Paralegal

Paralegal

The Paralegal performs work in a variety of complex, program areas or specialty fields in support of the City Attorney. This position comprises a variety of paralegal functions including assisting in the drafting of complex legal instruments, conducting legal research, and interfacing and communicating with a variety of Kannapolis personnel and outside parties.

Essential Job Functions:

• Assists with the preparation and processing of legal instruments, including contracts and deeds.
• Electronic filing in and file retrieval from the Cabarrus and Rowan County Court Systems and Office of the Register of Deeds.
• Conducts title searches and assists with preparation of easements, condemnation actions, and other pleadings.
• Assist in the preparation of city council resolutions and other related or subsidiary documents.
• Research information and legal documents using LexisNexis.
• Preparation of official correspondence.
• Assistance with preparation of court pleadings.
• Work with the other staff of the City Attorney's Office on administrative tasks as needed.

Required Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Organization skills and experience tracking workflow;
• Considerable knowledge of legal processes and terminology;
• Considerable knowledge of research techniques and methods;
• Experience and ability to draft legal instruments;
• Experience and ability to prepare written reports;
• Ability to communicate clearly and logically in oral and written form;
• Ability to utilize technology in research and writing assignments;
• Ability to utilize technology to manage case load;
• Ability to create spreadsheets to capture and analyze data;
• Critical thinking about processes and workflow;
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships with persons contacted in the course of work; and
• Experience and competency in one of the following preferred: Title search experience or litigation experience.

Required Experience and Training:

Associates/Technical degree with coursework in paralegal studies, or related field and at least five years experience working in a law office, city or county attorney's office or equivalent combination of education and experience as a paralegal; or Bachelor's degree from an appropriately accredited institution and three years of substantive paralegal or legal experience; or High school or General Education Development (GED) diploma and seven years of paralegal experience performing delegated, substantive legal work; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Special Requirements:

Must be able to acquire and maintain a valid Notary Public certification in North Carolina. Bachelors Degree and Paralegal Certificate are preferred.

Job Related Physical Activity Requirements:

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 10 pounds of force; work regularly requires sitting, speaking and hearing, typing (repetitive motions), frequently requires standing and walking and occasionally requires reaching with hands and arms for files in a file room; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to perceive information at normal spoken word levels and to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data, operating machines and observing general surroundings and activities; work is generally in a moderately noisy location(e.g. business office, light traffic).

The City of Kannapolis offers a full range of benefits that includes the following:

• Paid Holidays
• Vacation
• Sick Leave
• Pay for Performance
• Medical Expense Assistance
• Alive and Well Program
• Onsite Health Clinic
• Onsite dietitian service
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Short Term Disability & Long Term Disability
• 401k, Roth, and 457 plans available
• Employer 401k contribution match
• Educational Assistance
• Breavement Leave
• Paid Volunteer Hours
• Birthday Holiday
• Special Separation Allowance
• Retirement
• Incentive Pay
• Wellness Benefits
• Access to Cannon Baller Suite Tickets
• Continuation of Health Insurance at Retirement
• Paid YMCA Membership
• Onsite fitness centers