Legal Assistant

Agency Information: Office of Administrative Hearings

About the Position

• Who can apply: Anyone
• Classified/Unclassified Service: Unclassified
• Full-Time/Part-Time: Full-Time
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Work Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM
• Eligible to Receive Benefits: Yes
• Veterans' Preference Eligible: Yes
• Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Compensation:

• Hourly Pay Range: $23.87 - $25.05
• Note: Salary can vary depending upon education, experience, or qualifications.

Employment Benefits:

• Comprehensive medical, mental, dental, vision, and additional coverage
• Sick & Vacation leave
• Work-Life Balance programs: parental leave, military leave, jury leave, funeral leave
• Paid State Holidays (designated by the Governor annually)
• Fitness Centers in select locations
• Employee discounts with the STAR Program
• Retirement and deferred compensation programs

Visit the Employee Benefits page for more information

Position Description:

The Legal Assistant provides paralegal support to the Administrative Law Judges of Office of Administrative Hearings pursuant to the Kansas Administrative Procedures Act, K.S.A. 75-37,121.

The Legal Assistant performs a variety of para-professional legal and clerical duties in support of the Presiding Officers/Administrative Law Judges to conduct administrative hearings. Work includes preparing necessary documents to create new appeals, preparing pre-hearing and hearing notices, subpoenas, letters, and orders as appropriate, keeping files updated, answering phone calls from the public, agency personnel, and attorneys. Hearing responsibilities include scheduling hearing locations, arranging phone or video conferences, and assisting the administrative law judge as necessary.

Hearing Responsibilities

• With minimal guidance and using independent judgment, draft appropriate documents required for appeals in various stages of the hearing process. This may include but is not limited to: prehearing and hearing notices; orders; subpoenas; and correspondence. The ALJ/PO reviews drafts and signs those documents. Accurate drafts enable ALJ/POs to work on more appeals. In the ALJ/PO’s absence, the legal assistant drafts subpoenas and processes continuance or withdrawal requests, so there is no delay.
• Determines what documents are to be provided to the parties and ensures the parties receive copies within the timeframe identified by statute, regulation or the ALJ/PO. Serves parties with documents.
• Through contact with other agency staff, schedules hearing locations statewide, arranges for conference calls between the ALJ/PO and the parties, makes other arrangements as deemed necessary based upon action being taken in the administrative hearing process and/or at the direction of the ALJ/PO.
• Updates the administrative hearing docket contained in the OAH case management system. This includes the preparation and scanning of documents and informing both staff and hearing personnel of relevant changes which are generated by the parties, or the ALJ/PO.

Office Responsibilities

• As over thirty different agencies/entities now use OAH for administrative hearings, knowledge of differing types of programs is required. The opening and processing of new appeals requires independent judgment and review of those programs to ensure the appeal is opened with those requirements unique to each program and agency and opened in a timely manner pursuant to statutory and regulatory requirements.
• ALJ/POs and the director are rarely involved with the opening, classification and information gathering of each appeal. This is solely the responsibility of the legal assistant.

Team Responsibilities

• As part of an ALJ/PO legal assistant team, answer phones and answer questions regarding appeals. This relieves the ALJ/PO from becoming involved in most phone calls, which is important in the context of K.S.A. 77-525, prohibiting ex-parte communications between the ALJ/PO and parties.
• Discretion is required as well as knowledge regarding information that may be shared with parties in the administrative hearing process. In addition, must be knowledgeable in all laws and regulations which limit disclosure of information.
• Assumes administrative oversight of assigned ALJ/POs caseload by updating the office and ALJ/PO’s calendars.
• Provides assistance with special projects as directed by the Director, ALJ/PO and supervisor. Those may include gathering information regarding program information, agency personnel, data regarding appeals, fact-finding, preparing reports or putting on presentations.

Minimum Qualifications

• 6 months experience as a legal assistant, paralegal or legal secretary.

*Education may be substituted for experience as determined relevant by the agency*

Special Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Experience with Microsoft Word
• Familiarity with databases downloading/uploading
• Attention to detail is crucial

Post Offer Requirement:

State of Kansas Tax Clearance Certificate. The successful applicant (even non-residents) must obtain a valid Kansas Certificate of Tax Clearance by accessing the Kansas Department of Revenue's website within 10 days of the date the applicant has been offered the employment position. A Tax Clearance is a comprehensive tax account review to determine and ensure that an individual's account is compliant with all primary Kansas Tax Laws. A Tax Clearance expires every 90 days. This is in accordance with Executive Order 2004-03. If you need assistance with the tax clearance, please contact (785) 296-3199.

Visit the Tax Clearance site for more information on and where to obtain this Kansas Department of Revenue document.

Recruiter Contact Information:

Name: Emily Gottstein

Email: emily.gottstein@ks.gov

Mailing Address: 900 SW Jackson, Suite 401, Topeka, KS 66612

Job Application Process:

First Sign in or register as a New User.

Complete or update your contact information on the Careers> My Contact Information page. *This information is included on all your job applications.

Upload required documents listed below for the Careers> My Job Applications page. *This information is included on all your job applications.

Start your draft job application, upload other required documents, and Submit when it is complete.

• Manage your draft and submitted applications on the Careers> My Job Applications page

Check your email and My Job Notifications for written communications from the Recruiter.

• Email- sent to the Preferred Email on the My Contact Information page
• Notifications- view the Careers> My Job Notifications page

Helpful Resources at jobs.ks.gov: “How to Apply for a Job – Instructions” and “How to Search for a Job – Instructions"

Required Documents for this Application to be Complete:

Upload these on the Careers - My Job Applications page

• DD FM 214 (if you are claiming Veteran’s Preference)

Upload these on the Attachments step in your Job Application

• Resume
• Letter of Interest / Cover Letter

How to Claim Veterans Preference:

Veterans' Preference Eligible (VPE): Former military personnel or their spouse that have been verified as a "veteran"; under K.S.A. 73-201 will receive an interview if they meet the minimum competency factors of the position. The veterans' preference laws do not guarantee the veteran a job. Positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determine by the hiring manager.

Learn more about claiming Veteran’s Preference

How to Claim Disability Hiring Preference

Applicants that have physical, cognitive and/or mental disabilities may claim an employment preference when applying for positions. If they are qualified to meet the performance standards of the position, with or without a reasonable accommodation, they will receive an interview for the position. The preference does not guarantee an applicant the job, as positions are filled with the best qualified candidate as determined by the hiring manager.

Learn more about claiming Disability Hiring Preference

PLEASE NOTE: The documentation verifying a person's eligibility for use of this preference should not be sent along with other application materials to the hiring agency but should be sent directly to OPS. These documents should be sent either by fax to (785)296-7712, scanned and emailed to Gustavo.Victoriano@ks.gov, or can be mailed/delivered in person to:

ATTN: Disability Hiring Preference Coordinator
Office of Personnel Services
Landon State Office Building
900 SW Jackson, Rm 401
Topeka, KS 66612

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The State of Kansas is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity, equity, and inclusion as essential elements that create and foster a welcoming workplace. All qualified persons will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, political affiliation, disability or any other factor unrelated to the essential functions of the job.

If you wish to identify yourself as a qualified person with a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would like to request an accommodation, please address the request to the agency recruiter.