Paralegal

Job Description All applicants MUST be permanent in the Paralegal Aide civil service title to be considered for this position. This means candidates must have taken and passed the Paralegal Aide Civil Service Exam, and have been appointed from the Paralegal Aide Civil Service List. This prerequisite is required for this position. Please be advised that any candidate chosen for this position will move into the position laterally. The NYC Law Department is seeking a current, permanent civil service Paralegal Aide for a Level 2 position in its Appeals Division. While the division's work involves a range of subject matters, under the instruction of a division attorney(s) or higher level staff, the selected candidate will assist with various tasks of varying degrees of difficulty which may include but is not limited to the following: Creating, serving and filing notices of appeal, often on an expedited basis, and working with attorneys to ensure they are accurate; Identifying the documents on which an appeal in a civil case must be based and gathering them into a record on appeal or appendix, often working closely with attorneys; Employing detailed procedures to create the cover, the table of contents, and the "flysheets" inserted before each document in a record on appeal or appendix, which will correctly identify the case and the documents for the reader; Communicating with trial counsel and opposing counsel, as well as court reporters, to obtain necessary transcripts and exhibits for a record on appeal or appendix; Creating related documents such as a note of issue and a CPLR 5531 statement; Examining electronic and physical court files to verify the accuracy of the documents in a record on appeal or appendix; Working with Operations to ensure that the record on appeal or appendix is reproduced accurately and that PDFs are formatted according to the court's filing requirements. Assisting attorneys with electronic and paper filing; Collaborating with co-appellants and cross-appellants for the production of records and appendices on joint appeals, encouraging them to use our services to reduce costs, and preparing invoices for the other appellant's contribution to the cost of producing the records and appendices. Preparing documents and subpoenas to perfect a Family Court appeal. Some of the physical activities performed and environmental conditions experienced include lifting and carrying boxes and files; climbing stairs; and traveling throughout the City on all types of public transportation, and/or walking in all kinds of weather, often carrying files. Preferred Skills A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college and either (a) 1 year of full-time satisfactory experience acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services; or (b) Paralegal Certification obtained in the United States from an accredited program or a program approved by the American Bar Association; or A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college including or supplemented by a combination of 12 semester credits in U.S. History, U.S. Political Science, U.S. Law, U.S. Paralegal Studies, U.S. Criminal Justice, U.S. Urban Studies, International Relations and/or U.S. Legal Studies; or An associate degree or completion of 60 credits from an accredited college and three years of full-time satisfactory experience acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services; or A four year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and five years of full-time satisfactory experience acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services. Applicable to all applicants: Experience which is primarily legal secretarial or includes only incidental paralegal (legal assistant) services is not acceptable. To be acceptable, experience in paralegal (legal assistant) services must have involved the American Legal System. This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program. PARALEGAL AIDE - 30080 Qualifications 1. A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA); or 2. An associate degree or completion of 60 semester credits from an accredited college, accredited by regional, national, professional or specialized agencies recognized as accrediting bodies by the U.S. Secretary of Education and by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) and two years of full-time satisfactory experience, acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services; or 3. A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization and four years of full-time satisfactory experience, acquired in the United States, in the performance of paralegal (legal assistant) services; or 4. A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience which is equivalent to "1", "2" or "3" above. Paralegal Certification obtained in the United States from an accredited program or from a program approved by the American Bar Association can be substituted for 12 months of experience. Undergraduate credit can be substituted for experience on the basis of 30 semester credits from an accredited college for 12 months of experience. However, all candidates must have at least a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent approved by a State's Department of Education or a recognized accrediting organization. To be acceptable, experience in paralegal (legal assistant) services must have involved the American Legal System. Experience which is primarily legal secretarial or includes only incidental paralegal (legal assistant) services is not acceptable. Special Note Individuals must have one additional year of pertinent paralegal experience or have a baccalaureate degree in addition to the requirements listed above to be eligible for placement in Assignment Level II duties and pay of Paralegal Aide. Additional Information The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy. #J-18808-Ljbffr