Civil Paralegal 2

State of Montana; East Helena (MT); On-site; USD 42,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

Retirement plans

Generous paid vacation, sick and HOLID

Job summary

The State’s Attorney’s Office in the Montana Department of Justice is seeking a Paralegal for the Civil Bureau to support attorneys through all stages of litigation, including intake, discovery, motions, trial, and appeal.

The role requires coordinating with management staff, handling extensive brief formatting and filing, and performing administrative tasks such as rule review and processing legal mail. Prior paralegal experience is essential.

Qualifications

• Two years of substantive work as a paralegal.
• Statute reference: 25-10-305 (2), MCA.
• E Kenntnisse in court rules and procedures preferred.
• Experience formatting briefs and generating tables of authorities preferred.

Responsibilities

• Assist bureau attorneys with all phases of litigation: intake, discovery, motions, trial, and appeal.
• Perform extensive brief formatting and filing in state and federal courts.
• Assist with administrative rule review and service of process on the Attorney General.
• Prepare Attorney General Opinions and manage administrative functions and case spreadsheets.
• Coordinate work with the bureau chief and other legal support staff; assist other bureaus as needed.

Skills

Paralegal experience

Court rules research

Brief formatting

Education

Associates degree in paralegal studies

Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies

Bachelor’s degree + 18 credits in paralegal studies

Certification by NALA or NFPA

High school diploma + 4800 hours of substantive legal work + ethics CLE

Law school graduate (not disbarred)

Job description

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 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.

Minimum Qualifications

Two years of substantive work as a paralegal plus

The following requirements listed under statute (25-10-305 (2), MCA)

• 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

• 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, a structured interview, performance test, academic transcripts, reference/background checks and fingerprint checks.

Background Checks

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

Benefits

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Retirement plans
• Generous paid vacation, sick and holidays
• Pre-tax Flexibility Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program

Your service is rewarded with competitive compensation and generous State of Montana Benefits.

State of Montana employment may qualify for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

This Organization Participates in E-Verify.

Minorities are under-represented in this position and are encouraged to apply.