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- Position Description
The Harris County Attorney's Office (HCAO) is hiring a Paralegal to join our Employment Division which provides full service in-house advice and counsel to County departments and elected offices related to all aspects of employment by the County, and often in partnership with human resources professionals. In addition, the Employment Division responds to threats of litigation and represents the County and elected offices in agency investigations of employment matters, as well as employment and labor proceedings in state and federal court.
The Paralegal in this role will perform delegated and supervised legal support work which requires an understanding of legal principles and procedures. The Paralegal is responsible for ensuring the smooth and timely preparation of cases from inception through trial and appeal, and will act as the liaison between the courts, clerks, attorneys, and the public as needed. The selected candidate may be eligible to participate in the HCAO telework program.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Manage time sensitive documents and requests.
- Prepares for motions, trial, and appeal by compiling motion and trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling exhibit lists.
- Prepares, gathers and organizes factual information concerning department policies and procedures to staff and other departments.
- Maintains and updates electronic case files.
- Interfaces with case management software to enter and retrieve information and to write queries to produce special reports.
- Prepares correspondence, graphs, charts and reports using various software.
- Calendars hearings, docket control orders, and all deadlines for cases.
- Attends hearings and trials.
- Communicates and acts as a liaison between the courts, clerks, attorneys, and the public as needed.
- Performs multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining an effective balance of priorities and high productivity.
- Responds promptly to phone calls, emails, and other correspondence.
- Participates in Division staff meetings.
- Orders and receives supplies and maintains inventory.
- Monitors division docket and prepares monthly reports.
- Handles all matters with confidentiality and discretion.
- Performs other duties as assigned.
Other Duties:
This Job Description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this position. Management may, at its discretion, assign, or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.
Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email ADACoordinator@bmd.hctx.net.
This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.
- Requirements
- Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Supporting Job Application Documents:
Applicants should provide a cover letter, resume, and three (3) professional references with their application.
Education and Experience:
An Associate Degree or higher in Paralegal Studies or a closely similar field
OR
Paralegal certificate
OR
A minimum of five (5) years of experience as a paralegal.
- Excellent interpersonal communication skills and ability to communicate and work in a collaborative group.
- Proficiency with technology and legal tools such as PACER CM/ECF, Microsoft Office Suite, file share programs, and Adobe.
- Knowledge of Texas and federal electronic filing systems such as Texas e-file and federal ECF/Pacer to file and retrieve court documents.
- Experience conducting discovery.
- Knowledge rules of civil procedure and evidence.
- Ability to perform thorough legal and factual analyses and exercise good judgment.
- Ability to problem solve, organize, and prioritize assignments to meet deadlines.
- Occasional ability to work extended hours to accommodate case load demands.
- Ability to comply with office training requirements.
- Ability to comply with the Harris County Personnel Policies and Procedures and the policies of the County Attorney.
NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. "See Resume" will not be accepted for qualifications.
- Preferences
Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated litigation support experience.
- General Information
Located in downtown Houston, the Harris County Attorney’s Office represents Harris County government, the Harris County Flood Control District, the Harris County Toll Road Authority, and the Greater Harris County 9-1-1 Emergency Network in all civil matters, including lawsuits. The office also provides legal advice to county officials and employees.
Position Type and Typical Hours of Work:
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work are typically Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with occasional weekends and holidays as necessary.
Work Environment and Physical Demands:
This job typically operates in a professional office environment, and the individual in this role uses standard office equipment such as computers, printers, scanners/copiers, and phones.
This is largely a sedentary role that requires standing or sitting for prolonged periods, exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects, including the human body, repetitive motions requiring dexterity such as keyboarding that may include the wrists, hands, and/or fingers, communicating with others to exchange concepts and information, problem-solving, decision-making, organization, the ability to read/write, and the ability to manage workplace stressors such as adversarial interactions.
Compensation:
The base compensation for this position will be determined on the candidate’s qualifications and the pay of other employees in the job function. Total compensation includes attractive paid leave programs, health benefits, and retirement plans.
In addition, the position is eligible for the accrual of compensatory time off for hours worked over 40 in a workweek, consistent with Harris County personnel policies and procedures.
Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.
Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.
- $63,252.80 - $95,139.20/year
