Paralegal 1/2 Flex (PCN 021602) - State of Alaska

What you will be doing:
Paralegal 1
This position is assigned to the Administration section of the Office of Public Advocacy (OPA) and provides paraprofessional legal support and confidentiality control between civil and criminal case information to staff by performing assistive duties for attorneys and clients. The incumbent of the position, under supervision and in a training capacity, learns to perform initial and ongoing conflict analysis and assignment of cases, corresponds with contract attorneys, performs as an attorney-client liaison assuring adequate client representation and briefing OPA's Director and Deputy Director of the same, and performs legal research and motion drafting. The incumbent will develop the skills and abilities to perform a full range of Paralegal 2 duties of broad scope.

Special projects as assigned.

Paralegal 2
This position is assigned to the Administration section of OPA and provides journey level paraprofessional legal support and confidentiality control between civil and criminal case information to staff by performing assistive duties for attorneys and clients. The incumbent of the position independently performs initial and ongoing conflict analysis and assignment of cases, corresponds with contract attorneys, performs as an attorney-client liaison assuring adequate client representation and briefing OPA's Director and Deputy Director of the same. This position is expected to independently perform in-depth legal research, identify and apply court rules and statutes, and compose and edit complex motions for the Superior, District, and Supreme Courts.
 
Special projects as assigned.

Our organization, mission, and culture:
OPA provides legal advocacy and guardianship services to vulnerable Alaskans. With offices in Anchorage, Juneau, Fairbanks, Kenai, Palmer, and Bethel, OPA advocates for abused and neglected children in protective proceedings, provides public guardianship for incapacitated adults, advocates for victims of elder fraud, and provides attorney services for respondents in adult guardianship proceedings, parents in Child in Need of Aid cases, and conflict criminal cases received from the Public Defender Agency.

The benefits of joining our team:
Our office presents the opportunity to work as part of a strong team providing advocacy on behalf of vulnerable Alaskans while enhancing your office skills and legal acumen.

The working environment you can expect:
The OPA Anchorage office is located in beautiful downtown Anchorage, Alaska.  We are located directly across from the Hotel Captain Cook.  We offer free parking and are in walking distance from many great restaurants and coffee shops.  

Who we are looking for:
To be successful in the position, the ideal candidate will possess the following knowledge, skills, abilities and experience:

• Experience in interpreting, applying, and explaining rules, policies, statutes, and regulations
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including an ability to type and format legal documents with minimal errors
• Excellent attention to detail, including proper spelling, identification of duplicate entries and accuracy with numerical sequences
• Time management skills, including the ability to work under pressure with numerous interruptions on a daily basis
• Ability to objectively review and recount detailed accounts of myriad alleged crimes and abuse.

Special Note:

• Formalized paralegal training resulting in a degree or certification or equivalent experience in a legal environment is preferred.

• This position requires the use of the Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN); the incumbent must be able to pass a criminal background check per 13 AAC 68.215.

• This position may be required to obtain a Notary Commission. Alaska Notary Law - Title 44, chapter 44.50.

If this sounds like your skill set, or one you would like to develop, please submit an application through Workplace Alaska.