Paralegal - Duval County Public Schools

Full Job Description

Are you looking for a position with a work/life balance? Do you want to earn four (4) weeks off during your first year of employment? Do you want low and no cost health insurance options?

If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you need to complete your application now. Work for the city you love!!!

The Office of General Counsel is actively seeking a Paralegal - Duval County Public Schools.

Did you know as a City of Jacksonville employee, you would also have twelve (12) paid holidays and a personal leave day as well?

In addition to health insurance, dental, vision, life insurance and flexible spending plans are also available.

City of Jacksonville employees are also eligible for Federal Student Loan Forgiveness after ten (10) years of public service and on-time payments.

Employees in this role deal with subjects legal in nature and must be familiar with legal terminology. Employees provide paraprofessional legal support to attorney(s) with their research and trial preparation. May specialize in litigation, bankruptcy, real estate, labor and employment, legislative affairs, or government operations and commercial law.

Requirements

• Provides administrative and litigation support to attorney(s).
• Communicates with clients, vendors and witnesses.
• May conduct preliminary and/or routine witness interviews.
• Helps prepare documents such as pleadings, applications, declarations and motions, initial draft of routine legislation.
• Drafts, reviews and revises legal and professional documents.
• Reviews and analyzes documents and data to prepare matters for legal representation.
• Maintains, organizes and creates resources and databases.
• Coordinates and schedules conferences with clients, witnesses and opposing parties.
• Analyzes plans, data, and prepare pleading and related documents.
• Obtain data from clients and second parties.
• Creates letters, basis of claims, and other forms. 
• Creates documents from templates as necessary.
• Tracks and prepares electronic and hard copy reports and summaries, contracts or legislation.
• Monitors all litigation cases docketed via an electronic filing system and provide regular updates and calendaring and internal pleading files.
• Establishes, organizes and maintains physical evidence and exhibits, attorney notebooks, witness notebooks, document indexes and lists.
• Organizes and compiles documents relating to litigation, contracts, closing documents, legislation and land use.
• Coordinates all procedures necessary to conclude the acquisition or disposition of real property
• Closes transactions by preparing and delivering necessary documents, contracts, and assists in closing.
• Handles electronic filing, files briefs, legislation, and coordinate contract tracking
• Manage client expectations.
• Calendar scheduling and follow up for deadlines.
• Schedules and manages witness through litigation process
• Performs other duties as may be assigned from time to time.

Qualifications

• Knowledge of legal principles and practices at a level normally acquired through formal paralegal training and associated experience.
• Proficient in Word, WordPerfect, Outlook, Access and Excel data program management; knowledge of TABS3 software is a plus.
• Exceptional ability to organize and prioritize numerous tasks and complete them under time constraints.
• Ability to concentrate and pay close attention to detail for up to 75 percent of the work time when evaluating legal matters.
• Ability to proofread materials for contextual, grammatical, typographical, or spelling errors.
• Interpersonal skills critical in order to communicate in person, by e-mail and telephone and follow the instruction effectively from a diverse group of clients, attorneys and staff and provide information with ordinary courtesy and tact.
• Work occasionally requires a high level of mental effort and strain while organizing and maintaining multiple cases.
• Work may occasionally require more than 40 hours per week to perform the essential duties of the position.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment such as computers, photocopiers and fax machines.
• Ability to type a minimum of 40 wpm
• Ability to travel to private and public buildings locally and statewide, to assist attorneys in attending to clients' needs on legal matters is essential.
• Ability to perform mathematical functions.
• Ability to lift 20 pounds.
• Ability to schedule and manage attorney's appointments on calendar.
• Familiarity with electronic filing in CORE and/or ECF.

Additional Information

• Five years of experience as a paralegal and familiarity with electronic filing in CORE and/or ECF is required.

In addition, a paralegal certification from one of the following agencies is preferred.

Acceptable paralegal certifications include: CORE Registered Paralegal (CRP™) or PACE Registered Paralegal (RP) by the National Federation Paralegal Association®; Certified Paralegal (CP) or Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) by the National Association of Legal Assistants; Professional Paralegal (PP) by the Association for Legal Professionals (NALS).

A FULLY COMPLETED ONLINE APPLICATION IS REQUIRED. Apply at www.jacksonville.gov. Work history is required for all employment/volunteer work in which qualifications are being based.

When meeting/basing qualifications on education, a copy of your college transcript, with your social blacked out, is required with your application. U.S.

transcripts do not need to be official, but must state your name, the school’s name, classes taken, grades received, type of degree, and date degree was conferred. Transcripts outside the U.S.

must be converted to U.S. standards.

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You may also track the status of your application and see notifications by logging into your account. For further information regarding the application process.

please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions on the website.

Certain servicemembers and veterans, and the spouses and the family members of such service members and veterans, receive preference and priority, and certain servicemembers may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements, in employment and are encouraged to apply for positions being filled.

If claiming veteran's preference, you must attach a DD-214 (Member Form-4 copy) or military discharge papers, or equivalent certification from the Department of Veterans Affairs listing military status, dates of service and character of discharge.

You must also attach the Veterans Preference Certification Form and if applicable, the additional forms as noted here: http://www.coj.net/departments/employee-services/veterans-preference.

If a candidate believes he or she was not afforded veteran’s preference, he or she may file a written complaint, within sixty (60) calendar days upon receipt of notification of the hiring decision, requesting an investigation to:

Florida Department of Veterans Affairs

Attention: Veterans’ Preference Coordinator

11351 Ulmerton Road, Suite 311-K

Largo, FL 33778-1630

Email: VeteransPreference@fdva.state.fl.us