Paralegal

Salary: $42,276 - $59,332

Position Grade: 13G

Department: City Counselor’s Office

Job Type: Full-Time (Permanent)

Examination Number: EX1295

Location: Downtown - St. Louis, MO

Incumbents in this position are responsible for providing legal support and assistance to attorneys, including legal research and trial preparation work in addition to preparation of legal documents.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

• Reviews, evaluates, researches, prepares, and analyzes legal documents and various records in connection with civil litigation.

• Researches, gathers, reviews, analyzes, copies, categorizes, logs, indexes, summarizes, redacts, and organizes records, information, and other materials collected for and during investigations and discovery.

• Identifies issues and possible grounds for objections or protective orders related to discovery.

• Conveys information and updates to attorneys, witnesses, and relevant personnel. Drafts summaries and timelines of the case and evidence.

• Prepares records and information for use as exhibits and trial presentation.

• Assists with the administration of litigation holds, preservation requests, certified document and business record affidavit requests and record retention and management processes and systems.

• Coordinates and calendar schedules (meetings, hearings, depositions, deadlines, mediation, trials, etc.) for Law Department and Police Division Personnel.

• Organizes and manages files and internal databases. Keeps records up to date, close files, and ensure proper record retention.

• Exercises good judgment and soft customer service skills in interactions with citizens and others.

• Serves as backup to Legal Secretary.

• Summarizes pleadings, depositions, and medical records. Prepares responsive pleadings and subpoenas.

• Prepares motions to compel, dismiss, etc.

• Files pleadings and notices of removal.

• Interviews and prepares witnesses for depositions and assists in taking depositions.

• Types letters and memos.

• Reviews and files all medical records.

• Copies documents for attorneys and mailing.

• Distributes legal updates.

• Takes citizen complaints for legal investigation.

• Other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Data Utilization: Requires the ability to perform mid-level data analysis including the ability to audit, deduce, assess, conclude and appraise. Requires discretion in determining and referencing such to established criteria to define consequences and develop alternatives.

• Human Interaction: Requires the ability to provide guidance, assistance and/or interpretation to others, such as coworkers, lawyers, secretaries, interns, doctors, and the public, on how to apply policies, procedures and standards to specific situations.

• Equipment, Machinery, Tools and Materials Use: Requires the ability to operate, maneuver and/or provide simple but continuous adjustment on equipment, machinery and tools such as a computer, typewriter, dictaphone, copy and fax machines, and binding machine, and/or materials used in performing essential functions.

• Verbal Aptitude: Requires the ability to utilize a variety of advisory data and information such as medical and law books, medical records and laboratory reports, statutes, procedures, guidelines and non-routine correspondence.

• Mathematical Aptitude: Requires the ability to perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division; calculate decimals and percentages.

• Functional Reasoning: Requires the ability to apply principles of rational systems. Ability to interpret instructions furnished in written, oral, diagrammatic or schedule form. Ability to exercise independent judgment to adopt or modify methods and standards to meet variations in assigned objectives.

• Situational Reasoning: Requires the ability to exercise the judgment, decisiveness and creativity required in situations involving the evaluation of information against sensory, judgmental and/or subjective criteria, as opposed to criteria that are clearly measurable or verifiable.

• Environmental Factors: Work is normally performed in an office environment under generally safe and comfortable conditions where exposure to irate individuals poses a very limited risk of injury.

• Physical Requirements: Tasks involve the ability to exert moderate physical in sedentary to light work, but which may involve some lifting and carrying of moderately light objects and materials, up to twenty pounds. Tasks involve the ability to stoop, kneel, bend, and climb in order to perform research duties in the law library.

• Sensory Requirements: Requires the ability to recognize and identify individual characteristics of colors, shapes, and sounds, associated with job-related objects, materials and tasks.
  

A Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies or a directly related field; OR an Associate’s degree in Legal Studies, Paralegal Studies or a directly related field; plus two years of experience working in a legal environment performing research, reviewing contracts and legal documents, and investigating legal issues. OR an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.

Preference: Paralegal Certification.

Scoring Components and Their Weights
Experience and Training: 100%
May be Subject to:
Background Investigation: Pass/Fail
Medical Examination: Pass/Fail

Documentation of Academic Credentials must be Submitted Upon Request

When completing the Employment History and the Educational/Training History sections of the Employment Application, please be as thorough as possible when describing your education, training and experience relating to this position. Applicants will only receive credit for their experience, training and education as shown on the application. Resumes will not be accepted as a substitute to a fully completed application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Veterans Preference Points

To be eligible for veteran's preference points, the applicant must submit a copy of their DD 214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty with the Employment Application or upon request. The Director of Personnel may, in their discretion, accept alternate documentation.

City Residence Preference Points

City residents who pass an examination for a position in the classified service and do not receive any other preference will receive a five (5) point preference on a scale of 100 points on the exam. An additional one (1) point shall be added to the passing score of City residents who receive any other preference on a scale of 100 points. City residents must have resided in the City for at least one (1) year at the time of filing their application to be eligible for the preference points.

Accommodations

If assistance with the job application is necessary based on a physical impairment, mental impairment, or otherwise, they should reach out to the Office on the Disabled with contact information. This office will not disclose any information that an applicant or employee has a disability or has discussed possible accommodations without the applicant's or employee's prior consent.