What are the responsibilities and job description for the Paralegal 1/2 (PCN 03-0335) position at State of Alaska?
JOB
What You Will Be DoingThe Commercial, Fair Business and Child Support Section of the Attorney General’s office is unique in its scope of representation. Where other sections focus on a single client agency or area of practice, CFB&CS provides legal support and advice to 17 different divisions, commissions, and public corporations within the Alaska Departments of Administration, Revenue, Education & Early Development, Natural Resources, and Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The section also represents and gives advice to 20 professional licensing boards and commissions. Diverse though its practice may be, the section’s mission is clear and focused, using the skills of its attorneys and other professionals to protect the safety and improve the lives of Alaskans.The Commercial, Fair Business and Child Support section represents a unique opportunity to serve a diverse range of clients in a variety of forums. Membership in this section provides its paralegals with the opportunity to develop diverse legal skills as they assist clients through advice, civil litigation, alternative dispute resolution, administrative litigation, regulatory law, and legislative work.The section handles matters on behalf of the Child Support Division. This requires access to specialized databases containing a wide range of protected information from the IRS system. Due to the nature of this information, this position must submit, complete and pass to a background check. Authority for this background check is expressly provided by statute in AS 39.90.200-210.Mission and CultureThe Department of Law upholds the rule of law, protects public safety, and provides high quality legal representation to executive branch agencies for the benefit of all Alaskans. The Department of Law is committed to excellence in our work. We will maintain the highest standards of ethics and professionalism to promote exceptional legal representation to the State through a valued and well-trained team of attorneys and administrative professionals dedicated to public service. Our team values integrity, success, positivity, creativity, collaboration, and empowerment. The applicant can expect to be relied on for their strengths as well as given opportunities for professional development as part of a focused team.Benefits of Joining Our TeamOur paralegals are the attorneys’ right hand, helping them from top to bottom and beginning to end over the course of their cases. Within that, we offer opportunities to learn about the legal system, engage with the court, prepare for hearings and trials, and protect resources and vulnerable populations to the benefit of all Alaskans. People who succeed and thrive in our office are those who can be reliable and present each day to work alongside their assigned attorneys to tackle their various deadlines and legal puzzles. You can expect a 37.5-hour work week; 12 paid holidays; personal leave accrual starting at 6 hours per pay period (about 21 days annually) and increasing with years of service. Our office also offers an optional hybrid telework schedule following completion of the probationary period. The general office hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm, but there is flexibility in establishing your regular hours around core business hours. The Working Environment You Can ExpectWe are offering this opportunity in either Anchorage or Juneau. Our Anchorage office is located in the Brady Building at 1031 W 4th Avenue. In the heart of downtown, you are close to cafes, lunch spots, the Coastal Trail, and parks. Employee parking is available close by. Our Juneau office is located in the Dimond Courthouse at 123 4th Street. It also is close to the cafes, eateries, good walking spots, and parks. The building offers comfort, privacy, and good lighting.The staff in both locations are bright, collaborative, friendly, and diligent.Who We Are Looking ForSelf-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic goals and displays a high level of initiative and effort. The ability to problem-solve, prioritize, and adjust to changing workplace dynamics to balance multiple projects and meet deadlines in an environment with frequent interruptions and changing priorities. Proven ability to work independently. Adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, politeness to others.Leadership: Effectively delegates tasks; tactfully acts as project manager or committee leader; oversees team deadlines/checkpoints; demonstrates considerate decision-making; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed.Legal experience: Experience in working within the civil litigation practice including working knowledge of applicable court rules or rules of civil procedureCompetency Based Minimum Qualifications InstructionsThis job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
Competency Description The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation. Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.PI01B1 – Paralegal 1Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.Equivalent to those typically gained by: Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal or legal support area and/or experience preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents such as affidavits, court reports, demand letters, discovery requests or responses, hearing transcripts, memoranda of advice/instruction/understanding, letters of agreement, motions, legal opinions, subpoenas, and/or writs.PI01B2 – Paralegal 2Successful completion of training under a formally established Paralegal 1-2 flexible staffing training plan with the State of Alaska; OR Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Adaptability: adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment. Administrative Law: Knowledge of State and federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).Equivalent to those typically gained by: Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal, paralegal, criminal justice, or similar legal support area and/or experience performing paraprofessional legal investigation, discovery, and providing support in the preparation of legal cases, reports, documents, and exhibits.Special Note (All Levels): Positions may require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire, and to be able to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and National Crime Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS). If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.Some positions are required to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney. If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.“Competencies” means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.“Paraprofessional” work is typically associated with and supportive of a professional field. It involves extensive practical knowledge gained through experience and/or specific formal or on-the-job training. Work in these occupations may involve substantial elements of the work of the professional or administrative field, but requires less than full knowledge of the field involved.“Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.“Technical” means performing tasks, methods, procedures, and computations that are covered by established precedents or guidelines and often require a high degree of skill, care, and precision.“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Workplace Alaska Application Questions & AssistanceQuestions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.For applicant password assistance, please visit the reset password page.For specific information about this position, please contact the hiring manager at the following: Kelly WestAdministrative Operations ManagerPhone: 907-269-5100Kelly.west@alaska.gov
What You Will Be DoingThe Commercial, Fair Business and Child Support Section of the Attorney General’s office is unique in its scope of representation. Where other sections focus on a single client agency or area of practice, CFB&CS provides legal support and advice to 17 different divisions, commissions, and public corporations within the Alaska Departments of Administration, Revenue, Education & Early Development, Natural Resources, and Commerce, Community, and Economic Development. The section also represents and gives advice to 20 professional licensing boards and commissions. Diverse though its practice may be, the section’s mission is clear and focused, using the skills of its attorneys and other professionals to protect the safety and improve the lives of Alaskans.The Commercial, Fair Business and Child Support section represents a unique opportunity to serve a diverse range of clients in a variety of forums. Membership in this section provides its paralegals with the opportunity to develop diverse legal skills as they assist clients through advice, civil litigation, alternative dispute resolution, administrative litigation, regulatory law, and legislative work.The section handles matters on behalf of the Child Support Division. This requires access to specialized databases containing a wide range of protected information from the IRS system. Due to the nature of this information, this position must submit, complete and pass to a background check. Authority for this background check is expressly provided by statute in AS 39.90.200-210.Mission and CultureThe Department of Law upholds the rule of law, protects public safety, and provides high quality legal representation to executive branch agencies for the benefit of all Alaskans. The Department of Law is committed to excellence in our work. We will maintain the highest standards of ethics and professionalism to promote exceptional legal representation to the State through a valued and well-trained team of attorneys and administrative professionals dedicated to public service. Our team values integrity, success, positivity, creativity, collaboration, and empowerment. The applicant can expect to be relied on for their strengths as well as given opportunities for professional development as part of a focused team.Benefits of Joining Our TeamOur paralegals are the attorneys’ right hand, helping them from top to bottom and beginning to end over the course of their cases. Within that, we offer opportunities to learn about the legal system, engage with the court, prepare for hearings and trials, and protect resources and vulnerable populations to the benefit of all Alaskans. People who succeed and thrive in our office are those who can be reliable and present each day to work alongside their assigned attorneys to tackle their various deadlines and legal puzzles. You can expect a 37.5-hour work week; 12 paid holidays; personal leave accrual starting at 6 hours per pay period (about 21 days annually) and increasing with years of service. Our office also offers an optional hybrid telework schedule following completion of the probationary period. The general office hours are 8:00am to 4:30pm, but there is flexibility in establishing your regular hours around core business hours. The Working Environment You Can ExpectWe are offering this opportunity in either Anchorage or Juneau. Our Anchorage office is located in the Brady Building at 1031 W 4th Avenue. In the heart of downtown, you are close to cafes, lunch spots, the Coastal Trail, and parks. Employee parking is available close by. Our Juneau office is located in the Dimond Courthouse at 123 4th Street. It also is close to the cafes, eateries, good walking spots, and parks. The building offers comfort, privacy, and good lighting.The staff in both locations are bright, collaborative, friendly, and diligent.Who We Are Looking ForSelf-Management: Sets well-defined and realistic goals and displays a high level of initiative and effort. The ability to problem-solve, prioritize, and adjust to changing workplace dynamics to balance multiple projects and meet deadlines in an environment with frequent interruptions and changing priorities. Proven ability to work independently. Adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment.Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, politeness to others.Leadership: Effectively delegates tasks; tactfully acts as project manager or committee leader; oversees team deadlines/checkpoints; demonstrates considerate decision-making; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed.Legal experience: Experience in working within the civil litigation practice including working knowledge of applicable court rules or rules of civil procedureCompetency Based Minimum Qualifications InstructionsThis job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
Competency Description The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation. Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.PI01B1 – Paralegal 1Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations.Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience.Equivalent to those typically gained by: Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal or legal support area and/or experience preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents such as affidavits, court reports, demand letters, discovery requests or responses, hearing transcripts, memoranda of advice/instruction/understanding, letters of agreement, motions, legal opinions, subpoenas, and/or writs.PI01B2 – Paralegal 2Successful completion of training under a formally established Paralegal 1-2 flexible staffing training plan with the State of Alaska; OR Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Adaptability: adjusts planned work by gathering relevant information and applying critical thinking to address multiple demands and competing priorities in a changing environment. Administrative Law: Knowledge of State and federal administrative laws, including procedures, regulations, guidelines, and precedents related to case preparation and settlements.Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail.Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences.Stress Tolerance: Deals calmly and effectively with high stress situations (for example, tight deadlines, hostile individuals, emergency situations, dangerous situations).Equivalent to those typically gained by: Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal, paralegal, criminal justice, or similar legal support area and/or experience performing paraprofessional legal investigation, discovery, and providing support in the preparation of legal cases, reports, documents, and exhibits.Special Note (All Levels): Positions may require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire, and to be able to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and National Crime Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS). If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.Some positions are required to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney. If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.“Competencies” means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.“Paraprofessional” work is typically associated with and supportive of a professional field. It involves extensive practical knowledge gained through experience and/or specific formal or on-the-job training. Work in these occupations may involve substantial elements of the work of the professional or administrative field, but requires less than full knowledge of the field involved.“Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.“Technical” means performing tasks, methods, procedures, and computations that are covered by established precedents or guidelines and often require a high degree of skill, care, and precision.“Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom, on-line, self-study, and on-the-job), from accredited and unaccredited sources, and long-duration (such as a post-secondary degree) and short-duration (such as a seminar) programs.“Typically gained by” means the prevalent, usual method of gaining the competencies expected for entry into the job.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION
Workplace Alaska Application Questions & AssistanceQuestions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1-800-587-0430 (toll-free) or (907) 465-4095 if you are in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to recruitment.services@alaska.gov.For applicant password assistance, please visit the reset password page.For specific information about this position, please contact the hiring manager at the following: Kelly WestAdministrative Operations ManagerPhone: 907-269-5100Kelly.west@alaska.gov
