Job Description
PARALEGAL SPECIALIST
Salary: $20.76 – $39.00
JOB OVERVIEW
Performs para-professional duties assisting in litigation legal issues including legal research, preparation of pleadings, legal documents and reports.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
An Associate’s Degree from an accredited college or university with a major in Paralegal or Legal Assistance; and One year of attorney-supervised experience analyzing legal issues and conducting legal research of statutes, case law and other sources, drafting legal pleadings and documents, and assisting in the preparation of cases for trial.
Or an equivalent combination of education, training and litigation experience that would reasonably be expected to provide the job-related competencies noted below.
CORE COMPETENCIES
• Customer Commitment – Proactively seeks to understand the needs of our customers and provide the highest standards of service.
• Dedication to Professionalism and Integrity – Demonstrates and promotes fair, honest, professional and ethical behaviors that establishes trust throughout the organization and with the public we serve.
• Organizational Excellence – Takes ownership for excellence through one’s personal effectiveness and dedication to the continuous improvement of our operations.
• Success through Teamwork – Collaborates and builds partnerships through trust and the open exchange of diverse ideas and perspectives to achieve organizational goals.
JOB SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES
- General litigation experience required (land use litigation experience is preferred)
- Considerable knowledge of the laws of Florida and other legislation pertaining to Hillsborough County.
• Considerable knowledge of the principles, practices and methods of legal research.
• Ability to operate a computer to access automated databases and legal reference materials.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing in order to draft legal documents and interact with the public and governmental agencies and employees.
• Ability to deal tactfully and effectively with county officials, employees, court officials and the general public.
• Ability to compile, analyze and organize data and information.
• Ability to work effectively with others.
• Ability and willingness to provide assistance in legal office administrative practices and procedures.
- Ability to apply Land Development Code requirements and prepare detailed materials for BOCC Land Use meetings.
- Ability to review, organize and analyze voluminous and detailed documents and transcripts related to zoning hearings and BOCC Land Use meetings.
REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
Note: The following duties are illustrative and not exhaustive. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position. Depending on assigned area of responsibility, incumbents in the position may perform some or all of the activities described below.
• Prepares pleadings and organizes responses to discovery requests.
- Possesses strong organizational skills and an ability to work on multiple litigation files simultaneously.
- Assists attorneys during trials.
- Performs legal research to aid attorneys in the preparation of civil cases by investigating facts of the case and by identifying appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles and other materials to determine the merits of a proposed case.
• Reviews law files to determine if cases are appropriate for mediation or arbitration.
• Prepares legal memoranda, general correspondence, reports and legal arguments; obtains affidavits; assists in drafting pleadings, trial and appellate briefs under the supervision of an attorney.
• Analyzes data and prepares tables, compilations and graphs for presentation in legal proceedings.
• Establishes and maintains a fully indexed and cross-referenced database of briefs, memoranda, and other legal materials.
• Oversees the organization and maintenance of a law library; refers attorneys and laypersons to appropriate legal research materials.
• Provides guidance to department personnel concerning the conduct of legal research; coordinates the work of non-attorney legal resource personnel; coordinates the preparation of documentary material for civil litigation cases.
• Identifies and arranges for expert witnesses for court cases.
• May serve as liaison between attorneys, mediators/arbitrators and the public responding to questions and providing information, as needed.
• Refers attorneys and laypersons to appropriate legal references.
• May also be assigned specific legal reference assistance duties within the operation of the County Law Library.
• Performs business related activities and functions regarding legal office administrative practices and procedures.
- Applies County Land Development Code and administrative procedures in the preparation of land use documents for BOCC meetings.
- Reviews and analyzes voluminous zoning hearing materials; prepares, indexes and compiles documents for BOCC Land Use meetings.
• Performs other related duties as required.