State of Connecticut
Paralegal Specialist
State of Connecticut, Newington, Connecticut, us, 06111
IntroductionAre you a current Department of Transportation employee looking to advance your career within the agency? If so, read below and apply today!The State of Connecticut Department of Transportation (DOT) invites its agency employees to apply for a Paralegal Specialist position in the Legal Services Unit to assist the attorneys in the Unit in their daily job responsibilities, including activities related to the Connecticut Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), administrative law activities, litigation and claims support, and to be independently responsible for certain duties, such as state required financial disclosure forms for the agency.
WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOUAs a state employee, you would continue to have access to the following:Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!The opportunity to continue to work for a Forbes top company -
'Forbes': State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible ScheduleProfessional growth and development opportunitiesA healthy work/life balance to all employeesRemain with an award winning agency! CTDOT has been recently awarded the
Employer of the Year
award by the
Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers
(CSCE) and named the
Women’s Transportation Seminar
(WTS) CT Employer of the Year for 2024!THE ROLEThe duties of this role include the following:Monitor and adhere to statutory deadlines related to agency filings, administrative law and court requirements, etc.;Assist in the review and preparation of legal documents, such as CHRO responses, litigation discovery, and FOIA responses;Act as liaison between the agency, court system, CHRO, Office of the Attorney General and the General Public;Assist the Commissioner’s office in certain daily activities and responsibilities as may be warranted;Prepare CHRO responses for drafting by the Unit attorney;Update and maintain agency records, filing systems, policy manuals, and legal databases;Adhere to state records retention and destruction requirements;Assist with handling requests and responses to the state FOIA GovQA system, including monitoring and maintaining data;Take responsibility for compliance with the state financial disclosure forms of the agency.POSITION HIGHLIGHTSMonday - FridayFull-time (40 hours per week)First shift (approximately 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)Location: Newington, CTThis position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy.Selection PlanIn order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the agency listed above for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.To Apply:The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application.In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited.All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying.FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply.Important Information After You Apply:This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs).Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status.Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees.Connect With Us:Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)In a state agency this class is accountable for providing advanced paralegal support in a highly complex legal unit.EXAMPLES OF DUTIESPerforms highly complex paralegal duties as defined in one or both of the following areas:LEGAL OFFICE OPERATIONSInterprets complex state statutes and federal regulations governing legal records and documents;Determines and applies applicable state statute and/or regulation in preparing documentation;Interprets court rules and agency policies and regulations;Keeps abreast of the latest court rules, calendar changes and pending legislation;Monitors and adheres to court deadlines;Reviews legal documents and prepares legal documents such as briefs, writs and pleadings for court filings;Responds to relevant case information requests from courts;Performs legal research and analysis of law sources such as statutes, legal articles, legal decisions, opinions, rulings, memoranda and other legal material;Prepares draft legal documents;Provides assistance in the discovery process;Provides paralegal assistance by interpreting applicable legal provisions, regulations, precedents and policies;Responds to requests and obtains information of sensitive nature;Acts as liaison between agency, court system, relevant attorney’s offices and general public;Serves as agency liaison regarding relevant policies and procedures;Prepares legal and administrative reports;Updates and maintains case records, pleadings, policy manuals and filing systems;Assists in the drafting of proposed legislation and advisory opinions; provides training and assistance to staff;May perform business mathematical computations;Performs related duties as required.CASE PRESENTATION OR HEARINGAnalyzes highly complex cases;Develops positions and strategies to settle or litigate cases at formal or informal hearings;Prepares for and represents the state’s interest at hearings or through case presentation;Researches and gathers relevant evidence and documentation;Interviews witnesses and clients;Drafts legal documents, complaints, stipulations, detailed memoranda, letters and proposed findings and awards reviews substantiation appeals and provides recommendation to management regarding the legal sufficiency of substantiation findings;Performs related duties as required.KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITYConsiderable knowledge of
legal processes and procedures;legal terminology and legal forms;legal research techniques;
Knowledge of
relevant agency policies and procedures;and the ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation;
Considerable
interpersonal skills;oral and written communication skills;skill in fact finding techniques including interviewing clients and compiling evidence;
Considerable ability to
evaluate pertinent facts, cases and evidence and compile and assemble such legal data;compose correspondence and draft legal documents;
Ability to
understand complex laws and related reports;utilize computer software.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCEThe General Experience is defined as one of the following:A Bachelor’s degree in legal studies and one (1) year of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORAn Associate’s degree in legal studies and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORCompletion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program approved by the American Bar Association and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORCompletion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program consisting of a minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORCompletion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program from a business school approved by the State of Connecticut, Office of Higher Education and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORA Law degree from an accredited Law School.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSPrevious experience supporting attorneys working in civil litigation, FOIA, administrative law, or a governmental agencyOrganizational skillsExperience with agency (Department of Transportation) policies and proceduresComputer skills including Microsoft Excel and legal softwareConclusionAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERThe State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTAs defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.
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WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOUAs a state employee, you would continue to have access to the following:Visit our new State Employee Benefits Overview page!The opportunity to continue to work for a Forbes top company -
'Forbes': State of Connecticut Ranked One of the Best Employers of 2023 - State of CT Receives National Recognition for Offering Job Growth, Competitive Benefits, and Flexible ScheduleProfessional growth and development opportunitiesA healthy work/life balance to all employeesRemain with an award winning agency! CTDOT has been recently awarded the
Employer of the Year
award by the
Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers
(CSCE) and named the
Women’s Transportation Seminar
(WTS) CT Employer of the Year for 2024!THE ROLEThe duties of this role include the following:Monitor and adhere to statutory deadlines related to agency filings, administrative law and court requirements, etc.;Assist in the review and preparation of legal documents, such as CHRO responses, litigation discovery, and FOIA responses;Act as liaison between the agency, court system, CHRO, Office of the Attorney General and the General Public;Assist the Commissioner’s office in certain daily activities and responsibilities as may be warranted;Prepare CHRO responses for drafting by the Unit attorney;Update and maintain agency records, filing systems, policy manuals, and legal databases;Adhere to state records retention and destruction requirements;Assist with handling requests and responses to the state FOIA GovQA system, including monitoring and maintaining data;Take responsibility for compliance with the state financial disclosure forms of the agency.POSITION HIGHLIGHTSMonday - FridayFull-time (40 hours per week)First shift (approximately 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM)Location: Newington, CTThis position is eligible to apply for telework after successful completion of the working test period, and thereafter, in accordance with the Telework Policy.Selection PlanIn order to be considered for this job opening you must be a current State of CT employee of the agency listed above for at least six (6) months of full-time service or full-time equivalent service, absent any applicable collective bargaining language, and meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.To Apply:The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.Please select all location(s) and shift(s) you are willing to work on your application.In order to receive educational credits toward qualification for this job posting, the institution must be accredited.All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying.FOR ASSISTANCE IN APPLYING:Please read or watch our Applicant Tips on How to Apply.Important Information After You Apply:This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs).Read through this helpful link to prepare for your interview.Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status.Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience and training most closely meet the requirements of the position.The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.Candidates who are offered and accept a position with the State of Connecticut are bound by the State Code of Ethics for Public Officials and State Employees.Connect With Us:Due to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process.PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK)In a state agency this class is accountable for providing advanced paralegal support in a highly complex legal unit.EXAMPLES OF DUTIESPerforms highly complex paralegal duties as defined in one or both of the following areas:LEGAL OFFICE OPERATIONSInterprets complex state statutes and federal regulations governing legal records and documents;Determines and applies applicable state statute and/or regulation in preparing documentation;Interprets court rules and agency policies and regulations;Keeps abreast of the latest court rules, calendar changes and pending legislation;Monitors and adheres to court deadlines;Reviews legal documents and prepares legal documents such as briefs, writs and pleadings for court filings;Responds to relevant case information requests from courts;Performs legal research and analysis of law sources such as statutes, legal articles, legal decisions, opinions, rulings, memoranda and other legal material;Prepares draft legal documents;Provides assistance in the discovery process;Provides paralegal assistance by interpreting applicable legal provisions, regulations, precedents and policies;Responds to requests and obtains information of sensitive nature;Acts as liaison between agency, court system, relevant attorney’s offices and general public;Serves as agency liaison regarding relevant policies and procedures;Prepares legal and administrative reports;Updates and maintains case records, pleadings, policy manuals and filing systems;Assists in the drafting of proposed legislation and advisory opinions; provides training and assistance to staff;May perform business mathematical computations;Performs related duties as required.CASE PRESENTATION OR HEARINGAnalyzes highly complex cases;Develops positions and strategies to settle or litigate cases at formal or informal hearings;Prepares for and represents the state’s interest at hearings or through case presentation;Researches and gathers relevant evidence and documentation;Interviews witnesses and clients;Drafts legal documents, complaints, stipulations, detailed memoranda, letters and proposed findings and awards reviews substantiation appeals and provides recommendation to management regarding the legal sufficiency of substantiation findings;Performs related duties as required.KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITYConsiderable knowledge of
legal processes and procedures;legal terminology and legal forms;legal research techniques;
Knowledge of
relevant agency policies and procedures;and the ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation;
Considerable
interpersonal skills;oral and written communication skills;skill in fact finding techniques including interviewing clients and compiling evidence;
Considerable ability to
evaluate pertinent facts, cases and evidence and compile and assemble such legal data;compose correspondence and draft legal documents;
Ability to
understand complex laws and related reports;utilize computer software.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCEThe General Experience is defined as one of the following:A Bachelor’s degree in legal studies and one (1) year of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORAn Associate’s degree in legal studies and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORCompletion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program approved by the American Bar Association and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORCompletion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program consisting of a minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORCompletion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program from a business school approved by the State of Connecticut, Office of Higher Education and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney; ORA Law degree from an accredited Law School.PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONSPrevious experience supporting attorneys working in civil litigation, FOIA, administrative law, or a governmental agencyOrganizational skillsExperience with agency (Department of Transportation) policies and proceduresComputer skills including Microsoft Excel and legal softwareConclusionAN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYERThe State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTAs defined by Sec. 5-196 of the Connecticut General Statutes, a job class is a position or group of positions that share general characteristics and are categorized under a single title for administrative purposes.
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