Paralegal

Position: Paralegal

Department: Office of the General Counsel

Reports To: Senior Deputy General Counsel

Salary Grade: N

Salary Range: 60,000-75,000

Position Summary

The Paralegal assists with the day-to-day operations of the Office of General Counsel with a focus on supporting the Real Estate Team attorneys and Senior Paralegal. This may include but is not limited to the following: preparing real estate transaction documents and managing the organization of closing documents for commercial and residential real estate closings and conducting related due diligence reviews of documents.

Essential Duties

• Maintain and organize files relating to legal matters, including files related to AH Atlanta Housing real estate portfolio, contracts, real estate transactions.
• Organize and maintain real estate closing binders. Coordinate appropriate distribution of closing binders and/or documents from closing binders, as appropriate.
• Manage and manage legal and/or administrative projects as they are assigned.
• Coordinate contracting activities of Legal Department contracts, including preparation of task orders, file organization, and monitoring progress of contractors.
• Assist with preparations for Board of Commissioner meetings, including board meetings of affiliates, by assisting with the preparation of Board resolutions, minutes and notices of Board meetings, and maintaining and updating the Board resolution index.
• Conduct legal research, including analysis of cases, statutes, regulations, and appropriate legal forms using hard copy libraries, virtual libraries and web-based legal research.
• Draft legal documents and prepare written communications to internal and external sources.
• Act as a liaison between the Legal department and external law firms and other entities as may be necessary.
• Maintain and organize files relating to legal matters, including files related to AHA real estate portfolio, contracts, real estate transactions, litigation, and other legal matters.
• Organize and maintain real estate closing binders. Coordinate appropriate distribution of closing binders and/or documents from closing binders, as appropriate.
• Maintain strict confidentiality.
• Maintain and protect attorney-client privileged communications.
• Manage incoming tax levies and garnishments received from the Internal Revenue Service.
• File and retrieve court documents and deliver and retrieve documents from city hall, county offices, outside law firms and other entities.
• Maintains the electronic and hard cop files of documents books in law library by updating or replacing the volumes.
• Manage and coordinate the process of complying with requests from the general public for information and AHA records, including Open Records Requests, subpoenas, litigation discovery requests for production of documents and interrogatories.
• Communicate (oral and written) with Atlanta Housing AHA employees and third parties regarding Legal department matters as the need arises.
• Prepare real estate transaction documents (e.g., loan documents, etc.), manage the organization of closing documents for simple and complex closings, and attend real estate closings.
• Attend assigned AHA meetings and record meeting events.
• Coordinate contracting activities of Legal Department contracts, including preparation of task orders, file organization, and monitoring progress of contractors.
• Assist with preparations for Board of Commissioner meetings, including board meetings of affiliates, by assisting with the preparation of Board resolutions, minutes and notices of Board meetings, and maintaining and updating the Board resolution index.
• May be required to perform other related duties as required and/or assigned.

Knowledge and Skill Requirements:

• Must demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills, in addition to possessing strong interpersonal skills.
• Must demonstrate judgment, tact and diplomacy in dealing with internal and external Atlanta Housing AHA customers and be able to interface with all levels of Atlanta Housing AHA employees. Requires a demonstrated ability to work in a collaborative manner with co-employees.
• Must possess practical knowledge of basic legal principles and concepts necessary to interpret, apply and explain to others the application of laws, regulations, precedents and practices impacting Atlanta Housing AHA.
• Ability to function in a fast pace fast-paced environment of multiple and shifting priorities while utilizing strong organizational skills to ensure that time schedules are met.
• Accuracy is required in performing all functions of this position.
• Must be able to quickly ramp up on the functional knowledge regarding Atlanta Housing AHA operations, which will be required to successfully fulfill the obligations of this position.
• Initiative is extremely important and highly valued. Must be able to perform duties with little supervision.
• Must have demonstrated ability to maintain strict confidentiality.
• Must have bachelor's degree in a related field with five years related paralegal experience.
• Experience working in an in-house legal department or large law firm is preferred essential.
• Certificate from an American Bar Association accredited paralegal studies program is a plus.
• Work requires demonstrated proficiency in current office technology and software applications and demonstrated use of such technology and applications on a regular basis.

Working Conditions:

Works in an office environment. May require frequent bending, stooping, reaching and prolonged sitting and/or standing. Frequent local travel which necessitates a valid State of Georgia driver's license and be fully insurable for the purpose of obtaining clearance on company "Authorized Drivers List." Atlanta HousingAH Authorized Driver or Assigned Vehicle.