Appellate Paralegal (U) #00000077-21600, Full-Time, At-Will, in Santa Fe, NM

Full-time, at-will term position in Santa Fe, NM.

About the role

The New Mexico Supreme Court is seeking a highly organized, self-motivated Appellate Paralegal to support the Court by coordinating and fulfilling administrative, technical, and clerical requirements under the direction of a Court of Appeals Judge, Supreme Court Justice, or other designee.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, edit, perform technical analysis, and proofread appellate opinions, decisions, dispositional orders, and other documents.
• Review cited cases to ensure accuracy and verify record cites for factual representation in appellate court dispositions.
• Ensure all citations comply with the New Mexico Appellate Courts Technical Handbook, The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, and other style guides.
• Perform legal research using electronic databases, case law, statutes, court rules, law journals, and historical documents; annotate case impacts and negative subsequent history.
• Draft and docket legal documents, including memoranda of Court action, orders, and other required documents.
• Prepare Court files for oral arguments or conferences and circulate or file appellate dispositions in compliance with Court procedures.
• Train and mentor staff on case information and administrative processes in the Clerk’s Office.
• Conduct advanced legal research; prepare correspondence and orders; serve as a liaison with court staff, state agencies, and the public.
• Provide customer service and information to the public; review court forms and rules for compliance with New Mexico statutes and court rules.
• Coordinate the timely processing of documents; manage Clerk of the Court/office files.
• Maintain the Official Roll of Attorneys, including admission of new attorneys and processing attorney status changes.
• Maintain and prepare Supreme Court Rules Committee orders and membership rosters.
• Maintain calendars and prepare statistical reports; manage administrative minutes.
• Assist with responses to Inspection of Public Records Act requests.
• Manage processes, documents, records, and files as assigned.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following competencies and qualifications:

• Exceptional attention to detail, strong writing, and communication skills.
• Ability to work quickly, accurately, and independently with minimal supervision.
• Experience as a paralegal in litigation, a court, or clerk’s office, with knowledge in areas such as rulemaking, public records requests, legal document preparation, docketing, calendaring, and case management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and G Suite applications.
• Knowledge of legal terminology, technical writing, and editing; appellate court dispositions (e.g., opinions, decisions, memorandum opinions, orders).
• Familiarity with legal citation procedures, The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, Garner’s Dictionary of Legal Usage, The Gregg Reference Manual, and Black’s Law Dictionary.
• Experience with legal research tools such as Westlaw, Lexis, New Mexico One Source of Law, and other electronic legal databases.
• Understanding of New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA 1978), New Mexico Rules Annotated (NMRA), and court rules, policies, and operations.
• Basic knowledge of organizational management and conflict resolution.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, meet deadlines, and exercise sound judgment.

Qualifications

An Appellate Paralegal shall meet one or more of the following qualifications per New Mexico Supreme Court Rules Governing Paralegal Services (Rule 20-115 NMRA):

• Graduation from a paralegal program approved by the American Bar Association, an associate degree program, a post-baccalaureate certificate program in paralegal studies, or a bachelor’s degree program.
• Graduation from a post-secondary legal assistant program with a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours, including at least eighteen (18) semester hours in general education and eighteen (18) in legal specialty courses.
• A bachelor’s degree in any field plus two (2) years of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Fifteen (15) semester hours of substantive paralegal courses may substitute for one year of experience.
• Graduation from an accredited law school (not disbarred or suspended from practice in New Mexico or any other jurisdiction).
• Certification by the National Association of Legal Assistants, National Federation of Paralegal Associations, or equivalent national/state competency examination, plus one (1) year of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney.
• A high school diploma or equivalent plus seven (7) years of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Work Environment

• Work is performed in an office or court setting.
• A valid driver’s license and occasional travel may be required.
• The assigned work schedule may include nights, weekends, holidays, and overtime.
• Regular interaction with co-workers, clients, the public, judges, and justices is required.

Pay

$24.736–$49.472 per hour or $51,451–$102,902 annually.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, and prescription insurance.
• Short-term and long-term disability insurance programs.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• State-paid life insurance; optional supplemental and dependent life insurance.
• Flexible spending accounts for medical, day-care, and travel expenses.
• Paid vacation and sick leave (up to eight weeks).
• Eleven paid holidays.
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave.
• Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan.
• Lifetime Defined Benefits Retirement Plan (NM PERA).
• Flexible work schedules and alternative work locations.
• Free healthcare, prescriptions, and lab work at the Stay Well Health Center in Santa Fe, NM.
• Bilingual compensation (if applicable).
• Training and career development opportunities.
• Higher education opportunities, educational leave, and tuition reimbursement.
• Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF).
• Overtime, holiday, or shift differential pay (if applicable).
• Physical fitness leave (if applicable).