What are the responsibilities and job description for the Paralegal 3 position at State of Alaska?
This job class uses competency-based minimum qualifications (MQs). Please read the competency-based MQ instructions below to learn more.
The Department of Administration, Alaska Public Offices Commission is recruiting for a Paralegal 3 in Anchorage!
This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.
What You Will Be Doing:
First and foremost, you will be learning the statutes and regulations that apply to election campaign activity in the state of Alaska.
Next, you will be applying what you learned to specific fact situations to reach conclusions and make recommendations concerning candidate and group compliance with Alaska's campaign disclosure laws and regulations.
Finally, you will be assisting candidates and groups in their efforts to be compliant with Alaska's campaign disclosure laws and regulations.
Daily work will include tracking reports and expectations, issuing courtesy notices for upcoming deadlines, issuing civil penalty assessments for late filings, assisting filers with completing forms, preparing written staff recommendations, and providing oral and written guidance related to requirements.
Our Mission, Values, and Culture:
Our mission is to provide the public with transparency in elections. Our office ensures that candidates and groups participating in state and local elections report their contributors and expenditures in a timely fashion according to the timelines set forth in Alaska's campaign disclosure statutes and regulations. We also ensure that candidates and groups follow all of the rules and limitations contained in those statutes and regulations. It is an exciting and fast-paced job, many of the activities in our office are relevant to current affairs, and for the right person, ultimately very rewarding.
Benefits of Joining Our Team:
The Working Environment You Can Expect:
Who We Are Looking For:
We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position-specific competencies:
Computer Skills: Uses computers, software applications, databases, and automated systems to accomplish work.
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.
Learning: Uses efficient learning techniques to acquire and apply new knowledge and skills; uses training, feedback, or other opportunities for self-learning and development.
Oral Communication: Expresses information (for example, ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively, taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example, technical, sensitive, controversial); makes clear and convincing oral presentations; listens to others, attends to nonverbal cues, and responds appropriately. 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.
- Writing: Recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information (for example, facts, ideas, or messages) in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.
Special Notice:
- A valid driver's license is helpful, but not required.
- Paralegal or legal training and education is preferred, but a paralegal certificate or license to practice law are not required.
If this sounds like your skill set or one you would like to develop, please submit an application through Workplace Alaska.
To view the general description and example of duties for the position, please go to the following link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/Alaska/classspecs
Minimum Qualifications
Competency Description
Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class.
Minimum Qualifications:
Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in:
Law: Knowledge of State and federal laws, including legal and court procedures, regulations, guidelines, precedents, admissibility of evidence, case preparation, and/or settlements for applicable areas of law practiced or supported.- Leadership: Influences, motivates, and challenges others; adapts leadership styles to a variety of situations.
- Legal, Government, and Jurisprudence: Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, legal practices and documents, Government regulations, Executive orders, agency rules, Government organization and functions, and the democratic political process.
- Reasoning: Identifies rules, principles, or relationships that explain facts, data, or other information; analyzes information and makes correct inferences or draws accurate conclusions.
- Technical Competence: Uses knowledge that is acquired through formal training or extensive on-the-job experience to perform one's job; works with, understands, and evaluates technical information related to the job; advises others on technical issues.
Equivalent to those typically gained by:
Special Note (All Levels):
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.
Additional Required Information
At the time of the interview, please ensure that you provide the following materials:
Three (3) professional references who have had supervisory responsibility over you along with their daytime contact phone numbers.
Copies of your three (3) most recent evaluations or letters of recommendation.
Please read the below information carefully. This applies to your application submission.
SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS
For your application to be evaluated, you must answer the Supplemental Questions. Be specific in your answers and tell us how you acquired the relevant experience. Please use complete sentences and proof-read your submissions when answering the supplemental questions. Your responses will be considered a writing sample and will be used to determine which applicants will advance to the interview phase of the recruitment process.
EDUCATION
To verify education is being used to meet and/or support the required minimum qualifications/competencies, you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree, please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials used to meet or support the minimum qualifications/competencies for a position and are required with each application. (Unofficial is okay; please ensure the institution/URL name is listed on the transcripts). Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or provided at the time of interview; if not, transcripts will be required before employment.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements, if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value, or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.
THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY
This recruitment is open to Alaska Residents only. Applicants must meet Alaska Residency Requirements in order to be considered for employment at this time.
WORK EXPERIENCE
Applications will be reviewed to determine if minimum qualifications are met. Therefore, all work experiences the applicant is using to meet minimum qualifications for this position must be documented in the application package. Please include the employer’s name, your job title, dates of employment, and whether the employment was full or part-time. Applicants who submit packages that do not provide sufficient information to demonstrate minimum qualifications are met may not advance in the selection process.
NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting "see resume or CV" or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.
MULTIPLE VACANCIES
This recruitment may be used for more than one (1) vacancy. The applicant pool acquired during this recruitment may be used for future vacancies for up to ninety (90) days after this recruitment closes. Interested applicants are encouraged to apply to each recruitment notice to ensure consideration for all vacancies.
EEO STATEMENT
The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities, who require accommodation, auxiliary aides or services, or alternative communication formats, please call 1-800-587-0430 or (907) 465-4095 in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1-800-770-8973 or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P.O. Box 110201, Juneau, AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.
NOTICE
If you choose to be contacted by email, please ensure your email address is correct on your application and that the spam filter will permit email from the ‘govermentjobs.com’ domains. For information on allowing emails from the ‘governmentjobs.com’ domains, visit the Lost Password Help page located at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword.
WORKPLACE ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE
Questions 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 located in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to: recruitment.services@alaska.gov. For applicant password assistance, please visit: https://www.governmentjobs.com/OnlineApplication/User/ResetPassword
Please be sure to check your junk folder for any messages that may be sent to you about this recruitment.
Contact Information
Michael Sargent, Paralegal Specialist 1
Phone: 907-269-4843
mike.sargent@alaska.gov
The following information describes typical benefits available to employees of the State of Alaska. Actual benefits received may differ by bargaining unit or branch of government, position type, or be prorated for other than full time work.
For a quick breakdown of the insurance, health, and retirement benefits available for State Employees you can view an orientation video from Division of Retirement and Benefits. (Please note this video is specifically designed for new State Employees.)
Insurance Benefits
- Health insurance, which includes employer contributions toward medical/vision/dental
- The following employee groups are under AlaskaCare Benefits administered by the State: See https://drb.alaska.gov/help/plans.html for additional information.
- AVTEC
- Confidential
- Correctional Officers
- Marine Engineers
- Mt. Edgecumbe Teachers
- Supervisory
- Unlicensed Vessel Personnel/Inland Boatman's Union
- Exempt employees (not covered by collective bargaining)
- The following employee groups are covered by Union health trusts. Contact the appropriate Union for additional information.
- General Government
- Labor, Trades and Crafts
- Public Safety Employees Association
- Masters, Mates & Pilots
- The following employee groups are under AlaskaCare Benefits administered by the State: See https://drb.alaska.gov/help/plans.html for additional information.
- Employer paid Basic Life insurance with additional coverage available (amount depends on Bargaining Unit)
- Group-based insurance premiums for
- Term life (employee, spouse or qualified same sex partner, and dependents)
- Long-term and short-term disability
- Accidental Death and Dismemberment
- Long-term care (self and eligible family members)
- Supplemental Survivor Benefits
- Employee-funded flexible spending accounts for tax savings on eligible health care or dependent care expenses
Retirement Benefits
- Membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)/Teachers' Retirement System (TRS)
- Matching employer contribution into a defined contribution program (new employees)
- Employer contribution into a defined benefit or defined contribution program (current employees)
- Contributions to the Alaska Supplemental Annuity Plan in lieu of contributions to Social Security
- Option to enroll in the Alaska Deferred Compensation Program
- Note: The Defined Contribution Plan, Supplemental Annuity Plan and Deferred Compensation Program offer a variety of investment options
- Personal leave with an accrual rate increase based on time served
- Twelve (12) paid holidays a year