Municipal Paralegal: Real Estate & Codes

City of Gastonia; Gastonia (NC); On-site; USD 52,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Gastonia seeks a capable paralegal to assist City attorneys with the city’s legal affairs and related administrative duties. You will work under supervision of the City Attorney and Assistant City Attorney, drafting documents and supporting litigation and code enforcement tasks.

You will manage calendars, perform title searches, and handle public records requests in a collaborative office environment. Strong NC paralegal education and municipal experience are highly valued.

Qualifications

• Graduation from a North Carolina Qualified Paralegal Studies Program, with an Associate’s degree in paralegal studies or equivalent experience.
• Moderate experience as a paralegal in municipal or local government environment preferred.
• Substantial experience in advanced level PC applications (Word, Excel, Power Point).
• Preference for experience with modern AI tools.

Responsibilities

• Drafts a variety of legal documents, including ordinances, resolutions, pleadings, notices, ads, and draft contracts.
• Prepares District Court Civil Actions to collect monies owed to City and enforces Housing, Nuisance, and Zoning Codes; assists with litigation.
• Schedules and maintains calendars; tracks deadlines, appointments, and meetings.
• Files pleadings, lis pendens, liens, ordinances, variances, and zoning documents.
• Performs real estate title searches and prepares title opinions, deeds, and closing documents; attends closings.
• Routes requests to annex City real property and prepare agenda items for Council action.
• Assists staff with questions on State statutes, ordinances, and code enforcement.
• Performs special research projects and prepares memoranda.
• Maintains real estate, title, and litigation files; handles Public Records Requests.

Skills

Legal procedures

Public records research

Municipal law

Written communication

Title research

Education

North Carolina Qualified Paralegal Studies Program

Associate degree in paralegal studies

Municipal/local government experience

Board of Paralegal Certification

Notary Public Commission (NC)

Tools

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

City of Gastonia seeks a capable paralegal to assist City attorneys with the city’s legal affairs and related administrative duties. You will work under supervision of the City Attorney and Assistant City Attorney, drafting documents and supporting litigation and code enforcement tasks.

You will manage calendars, perform title searches, and handle public records requests in a collaborative office environment. Strong NC paralegal education and municipal experience are highly valued.