Go Back
Job Description
Legal Intern
Tennessee Department of State
Administrative Procedures Division
Mission: The mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in a customer-centered environment.
The Administrative Procedures Division (APD) within the Office of the Secretary of State aims to serve our clients, customers, and associates – government agencies, citizens of Tennessee, and judicial partners – by providing impartial, efficient, and sound contested case hearings and mediations. More than 70 state and local government agencies open an average of 6,000 cases with APD each year on issues ranging from property taxes to professional licensure, civil forfeiture of assets to the provision of special education services.
Supervisor: Director of Administrative Procedures
Summary: Assist support staff, administrative judges, and the director with daily functions of the office and special projects.
The scope of APD’s portfolio of cases makes working for APD unique and exciting. In the course of a week, the legal intern may answer inquiries from parties on cases dealing with anything from a citizen’s appeal of the denial of medical coverage to a business’s appeal of a fine for alleged environmental contamination. The legal intern’s ability to provide excellent customer service is critical to ensuring APD achieves its mission.
Duties/Responsibilities
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience
Knowledge and Abilities
Expectations
Salary: $15 per hour
Location: In-person at the Tennessee Tower in downtown Nashville, TN.
Timeframe: Preferably starting in May and working through December 2025.
Hours: APD’s office hours are 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Central Time, Monday through Friday. A part-time schedule, with a minimum of 15 hours per week, may be discussed during the interview process.
Tennessee Department of State
Administrative Procedures Division
Mission: The mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in a customer-centered environment.
The Administrative Procedures Division (APD) within the Office of the Secretary of State aims to serve our clients, customers, and associates – government agencies, citizens of Tennessee, and judicial partners – by providing impartial, efficient, and sound contested case hearings and mediations. More than 70 state and local government agencies open an average of 6,000 cases with APD each year on issues ranging from property taxes to professional licensure, civil forfeiture of assets to the provision of special education services.
Supervisor: Director of Administrative Procedures
Summary: Assist support staff, administrative judges, and the director with daily functions of the office and special projects.
The scope of APD’s portfolio of cases makes working for APD unique and exciting. In the course of a week, the legal intern may answer inquiries from parties on cases dealing with anything from a citizen’s appeal of the denial of medical coverage to a business’s appeal of a fine for alleged environmental contamination. The legal intern’s ability to provide excellent customer service is critical to ensuring APD achieves its mission.
Duties/Responsibilities
- Answer main APD phoneline, primarily responding to inquiries from parties to a case.
- Monitor APD’s generic email inboxes for filings and inquiries, responding accordingly, and uploading filings into APD’s electronic case management system.
- Receive, scan, and process mail.
- Assist with the issuance of outgoing orders and initiating case letters.
- Open cases in APD’s electronic case management system.
- Receive and process documents filed by parties to APD.
- Maintain inventory of office equipment and supplies, proactively keeping supplies in stock.
- Maintain a clean and orderly office environment for APD’s office footprint.
- Make room reservations for hearings and meetings as needed in the Tennessee Tower, Tennessee State Library and Archives, and other buildings.
- Learn the functions other support staff perform and serve as backup for other staff members as needed.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Education and Experience
- Currently attending higher or professional education, including college, university, or law school.
- Prior experience in the legal profession and with legal case management systems is preferred.
Knowledge and Abilities
- Strong oral communication skills. Clear talent for active listening to and speaking with customers, maintaining friendly, helpful, and professional communication even with challenging callers.
- Strong written communication skills. Ability to compose professional, concise, and tactful emails using proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
- Demonstrated desire and ability to synthesize and explain what is an important legal process for customers.
- Service-oriented attitude, both to customers and to colleagues.
- Understanding of legal documents and legal terminology with genuine interest in legal work.
- Willingness and ability to learn quickly, absorbing important information as to the legal meaning of documents throughout the litigation process.
- High attention to detail and accuracy.
- Strong clerical and organizational skills, managing and maintaining files and records.
- Ability to daily manage multiple high-volume tasks and correctly prioritize their timely completion in a fast-paced environment.
- Ability to seamlessly handle multiple tasks, such as answering the phone while simultaneously working on a project that requires attention to detail, accuracy, and thoughtful reasoning.
- Adept at quickly pivoting tasks while maintaining accuracy of work product, especially when workflow is interrupted.
- Demonstrated solid computer skills. Comfortable and confident with learning a new case management system.
- High competency with Adobe Pro, Excel, Outlook, and Word (required); PowerPoint (preferred).
- Ability to use or quickly learn virtual meeting platforms: Webex and MS Teams.
Expectations
- Dedicated, hard work ethic. Self-starter. Prioritize work responsibilities during work hours and complete daily assignments as expeditiously as possible, keeping distractions to a minimum.
- Reliable attendance. Prompt arrival at the office to begin work on time. Working diligently throughout the entire day, to complete all expected hours of work according to one’s agreed schedule.
- Professional attire that reflects the professional atmosphere of the office per Secretary of State policy.
Salary: $15 per hour
Location: In-person at the Tennessee Tower in downtown Nashville, TN.
Timeframe: Preferably starting in May and working through December 2025.
Hours: APD’s office hours are 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Central Time, Monday through Friday. A part-time schedule, with a minimum of 15 hours per week, may be discussed during the interview process.
AI Career Tools
Quickly create a cover letter, get resume help, and more with our free AI tools!
