Paralegal 1

Job Description Come join the State of Alaska! This job class uses Competency Based minimum qualifications (MQs). Please read the Competency Based MQ instructions below to learn more. The Department of Law, Division of Criminal is recruiting for a Paralegal 1 in Anchorage! This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check our residency definition to determine if you qualify. What You Will Be Doing: In your role as a Paralegal, you will help members in your community who are directly impacted by crime and help victims and witnesses understand their rights and navigate them through the criminal justice system. This includes providing them updates throughout the life of a case as well as informing them of resources available to them. You will also play an important role of the prosecution team working through the criminal justice system to resolve legal issues, including building relationships with other agencies such as law enforcement, court personnel and victim advocates. Mission and Values/Culture: Our mission is to seek justice, promote public safety and public respect for government through prompt, effective, and compassionate prosecution of cases in a matter that advocates for the interests of the victims, respects the law enforcement agencies, responsibly stewards public resources, and holds offenders accountable while at the same time protecting the constitutional and legal rights of the accused Benefits of Joining Our Team: You will have an opportunity to learn about the legal system, engage with the court, prepare for hearings and trials, and provide vital support to everyone involved. You can make a difference in someone’s life and take pride in knowing that you have assisted members of your community. The work you will be part of will have a direct impact on promoting safe and secure communities throughout Alaska. This position is considered a flex position. After successfully demonstrating the core competencies outlined in the flex agreement, the incumbent will become eligible to flex to a Paralegal 2 position (Range 16). You can expect a 37.5 hour work week; 12 paid holidays; personal leave accrual starting at 6 hours per pay period (about 21 days annually) and increasing with years of service. The general office hours are 8:00AM to 4:30PM but there is flexibility in establishing your regular hours around core business hours. The Working Environment You Can Expect: The Anchorage Attorney's Office is located at 310 K Street in downtown Anchorage. The office environment is friendly, fast-paced, and never boring. In our office, you can become a leader, work as part of a team; work in one or more areas of law and build your office and computer skills. Who We Are Looking For: We are interested in candidates who possess some or all of the following position specific competencies: Decision Making: Makes sound, well-informed, and objective decisions; perceives the impact and implications of decisions; commits to action, even in uncertain situations, to accomplish organizational goals; causes change. Information Management: Identifies a need for and knows where or how to gather information; organizes and maintains information or information management systems. Minimum Qualifications Competency Based Minimum Qualifications Instructions This job class uses competency based minimum qualifications. Please ensure your application (through work history, volunteer experience (duties summary), training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports how you have gained the knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors (competencies) and that you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class. Competency Description The competency description(s) listed below have been designed to promote a common understanding of the essential elements of the job class. They highlight the more general and customary knowledge, skills, abilities (KSAs), tasks, and behaviors used to describe the competency. They typically list expectations, as opposed to specific tasks, and are to be used only as parameters and guidelines. A competency’s description is not intended to exclusively define every KSA, task, and behavior needed to successfully meet the competency, but rather to provide the manager/agency with a broad reference of options as to how an applicant can meet the job expectation. Please ensure your application (through work history, training, education, licenses, certifications, etc.) supports/demonstrates you possess the minimum required competencies for the job class. Minimum Qualifications: Paralegal 1 Any combination of education and/or experience that provides the applicant with competencies in: Attention to Detail: Is thorough when performing work and conscientious about attending to detail. Interpersonal Skills: Shows understanding, friendliness, courtesy, tact, empathy, concern, and politeness to others; develops and maintains effective relationships with others; may include effectively dealing with individuals who are difficult, hostile, or distressed; relates well to people from varied backgrounds and different situations; is sensitive to cultural diversity, race, gender, disabilities, and other individual differences. Reading: Understands and interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, instructions, reports, charts, graphs, or tables; applies what is learned from written material to specific situations. Written Communication: Writes in a clear, concise, organized, and convincing manner for the intended audience. Equivalent to those typically gained by: Post-secondary and/or vocational education in a legal or legal support area and/or experience preparing, reviewing, or processing legal documents such as affidavits, court reports, demand letters, discovery requests or responses, hearing transcripts, memoranda of advice/instruction/understanding, letters of agreement, motions, legal opinions, subpoenas, and/or writs. Special Note (All Levels): Positions may require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire, and to be able to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as Alaska Public Safety Information Network (APSIN) and National Crime Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS). If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement. Some positions are required to work regular overtime during the standard workweek, on weekends, and/or holidays to provide support to the assigned duty attorney. If this requirement is present, it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

• Competencies” means a combination of interrelated knowledge, skills, abilities, and behaviors that enable a person to act effectively in a job or situation.
• Paraprofessional” work is typically associated with and supportive of a professional field. It involves extensive practical knowledge gained through experience and/or specific formal or on-the-job training. Work in these occupations may involve substantial elements of the work of the professional or administrative field, but requires less than full knowledge of the field involved.
• Progressively responsible” means indicating growth and/or advancement in complexity, difficulty, or level of responsibility.
• Technical” means performing tasks, methods, procedures, and computations that are covered by established precedents or guidelines and often require a high degree of skill, care, and precision.
• Training” and “education” in this guidance are synonyms for the process of acquiring knowledge and skills through instruction. It includes instruction through formal and informal methods (such as classroom,