Paralegal

About the role

The Hennepin County Attorney's Office (CAO) is seeking a Paralegal to join their Child Protection Legal Writing Unit and to create a list for future vacancies across the department.

Responsibilities

• Prepare, review, edit, file and/or serve legal documents, including emergency or permanency petitions, letters, motions, affidavits, court orders, subpoenas, and other legal documents.
• Organize, index, assemble and/or summarize files, facts, records, pleadings, exhibits and other relevant documents for case preparation; prepare legal documents and other case materials.
• Identify, collect, review and evaluate information to assist attorneys in the determination of appropriateness of legal action, development of legal issues and preparation of cases.
• Legal Writing Unit: Support the preparation, review, editing, filing, and serving of legal documents, including emergency or permanency petitions, letters, motions, affidavits, court orders, subpoenas, and other legal documents.
• General Paralegal: Prepare, file and/or serve legal documents, including letters, motions, affidavits, court orders, subpoenas, stipulation and discovery requests, depositions, interview summaries, and trial notebooks.
• Summarize, organize, and assemble facts, records, pleadings, exhibits and other relevant documents for case preparation.
• Conduct research for attorneys on current cases and issues of concern.
• Gather information from clients and witnesses through interviews and from documents.
• Monitor case files to ensure compliance with appropriate rules and procedures.
• Appear at trial or other court proceedings to assist attorney with referencing and accessing pertinent documents, taking notes of testimony, witness assistance, exhibit coordination, etc.

Requirements

• One of the following:
  • A degree or higher in paralegal studies, certification from an accredited legal assistant program, and two years or more of experience performing legal work.
  • Related education and/or experience to total four years or more.
• Nice to have:
  • Experience working as a paralegal.
  • Experience in legal document drafting and summarizing, including the ability to identify essential information and rewrite it clearly and concisely while preserving the intended meaning.
  • Experience preparing files/cases/assignments.
  • Experience working in a public law office.
  • Experience working with police reports, medical records, substance use records, or comparable documentation, including collecting, organizing, and summarizing information.
  • Experience working directly with witnesses, social services and care providers.
  • Effective interpersonal and organizational skills, accuracy, and attention to detail.
  • Skills using Microsoft Office products, including Access, Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
  • Skills using Case management systems including Minnesota Government Access (MGA) and Westlaw with the ability to conduct electronic research.

Qualifications

• Ability to work under pressure during periods of high-volume activity.
• Ability to provide prompt, polite, and respectful customer service to all persons requesting service.
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing in an organized, concise, and accurate manner.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and effectively in a team environment.
• Ability to problem solve and think critically.

Benefits

Current Hennepin County employees who refer a candidate hired into an open competitive position may be eligible for a $500 referral bonus. For more information visit the employee referral page. Find us here at upcoming career fairs!

Pay

This is a full-time, benefit earning position.

Schedule

This position is hybrid and will be performed both on-site at the Hennepin County Government Center, 300 South 6th Street, Minneapolis, MN 55487 and remote as job duties require. Work hours will be Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. While this position is designated as hybrid, based on current requirements hires must reside in or relocate to Minnesota or Wisconsin.

Location

New Employee Orientation (NEO) for all new benefit-earning employees is in-person in downtown Minneapolis. Details about NEO will be provided upon hire.

About the Department

The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office is a fierce advocate for justice and equity, pursuing holistic community safety and providing quality legal services through evidence-informed practices and collaborative problem solving. We prosecute crimes with fairness and integrity. We advocate for victims of crime by seeking meaningful accountability and supporting healing. We use preventive and restorative approaches to address the complex root causes of crime and violence. We engage with partners to pursue system accountability. And we provide proactive and innovative legal services in the areas of mental health, child support, child protection, and civil legal representation for Hennepin County to advance the County’s efforts to reduce disparities and enhance the quality of life of our community.

About Hennepin County

Hennepin is the largest county government organization in Minnesota. Our employees work every day to improve the health, safety and quality of life for our residents and communities. All of our jobs align with our mission to serve residents through transformative services that eliminate disparities, eliminate inequities, and create opportunity for all and our vision of a community where all people are healthy, all people are valued, and all people thrive. Our employees receive a combination of competitive benefits and positive workplace culture not found at other organizations. This includes meaningful work that impacts our community, competitive pay, work-life balance, a variety of benefits and opportunities to grow. Learn more at The Bridge (login as Guest).

Talent Acquisition division

Hennipin County Human Resources department Submit a request at hennepin.us/ask-hr or 612-348-7855