Civil Paralegal 1

Water Resources Office; Helena (MT); Presencial; USD 41.000 - 50.000; Jornada completa

Ventajas ofrecidas por este puesto de trabajo

Generous paid vacation

Health insurance

Paid leave & holidays

Retirement plan

E-Verify participation

Encourages minority applicants

Descripción de la vacante

The Water Resources Office seeks a Civil Paralegal 1 to support attorneys in the Civil Bureau with intake, discovery, motions, trial and appeal tasks, including extensive brief formatting and court filing.

The role requires paralegal education or equivalent credentials, plus experience or certificatio n in paralegal work; proofreading and organization skills are essential. This is a full-time, on-site position located in Helena, MT with benefits.

Formación

• Associates degree in paralegal studies or higher, or equivalent with paralegal coursework.
• Paralegal certification by a national body (NALA or NFPA) is preferred.
• Bachelor’s in any field plus 18 credits in paralegal studies program may apply.
• Minimum hours of substantive legal work under lawyer supervision required in some cases.
• Law school graduate with no disbarment or suspension meets requirements.

Responsabilidades

• Assist attorneys with all phases of litigation: intake, discovery, motions, trial, and appeal.
• Format and file extensive briefs in state and federal courts.
• Maintain paper and electronic case files and tables of authorities as needed.

Conocimientos

Law office experience

Legal research

Brief formatting

Discovery management

Court filings

Educación

Associates degree in paralegal studies

Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies

Bachelor’s degree + paralegal coursework

Paralegal certification (NALA/NFPA)

8000+ hours of legal work under supervision

Law school graduate (not disbarred)

Descripción del empleo

Job Description - Civil Paralegal 1 (26142780)

Division Overview

The State’s Attorney’s Office in the Montana Department of Justice is dedicated to ensuring justice and upholding the rule of law on behalf of the people of Montana. The office includes the Solicitor General’s Office, Criminal Prosecution and Appellate Services, Civil Services and Consumer Protection. The functions within the office include defense of Montana’s laws as passed by the Legislature, constitutional challenges, determining legal sufficiency of ballot initiatives, prosecution of criminals, handling all phases of litigation from district court proceedings through appeal, and complex litigation of antitrust matters.

Job Overview

The Civil Paralegal position with the State’s Attorney’s Office in the Civil Bureau performs a variety of paralegal functions, requiring the incumbent to work individually as well as with the attorneys, the management staff, and the Attorney General. The paralegal will assist bureau attorneys with all phases of litigation: intake, discovery, motions, trial, and appeal, including paper and electronic file keeping. This position is responsible for extensive brief formatting and filing in numerous state and federal courts.

Other duties include assisting with administrative rule review, service of process on the Attorney General, Attorney General Opinions, and administrative functions such as keeping a spreadsheet of active cases and accepting and processing legal mail. The paralegal will also work on some additional miscellaneous civil matters with the Solicitor General and General Counsel. Additionally, the paralegal will coordinate work with the bureau chief and other legal support staff and will work as needed with other legal support staff to assist other bureaus and personnel within the Attorney General’s Office.

This position is open until filled. The first review of applicants will be on 11/16/2026.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associates degree in paralegal studies from an accredited institution or
• Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university; or
• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university and completion of no less than 18 semester credits of course work offered by a qualified paralegal studies program; or
• Certification by the national association of legal assistants or the National Federation of Paralegal Associations; or
• Has received a high school diploma or its equivalent and has performed not less than 4,800 hours of substantive legal work under the supervision of a licensed lawyer documented by the certification of the lawyer or lawyers under whom the work was done and has completed at least five hours of approved continuing legal education in the area of legal ethics and professional responsibility; or
• Has graduated from an accredited law school and has not been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law by any jurisdiction.

Preferred Qualifications

• Two years working in a law office or environment.
• At least two years researching court rules and rules of procedure.
• At least two years formatting briefs, which includes generating tables of authorities.

Special Instructions

The selection procedures to be used in evaluating the applicant's qualification may include, but are not limited to, an evaluation of the résumé and cover letter, a structured interview, performance test, academic transcripts, reference/background checks and fingerprint checks.

Additional materials, references or information submitted by the applicant, but not requested, will not be considered.

Selection Criteria

• Criminal History Fingerprint / Name-based Check
• Driving History

Benefits

• Generous paid vacation, sick and holidays
• Health Insurance, Paid Leave & Holidays, Retirement Plan
• This Organization Participates in E-Verify
• Minorities are under-represented in this position and are encouraged to apply

Salary and Telework

• $30.00 - 36.00 Hourly
• Telework Eligibility: Not Telework Eligible

Employment Details

• Number of Openings: 1
• Employee Status: Regular
• Schedule: Full-Time
• Job Type: Standard
• Shift: Day Job
• Travel: Yes, 5 % of the Time
• Primary Location: Helena
• Agency: Department of Justice
• Union: 000 - None

EEO Statement

State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.

Applicant Pool and Training Assignment

Applicant Pool Statement: If another department vacancy occurs in this job title within six months, the same applicant pool may be used for the selection. Training Assignment: This agency may use a training assignment. Employees in training assignments may be paid below the base pay established by the agency pay rules. Conditions of the training assignment will be stated in writing at the time of hire.

Contact Information

Contact Name: Rylee Much | Contact Email: [e-mail] | Contact Phone: [phone] Anyone who needs to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application.