Legal Assistant II - Racing

The mission of the Colorado Department of Revenue (CDOR) is to become a trusted partner to every Coloradan to help them navigate the complexities of government so they can thrive. We are driven by our values of service, teamwork, accountability, integrity, and respect. 

Division of Racing:

  To promote and foster public confidence in the pari-mutuel industry protecting the  welfare of both equine and human participants through fair, consistent, proactive enforcement of appropriate policies, statutes, and Colorado Racing Commission    rules.

  What we do:

• Processing license applications and collect fees.
• Conducting background investigations of applicants.
• Criminal and administrative investigations of a licensee that have been alleged to have violated statutes and regulations concerning various types of consumer/public harm.
• Conducting criminal investigations into unlicensed and criminal activities within Horse Racing.
• Conducting compliance inspections.
• Providing educational services to the public.

A typical day of a Legal Assistant II:

The legal assistant will provide ongoing analysis, technical expertise, development, and decision-making relative to processes critical to the operations, programs, and policies of the Division. The legal assistant will research, analyze, report on, and make recommendations regarding Division-wide impact and implementation of legislation and rules. As a result, the position will formulate guidelines, budget and staffing patterns required to implement policies, statute, and rules pursuant to legal requirements that align with the overall mission of the Division. Additionally, the legal assistant will draft policy and procedure, in consultation with the Director.

• Legislation and Rule-making Liaison

  • Provide direction to management regarding current legislation and the consequential rule-making process. The process will include coordinating stakeholder working-groups, review and proof proposed and updated regulations, schedule rule-making hearings and assisting with the policy-making process. Assist in the drafting and preparing for rule-making. Provides legal assistance and review of new and proposed legislation. Provides research for the Division Director. 

• Stakeholder Engagement

  • The Legal Assistant II will support as directed, the identification and coordination of opportunities for stakeholder engagement on matters of statutory and rule implementation, common questions, and legislative efforts.

• Administrative Actions / Internal Legal Support

  • Position will prepare, review, and track; reports of investigations, orders and notices for administrative actions, and administrative cases. Work involves performing the full range of legal assistant work identified above under the Description of Occupation Work section including assignments such as, performing research by gathering and analyzing  legal data pertinent to individual cases or issues, and advising attorneys and management on the findings of research and recommending appropriate courses of action related to cases such as precedent cases(s) upon which arguments and strategies may be based.

• Policy / Procedure and Record Retention

  • Legal Assistant II maintains and updates the Policy and Procedure Manuals for the Division as may be required in light of technological, legislative or practical developments, as well as assists other employees in the development of policy and procedure that may be specialized to their role.

Residency Requirement:

Class Code & Classification Description:

Paralegal certificate obtained through either an American Bar Association (ABA) approved paralegal studies program or an accredited institution

One (1) year of paralegal experience

Two (2) years of work experience in a paralegal capacity which included conducting legal research, preparing drafts of legal documents and gathering and compiling data from legal references and resources will substitute for the required certificate

A Juris Doctorate from an accredited law school may substitute for the required certificate.

NOTE: If submitting a transcript, certification or other relevant materials, candidates may redact information that identifies their age, date of birth, or dates of attendance at or graduation from an educational institution.

The preferred candidate will possess the following qualifications:

• Experience in writing State of Colorado rules, statutes, and legal policies.  
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Paralegal certification
• Proven ability to work independently and accept supervision.
• Proven success organizing and tracking workload.
• Certified paralegal or juris doctorate degree
• License to practice law in any jurisdiction.
• Knowledge of horse racing, pari-mutuel wagering and sports betting,
• Knowledge of state statutes and rulemaking processes.
• Experienced in advising senior management on legal decisions.
• Proficiency in legal research.
• Demonstrated excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Proven ability to engage with a diverse set of stakeholders.
• Experience in writing rules, statutes, and legal policies.  
• Proficient in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Proficient in Google suite

Conditions of Employment with the CDOR:

Employees are in a position of public trust in the performance of their job duties and must operate in a manner that maintains the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and public confidence. 

As a condition of employment with the CDOR, all personnel must file all necessary Colorado Individual Income Tax (CIIT) returns and pay tax obligations, therefore all employees must undergo a pre-employment evaluation of their tax records/accounts to ensure compliance with this policy. Final candidates must also complete a successful background investigation and reference check prior to appointment. Certain positions based on duties may require scheduled background investigations.

Minimum Qualification Screening

A Human Resources Analyst will only review the work experience/job duties sections of the online job application, to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications for the position for which you are applying. Only complete applications submitted before the closing date of this announcement will be reviewed.

• Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications to continue in the selection process for this position. Do not use "see resume" or "see attached" statements on your application. 

• Cover letters and resumes will not be accepted in lieu of the official State of Colorado online application. Part-time work experience will be prorated.

• List your employment history starting with the most recent job, including part-time, temporary, and volunteer jobs. If more than one job was held with a given organization, list each job held as a separate period of employment. 

• Information must be accurate, including dates of employment.  If it is found that information provided is falsified, you will not be considered for a job with the State of Colorado and/or may be removed from a job after hire.

• The eligible list established from this posting may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Email Address:

All correspondence regarding your status in the selection/examination process will be conducted via email.  Please set up your e-mail to accept messages from "state.co.us" and "info@governmentjobs.com" addresses. It is your responsibility to ensure that your email will accept these notices and/or review your junk mail and spam filtered email.

If you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.

As an applicant directly affected by the results of the selection or comparative analysis process, you may file a written appeal with the State Personnel Director.

Review of the completed, signed and submitted appeal will be timely on the basis of written material submitted by you, using the official appeal form signed by you or your representative. This form must be completed and delivered to the State Personnel Board by email at dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the Department’s action.

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Compliance

The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.

The Colorado Department of Revenue is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA inbox, dor_ohr@state.co.us.

We are committed to building work environments that are inclusive and reflect our communities and the diverse talents of all people.  We strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds and abilities to apply.

If not applying online, submit application to:

If you are not able to submit an online application, a paper application is available at this link: PDF State Paper Application(Download PDF reader). Paper applications must be received via email to dor_ohr@state.co.us by the closing date and time of the application period listed on this announcement.

Methods of Appointment:

Appointment to the vacancy or vacancies represented by this announcement is expected to be from the eligible list created. However, at the discretion of the appointing authority, the position(s) may be filled by another method of appointment for a valid articulated business reason. 

Step Pay Program:

Per the requirements of the Step Pay Program, any former or current State employee must be paid a rate that is equal to or greater than the appropriate step pay rate within their classification's pay range based on completed years in their current class series.