:

Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal, paralegal, criminal justice, or similar legal support area and/or experience performing paraprofessional legal investigation, discovery, and providing support in the preparation of legal cases, reports, documents, and