Paralegal

Who We Are Founded in 1926, the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation is a private, not-for-profit educational, historic, and cultural institution that owns and operates one of the largest and best-known museum complexes in the world.

Our mission is “that the future may learn from the past” through preserving and restoring 18th-century Williamsburg, Virginia’s colonial capital. We engage, inform, and inspire people to learn about this historic capital, the events that occurred here, and the diverse people who helped shape a new nation.

Today, Colonial Williamsburg is the largest living history museum in the U.S. The Historic Area is the 301-acre restored colonial capital with 88 original buildings and 525 buildings reconstructed to how they appeared in the 18th century through extensive archaeological, architectural, and documentary research.

The Historic Area is staffed by highly trained, historically dressed interpreters and expert tradespeople who bring the 18th century to life. The Foundation also owns and operates two world-class museums, the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, and a renowned research library, the John D Rockefeller Jr Library.

Additionally, Colonial Williamsburg is home to five world class accommodations at the Williamsburg Inn, Williamsburg Lodge Autograph Collection, the Griffin Hotel, the Williamsburg Woodlands Hotels and Suites and the unique Colonial Houses in the Historical Area.

Visitors may also indulge in food and drink at our many on-site restaurants and taverns that blend a historically inspired dining experience with today’s evolved tastes. Each year over 5 million people visit Williamsburg and another 20 million engage with us digitally.

About the Position

The Paralegal will work under the direction of the General Counsel to support the mission of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation and the operations of the Legal Department. The Paralegal will have wide-ranging responsibilities, including researching law, investigating facts, preparing written reports and memoranda, coordinating with outside legal counsel, and performing other duties as assigned to support and assist the General Counsel and other members of the Legal team.

Main Duties

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• As supervised and directed by the General Counsel, research and analyze statutes, judicial decisions, legal articles, the minutes of meetings of the City Council and other governmental bodies, and other legal sources relating to matters relevant to the Foundation.
• Under the supervision of the General Counsel, review, analyze, update, and prepare preliminary drafts of documents such as briefs, pleadings, appeals, contracts, real estate closing papers and binders, gift and trust instruments, letters and memoranda.
• Monitor and analyze developing trends and changes in regulatory laws, rules, and regulations and disseminate such information through written reports and memoranda to the General Counsel and other members the legal team;
• Review and analyze material related to the introduction of new products and services;
• Provide internal support to outside counsel with regard to investigations, claims and litigation;
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by the General Counsel

This is a non-exempt position, eligible to receive overtime in accordance with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This position may be subject to overtime during high peak times, etc. as directed and approved by the supervisor.


This job description reflects the general responsibilities of the position and is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Duties and responsibilities may evolve over time based on operational needs.

Required Education and Experience:

The successful candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong critical thinking and analytical abilities, a working knowledge of legal research, and an interest in colonial history and non-profit organizations. The successful candidate will also have the ability to work well in teams (both large and small) as well as independently with a minimum of direct supervision. A bachelor’s degree and/or five years of related experience are preferred.


COMPETENCIES:

• Effective critical thinking, and analytical skills.
• Detail oriented and thorough.
• Exceptional communication skills, both verbal and written.
• Reliability and a willingness to learn.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, as well as standard office software such as Microsoft Outlook, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and others.

Equal Opportunity Employer


This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws.
For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.