Paralegal - Non-Merit

Baltimore County; Towson (MD); On-site; USD 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

Baltimore County is seeking a Paralegal to assist attorneys with litigation, administrative duties, and research in the Office of Law. The role requires meticulous preparation of pleadings, discovery, and trial materials, plus strong organizational skills and teamwork within a government office.

Responsibilities include drafting legal documents, interviewing clients, and preparing records for appeals, while ensuring compliance with licenses, certifications, and education requirements.

Qualifications

• Paralegal Certification required.
• Experience with ESI tools and knowledge of e-discovery preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills required.

Responsibilities

• Assist with preparation, filing and service of pleadings.
• Conduct client interviews and maintain contact with client.
• Draft correspondence and pleadings, such as complaints, subpoenas, interrogatories, deposition notices, pretrial orders, and legal briefs.
• Investigate factual evidence and prepare exhibits, charts and diagrams.
• Summarize deposition and trial transcripts and exhibits.
• Conduct legal research and prepare briefs and memoranda for review by an attorney.
• Obtain non-legal documents to assist the attorney.
• Prepare the record for civil appeals.
• Organize material for expert witness review.
• Assist with trial preparation including exhibits and witness binders.

Skills

Excellent written and oral comms

Teamwork & stakeholder mgmt

Legal research & document prep

Education

Paralegal Certification

Tools

ESI tools

Job description

Regular Schedule: 34 hours per week

A Non-Merit vacancy exists in the Office of Law.

Non-Merit positions are not classified within the Baltimore County Government Classification and Compensation Plan.

A list of eligible applicants will be established based on the examination as outlined below.

Current and future vacancies occurring in any Office or Department of Baltimore County General Government may be filled from the list of eligible applicants.

List all promotions and changes in job duties due to reclassification as separate work experiences on your application. Applicants must include the dates of the promotions and reclassifications.

Note: Failure to complete all fields of the \"Work Experience\" section of the application will result in your application not being considered. A resume will not be considered in determining your qualifications for a position. Applicants selected for an interview may provide a resume at that time.

Failure to submit proof of Licenses, Certifications and Education will result in your application not being considered. Proof of licenses, certifications, and/or education must be submitted with each application.

General Overview

Under general supervision of the County Attorney, Deputy County Attorney or designee(s),assistswith litigation, operational, transactional and administrative matters concerning Baltimore County government.

Essential Job Functions

• Assists with the preparation, filing and service of pleadings.


• Conducts client interviews and maintain general contact with the client


• Drafts correspondence and pleadings, such as complaints, subpoenas, interrogatories, deposition notices, pretrial orders, and legal briefs with various parties


• Investigates the factual evidence of a case and preparing exhibits, charts and diagrams to display information


• Summarizes deposition and trial transcripts and exhibits


• Conducts legal research (i.e., statutes, recorded judicial decisions, legal articles, constitutions, and County Code) and prepares legal documents such as briefs, memoranda of law, contracts, deeds, and legislation for review, approval, and use by an attorney.


• Obtains non-legal documents, as necessary, to assist the attorney.


• Prepares the record for any civil appeals that an attorney is handling.


• Determines, prepares and organizes material needed for expert witness review.


• Assists with trial preparation including the assembly of exhibits, witness binders and appendices for depositions and court filings.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Sound working knowledge of federal and state court system, legal research procedures, and legal research resources.


• Strong understanding of a variety of computer applications, including word processing, databases (such as document review and file management systems), spreadsheets, and imaging.


• Ability to consistently demonstrate and work as part of a team.


• Ability to manage complex relationships with all stakeholders.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must have Paralegal Certification. Hands-on experience or training with ESI tools and general knowledge of e-discovery procedures and resources- preferred.

• Excellent written and oral communication skills – required

Proof of Licenses, Certifications and Education

Applicants are required to submit proof of licenses, certifications and education beyond high school to meet the required and preferred qualifications of the position. Diplomas or transcripts must show the applicant’s major field of study. Copies and unofficial transcripts are acceptable.

Failure to submit proof of Licenses, Certifications and Education will result in your application not being considered. Proof of licenses, certifications, and/or education must be submitted with each application.

Proof of Degree Equivalency

Applicants who have obtained a degree from outside the United States of America are required to submit degree equivalence documentation from World Education Services, Inc. (www.WES.org)

EXAMINATION PROCEDURE

Applicants will be qualified based on an evaluation of their training and experience, as stated on their application. Applicants must state the dates and duties of past and present experience clearly and completely for evaluation purposes.

Employment Background Investigation

Applicants selected for an appointment to a position in Baltimore County must successfully complete an employment background investigation, including, but not limited to a criminal background, education, and fingerprint check.