at City of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Job Description
Description:
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
SUPERVISING PARALEGAL
Department of Law
Litigation Divisions
Number of Positions: 1
Starting Salary: $74,224.00
Application Period: 7-29-24 to 8-12-24
Under general supervision, coordinates and supervises the work of paralegals providing paraprofessional legal, administrative, and clerical support to attorneys.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES
· Supervises and trains division paralegals while being responsible for own assignment of cases for which supervising paralegal gathers information, drafts discovery answers or documents, and communicates with client departments, witnesses, and outside agencies.
· Prioritizes and makes work assignments for staff to ensure that attorneys receive needed support and assistance with caseloads.
· Monitors the preparation of legal documents (e.g., summonses, depositions, subpoenas, discovery response, agreements) and related summaries by staff and reviews completed work to ensure accuracy and consistency with departmental policies.
· Trains and instructs subordinate staff on paralegal functions, legal research techniques, and departmental operating procedures.
· Maintains staff time records.
· Reviews and examines legal digests and conducts in-depth legal research for attorneys’ use in-court proceedings.
· Provides technical assistance to paralegals engaged in abstracting complex transcripts and briefings.
· Consults with division attorneys and private counsel to identify, gather, review, and produce discovery materials and facilitate the case discovery process.
· Oversees the maintenance of court documents.
· Supervises the indexing and filing of court documents, depositions, and/or creates and trains staff on customized computer applications for these purposes.
· Creates and supervises the production of visual exhibits (e.g., graphs, tables, charts) used at trial and hearings and develops methods and procedures to display the information as required.
· Oversees the filing of court documents for various litigation efforts.
· Serves as a liaison with other City departments to facilitate information exchange?.
Additional duties may be required for this position.
Location: 2 N. Lasalle St. (Law Department)
Days: Monday – Friday
Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
THESE POSITIONS ARE IN THE CAREER SERVICE
Qualifications:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor’s degree, and a paralegal certificate from a paralegal training program accredited by the American Bar Association, PLUS two years of work experience as a paralegal or legal assistant; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
PREFERENCE WILL BE GIVEN TO EXTERNAL CANDIDATES POSSESSING THE FOLLOWING:
Ø Previous leadership experience
Ø Previous experience as a litigation paralegal
Ø Previous experience preparing standard court filings, such as: appearances, subpoenas, notices of filing, discovery responses, FOIA responses, and preservation letters
Ø Proficiency with analyzing, indexing, duplicating, and organizing documents and data produced in discovery
Ø Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Acrobat
NOTE: A copy of your official transcripts, professional license, or training certificates will be required at the time of interview, if applicable.
NOTE: Applicants will be required to provide a writing sample before they come in for an interview.
Writing Sample Criteria
Applicants must submit a writing sample prior to their scheduled interviews. All writing samples submitted in consideration for employment must comply with the following criteria:
1. The sample may either be a professional project report, academic project report, an official communication related to a professional or academic project, or a work-related report or communication.
2. The writing sample submitted must be no more than five (5) pages.
3. The writing sample must be accompanied by a cover page explaining the items listed below:
a) The sample’s original purpose (e.g., a writing class, a professional project, a memorandum for an employer).
b) When (MM/DD/YYYY) and for whom the sample was written.
c) The extent of editing by any third party (if any).
d) If the writing sample is an excerpt from a larger document, identify that larger document and provide context, if necessary.
If an applicant chooses to submit a writing sample containing confidential or privileged information, the applicant must identify the steps taken, (redactions, name changes, or consent from the client or employer) to preserve the confidential or privileged nature of the document.
SELECTION REQUIREMENTS
This position requires applicants to complete an interview which will include a written exercise and/or a skills assessment test as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position.
Application Evaluation: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on an eligibility list in lottery order. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.
Education & Employment Requirements and Verification: You must provide information about your educational background and work experience including job titles, dates of employment (month/year), and specific job duties on your resume and/or application as it relates to the qualifications of the position for which you are applying. ‘Acting Up’ cannot be considered for current City employees. Please attach all applicable transcripts, diplomas, licenses, and/or certificates as outlined on the job posting for the position you are applying for. The initial evaluation will be based on information provided and documents submitted with the application. Applications must be submitted by the individual applicant. Employment applications lacking the required documentation will not be considered. For information regarding the required attachments, please review the description section of the job posting. Please be advised that if you are selected to be hired you must provide, upon request, adequate information regarding your educational and employment history. If you have received your degree internationally, you will be required to provide a Foreign Credential Evaluation. If the City of Chicago cannot verify this information, any offer extended to you will be withdrawn and you will not be hired.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications to be referred to departments for consideration.
To honor the commitment of our veterans, the City of Chicago has amended city ordinance 2-74-020 to bolster the hiring preference for individuals who have served in the United States Armed Forces and were discharged or released therefrom under Honorable Discharge or General Discharge (Under Honorable Conditions). The City of Chicago further recognizes an individual who has completed the term of their initial contract as a Reservist or member of the National Guard and is actively serving in good standing. Veterans who claim Veteran’s preference must submit the following at t
