State of Connecticut

The State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), has an exciting opportunity for a Paralegal Specialist in the Office of Legal Counsel, Environmental Conservation.. A Transactional and Regulatory Affairs (TMRA) unit within the legal office supports all three branches of DEEP, as well as the Bureau of Central Services and programs within the Commissioner's Office such as the Office of Equity and Environmental Justice and the Office of Climate Planning.. DEEP’s Office of Legal Counsel is currently recruiting for a full time Paralegal Specialist to support the Commissioner and her legal team, and more specifically, to serve the Environmental Conservation branch.. Within the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation are three divisions: State Parks; Boating; and the Environmental Conservation Police.. Within the Bureau of Natural Resources are also three divisions: Forestry; Fisheries; and Wildlife.

paralegal specialist

Are you an experienced paralegal looking to grow your career? If so, read below and apply today! The State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), has an exciting opportunity for a Paralegal Specialist in the Office of Legal Counsel, Environmental Conservation. What we can offer you We take part in a competitive benefits plan which includes: Generous paid time off (vacation, sick and personal) Excellent health and dental coverage Retirement plans and more! In addition, the State puts an emphasis on: Providing limitless opportunities; Hiring for diversity and fresh perspectives; Performing meaningful work; and Encouraging a healthy work life balance. Position highlights DEEP's Office of Legal Counsel advises the Commissioner, and the Department as a whole, on a wide variety of legal issues faced by the three branches of the agency: Environmental Quality (EQ), Environmental Conservation (EC) and Energy and Technology Policy (Energy). A Transactional and Regulatory Affairs (TMRA) unit within the legal office supports all three branches of DEEP, as well as the Bureau of Central Services and programs within the Commissioner's Office such as the Office of Equity and Environmental Justice and the Office of Climate Planning. DEEP’s Office of Legal Counsel is currently recruiting for a full time Paralegal Specialist to support the Commissioner and her legal team, and more specifically, to serve the Environmental Conservation branch. In addition, this recruitment may be utilized to hire additional paralegals to include other branches of the agency or the TMRA unit. Duties may include, but are not limited to: Supporting contract, grant, or regulation drafting, review, processing and implementation work; Assisting in the interpretation of statutes and regulations through legal research and analysis; Drafting, reviewing and implementing agency policies and procedures; Responding to and processing Freedom of Information requests, including but not limited to those directed to the Environmental Conservation Police Division, which may include review, redaction and transmittal of body or dashboard camera footage; Preparing, reviewing, and filing legal documents, to include filings made in administrative or court proceedings; Drafting, reviewing and posting notices of administrative proceedings or public meetings; Updating and maintaining filing systems; Administering and enabling participation in remote and in-person proceedings; Consulting with the Office of the Attorney General on litigation matters; Managing legal case timelines, case records, and reports; Proofreading and editing legal documents, including but not limited to, administrative pleadings, testimony, interrogatories and document production responses, and briefs; Assisting with the discovery process and subpoena responses; Acting as a liaison between the DEEP attorneys, administrative tribunals, courts, external legal offices and the general public; and Assisting in other administrative duties as needed. This is a full-time position, Monday- Friday, 8AM-5PM. Please note that the successful candidate serving the Environmental Conservation branch will be required to undergo and pass a background check in order to support the work of the Environmental Conservation Police Division. About us The Environmental Conservation (EC) branch is comprised of the Bureaus of Outdoor Recreation and Natural Resources. Within the Bureau of Outdoor Recreation are three divisions: State Parks; Boating; and the Environmental Conservation Police. Within the Bureau of Natural Resources are also three divisions: Forestry; Fisheries; and Wildlife. The public enjoys a variety of recreational activities on lands managed by EC branch personnel. These EC branch programs also support the preservation and conservation of the state’s diverse natural resources. The work of the EC branch and the legal team is interesting and meaningful, and mission driven individuals are encouraged to apply and support this important work. DEEP is the state agency dedicated to conserving, improving and protecting our natural resources and the environment, and increasing the availability of cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy. Selection Plan Before you apply: In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application. The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. Ensure that your application is complete and detailed before submitting it. In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process. You will not be able to make revisions once your application is submitted into the JobAps system. All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception. Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov. Important information for after you apply: This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the questionnaire's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. Note: At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include: a cover letter, resume, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. Technical support questions about this position should be directed to Mackenzie Robinson at mackenzie.robinson@ct.gov. PURPOSE OF JOB CLASS (NATURE OF WORK) In a state agency, this class is accountable for providing advanced paralegal support in a highly complex legal unit. This class provides advanced technical leadership, research and consultation in the areas of preparing draft legal documents and draft decisions of highly complex cases; as a resource regarding issues, procedures, process and timeframe as related to cases and presenting legal matters as needed. EXAMPLES OF DUTIES Performs highly complex paralegal duties as defined in one or both of the following areas: LEGAL OFFICE OPERATIONS: Interprets complex state statutes and federal regulations governing legal records and documents; determines and applies applicable state statute and/or regulation in preparing documentation; interprets court rules and agency policies and regulations; keeps abreast of the latest court rules, calendar changes and pending legislation; monitors and adheres to court deadlines; reviews legal documents and prepares legal documents such as briefs, writs and pleadings for court filings; responds to relevant case information requests from courts; performs legal research and analysis of law sources such as statutes, legal articles, legal decisions, opinions, rulings, memoranda and other legal material; prepares draft legal documents; provides assistance in the discovery process; provides paralegal assistance by interpreting applicable legal provisions, regulations, precedents and policies; responds to requests and obtains information of sensitive nature; acts as liaison between agency, court system, relevant attorney’s offices and general public; serves as agency liaison regarding relevant policies and procedures; prepares legal and administrative reports; updates and maintains case records, pleadings, policy manuals and filing systems; assists in the drafting of proposed legislation and advisory opinions; provides training and assistance to staff; may perform business mathematical computations; performs related duties as required. CASE PRESENTATION OR HEARING: Analyzes highly complex cases; develops positions and strategies to settle or litigate cases at formal or informal hearings; prepares for and represents State’s interest at hearings or through case presentation; researches and gathers relevant evidence and documentation; interviews witnesses and clients; drafts legal documents, complaints, stipulations, detailed memoranda, letters and proposed findings and awards reviews substantiation appeals and provides recommendation to management regarding the legal sufficiency of substantiation findings; performs related duties as required. KNOWLEDGE, SKILL AND ABILITY Considerable knowledge of legal processes and procedures; considerable knowledge of legal terminology and legal forms; considerable knowledge of legal research techniques; knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; knowledge of and the ability to interpret and apply relevant state and federal laws, statutes, regulations and legislation; considerable skill in fact finding techniques including interviewing clients and compiling evidence; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; considerable ability to evaluate pertinent facts, cases and evidence and compile and assemble such legal data; considerable ability to compose correspondence and draft legal documents; ability to understand complex laws and related reports; ability to utilize computer software. MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS - GENERAL EXPERIENCE The General Experience is defined as one of the following: 1. A Bachelor’s degree in legal studies and one (1) year of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney. 2. An Associate’s degree in legal studies and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney. 3. Completion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program approved by the American Bar Association and three (3) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney. 4. Completion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program consisting of a minimum of twenty-four (24) semester hours from an accredited college or university and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney. 5. Completion of a Paralegal or Legal Assistance Certificate Program from a business school approved by the State of Connecticut, Office of Higher Education and four (4) years of experience providing paraprofessional legal assistance to an attorney. 6. A Law degree from an accredited Law School. PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS Experience working as a paralegal for two or more attorneys in a governmental agency, law firm, or corporation. Experience with Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams, ZOOM or SharePoint. Experience developing standardized procedures to streamline data organization. Experience working with confidential information, contracts, grants or regulations. Experience compiling, reviewing, organizing and producing records for litigation, administrative proceedings or Freedom of Information Act matters. Experience producing written communication based on data without typographical and grammatical errors. Experience communicating with two or more stakeholders and coordinating stakeholder engagement.

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