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PARALEGAL II OAG

Recruitment #23-005177-0002

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Introduction

The Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Maryland. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) has the general charge, supervision, and direction of the legal business of the State, acting as legal advisors and representatives of the major agencies, various boards, commissions, officials and institutions of State Government. As Maryland’s 47th Attorney General, Anthony G. Brown, leads the Office with a key focus on equity, justice, and fairness.

GRADE

12

LOCATION OF POSITION

Office of the Attorney General
Civil Rights Division
200 St. Paul Place Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Main Purpose of Job

OAG is seeking applicants for a Paralegal II of the newly created Civil Rights Division. In April 2023, the Maryland General Assembly passed legislation (SB 540) empowering the Attorney General to enforce federal and state civil rights laws, including laws outlawing discrimination in housing, lending, employment, commercial transactions, and public accommodation. The Civil Rights Division will be dedicated to investigating, filing, and litigating claims under this new authority. 


POSITION DUTIES

The position will provide administrative and paralegal support to a team of attorneys and investigators who investigate civil rights complaints in the State of Maryland.  Applicants should have strong organizational and writing skills, a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, and be detailed-oriented with the ability to work at a consistently high pace.

Applicants should have experience assisting in investigations and/or litigation; organizing and preparing documents; reviewing evidence; preparing and delivering legal documents; organizing and maintaining files; gathering information and preparing reports; and handling other related activities as assigned. Experience with civil rights law is preferred but not required. The position provides administrative support to the Division, and applicants should have experience proofreading documents, coordinating scheduling, and handling correspondence and phone calls.  This position will perform a variety of different functions and will support the Chief, Deputy Chief, attorneys and investigators within the Civil Rights Division. 

Key duties of the paralegal will include: 

Administrative Support:  
Type and/or edit pleadings, correspondence, memoranda, affidavits, exhibits, and tables using word processing software. Prepare boilerplate letters and motions related to obtaining transcripts and receiving memos. Update and catalog boilerplate sections of briefs and memos, e.g., the standard of review and basic responses to common arguments.  Proofread correspondence, reports, and letters for proper format. Prepare statistical reports and charts.

Case Organization:  
Assist attorneys in preparing legal documents to be used in litigation, Public Information Act requests, and discovery, which include, but are not limited to, organizing and maintaining legal documents, reviewing legal documents for privileged information, photocopying and scanning documents, redacting legal documents to protect confidentiality, and creating and maintaining a database of information.

Litigation Support:  
1. Assist attorneys in drafting correspondence, pleadings, affidavits, subpoenas, and other legal documents for use in matters pending in all judicial systems, including, but not limited to, federal and state courts, administrative courts, and various state agencies. Handle and respond to records subpoenas.  Experience with electronic case filing is a plus. 

2. Proofread legal documents for accuracy, flow of content, spelling, and grammatical errors; prepare trial notebooks and exhibits to be used in litigation matters. Analyze documents during litigation to detect discrepancies and recommend corrective action in a timely manner.

3. Attend court proceedings to assist attorneys during litigation. Occasional additional travel to various courts throughout the State of Maryland to conduct reviews and obtain copies of documents for pending matters. Communicate with courts and/or administrative personnel, opposing counsel, and other parties to ascertain the status of cases and schedule meetings.

Database Maintenance: 
Track, update, and maintain discrimination cases from opening to closing. Print out reports of current open and closed cases.

Investigations: 
Assist attorneys and investigators with intake and in conducting initial investigations and review of information in discrimination claims.

Legal Research:  
Perform fact-finding and legal research, using Lexis Nexis, the internet, and legal reference materials, such as conducting cite checks to ensure that accurate and up-to-date information is being provided to the attorneys.  Print cases, regulations, and statues at the request of attorneys using Lexis Nexis.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education:
Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate. 

Education: 
Three years of experience as a legal assistant or legal secretary performing legal research or preparing legal documents on behalf of an attorney. 

Notes: 

1. Thirty credit hours or a certificate in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university may be substituted for the required experience. 
2. Thirty credit hours from an accredited law school may be substituted for the required experience. 
3. Additional years of experience as stated above may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required education. 
4. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in paralegal specialist classifications or paralegal specialist specialty codes in the legal and kindred field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.

DESIRED OR PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have:

1. Experience with electronic case filing. 
2. Experience with civil rights law.

SELECTION PROCESS

Applicants who meet the minimum(and selective) qualifications will be included in further evaluation. The evaluation may be a rating of your application based on your education, training and experience as they relate to the requirements of the position. Therefore, it is essential that you provide complete and accurate information on your application. Please report all related education, experience, dates and hours of work. Clearly indicate your college degree and major on your application, if applicable. For education obtained outside the U.S., any job offer will be contingent on the candidate providing an evaluation for equivalency by a foreign credential evaluation service prior to starting employment (and may be requested prior to interview). 

Complete applications must be submitted by the closing date. Information submitted after this date will not be added. 

Incorrect application forms will not be accepted. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Candidates may remain on the certified eligible list for a period of at least one year. The resulting certified eligible list for this recruitment may be used for similar positions in this or other State agencies.

BENEFITS



The successful candidate will be eligible for subsidized health benefits (medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage) and life insurance; leave, including annual (vacation), personal, sick, and paid parental leave; and will be eligible for participation in a contributory defined benefit pension plan in which they are vested after ten years.  State employees are eligible to participate in two supplemental retirement plans: the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan and the 40l (k) Savings and Investment Plan. The State also offers a free mass transit benefit for local bus and express bus services.

FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS

Online applications are STRONGLY preferred.  If the online application process is not available, please send your paper application and supplemental questionnaire (if applicable) to: Yolanda Colkley, Fair Practices Officer 200 St. Paul Place, Baltimore, MD 21202 or fax to 410-576-6447. 

If you have specific questions about recruitment, please call 410-576-6440 or email jobs@oag.state.md.us. TTY Users: call via Maryland Relay We thank our Veterans for their service to our country, and encourage them to apply. 



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