Paralegal (U) #00033424-24400, Full-Time, At-Will in Albuquerque, NM

About the role

The Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court is recruiting for a full-time, at-will, Paralegal (U) #00033424-24400 for the Office of General Counsel in Albuquerque, NM.

Essential Tasks

• Under general supervision of an attorney, this position will work in the Office of the General Counsel (“OGC”), which performs legal research and analysis for Judges and Administration in the areas of business, contract, procurement, employment, general civil and criminal law.
• Keep others in the court appraised of changes in laws and rules of procedure.
• Maintain and update contracts, advise and assist with procurements, legal forms, and procedures.
• Knowledge of the Court’s rules, policies, and operations, the use of Westlaw, and New Mexico One Source.
• Exercise independent judgment in appraising situations and making decisions and recommendations.
• Organize and prioritize workload and manage multiple projects; communicate effectively both orally and in writing; and establish and maintain cooperative working relationships.

Examples Of Job Duties

• Perform advanced legal research and interviewing clients, pro se litigants, and attorneys, managing cases, composing legal correspondence, to identify relevant legal issues.
• Provides appropriate legal forms, procedural information, and referrals according to court rules and guidelines.
• Reviews court rules, analyze circumstances, and makes recommendations on complex situations and how to address non-routine issues that may fall outside of court guidelines.
• Assists customers to explain the legal procedures/circumstances, COLA rules, and regulations for those who choose to represent themselves without an attorney; and provides customer service and information to the public, other state agencies, and assists attorneys in the delivery of legal services.
• Performs advanced legal factual research, repairs legal pleadings and draft contracts, reports, correspondence, and routine orders, researches, analyzes, and audits case management issues, and provides notarizations.
• Presents and trains others in Continuing Legal Education and other training or educational programs.
• Keeps judges and/or legal staff including attorneys informed regarding proposed court rules, statutes, procedures, and law changes.
• Reviews case history, prepares and organizes appointments and referrals for arbitration and mediation.
• Revise court forms to ensure they are in compliance with New Mexico Statues and court rules.
• Ensures intake forms from each customer interviewed are accurate and complete.
• Coordinates the timely processing of documents, manages office files and records, calendar hearings, and statistical reports.
• Serves as a liaison with other court staff, state agencies, and the public and provides assistance to other legal divisions as requested.
• Ensures record keeping is accurate and up to date while maintaining HIPAA compliance.
• Ensures paperwork, court case files, procurement documents, and other legal documents comply with statutory retention schedules.
• May prepare legal pleadings, pro se correspondence, and arbitration forms to include routine orders.
• Reviews case history, prepares and organizes referrals for arbitration and mediation, preparing case files for arbitration.
• Coordinates with court-appointed arbitrators and their support staff to manage cases and case documents answering questions and requests, providing forms, packets and procedural information, and may coordinate and manage files and records for arbitration.
• May analyze court dockets and operations to develop processes and standard operating procedures that will improve case management and court services.
• May provide self-represented parties with referrals to court divisions and community resources.
• May respond to Inspection of Public Records Act Requests on behalf of the Court’s Records Custodian in compliance with all relevant statutes and rules.
• May research or draft legislative bill analysis, or fiscal reports.
• May serve as a Court Monitor.

Competencies/Qualifications

• Demonstrate knowledge in authorized and unauthorized practices of law; legal terminology and procedures; court rules, policies, and operations; employment law; case management systems and applicable software; New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA); forms of opinions and legal writing styles; The Gregg Reference Manual, Lexis, Westlaw, Westcheck, etc.; Supreme Court Rules and Regulations; New Mexico Administrative Code; New Mexico One Source; New Mexico Judicial Branch Personnel Rules and other legal reference materials; differentiating court procedures versus legal advice, sources for fact gathering, data collection, and retrieving information; mediating and managing conflict; project management techniques; procurement procedures; audit procedures; court records maintenance, retention, and destruction; governmental and civic legislative processes; and HIPPA requirements.

WORK ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL DEMANDS

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

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision/Rx, Short, and Long Term Disability Insurance Programs, employee assistance program (EAP)
• State paid life insurance, supplemental and dependent life insurance
• Optional flexible spending accounts for medical, day-care, and travel expenses
• Paid vacation and sick leave up to eight (8) weeks
• Eleven (11) paid holidays
• Up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave
• Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan
• Lifetime Defined Benefits Retirement Plan
• Flexible work schedules and alternative work locations
• Free health care, Rx, and lab work at the facility (Stay Well Health Center) in Santa Fe, NM
• Bilingual compensation
• Training and career development opportunities
• Higher education opportunities, educational leave, and tuition reimbursement
• May qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• May receive overtime holiday or shift differential pay

Qualifications

• MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
  • A Paralegal shall have several qualification options; however, all shall be in accordance with the State Bar of New Mexico, Rules Governing Paralegal Services, Paralegal qualifications, Rule 20-115. [Approved, effective January 30, 2004.]
  • “A paralegal shall meet one or more of the following educational, training, or work experience qualifications:
  • A. graduation from a paralegal program that is: (1) approved by the American Bar Association; (2) an associate degree program; (3) a post-baccalaureate certificate program in paralegal studies; or (4) a bachelor’s degree program;
  • B. graduation from a post-secondary legal assistant program which consists of a minimum of sixty (60) semester hours or equivalent, as defined by the American Bar Association guidelines for the Approval of Paralegal Education Programs, of which at least eighteen (18) semester hours or equivalent are general education courses and eighteen (18) semester hours or equivalent are legal specialty courses;
  • C. a Bachelor’s degree in any field, plus (two) 2 years of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney. Successful completion of at least fifteen (15) semester hours of substantive paralegal courses may be substituted for one year of law-related experience;
  • D. graduation from an accredited law school and not disbarred or suspended from the practice of law by the State of New Mexico or any other jurisdiction;
  • E. certification by the National Association of Legal Assistants, Incorporated, the National Federation of Paralegal Associations, Incorporated or other equivalent national or state competency examination plus at least one (1) year of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney;
  • F. a high school diploma or equivalent plus seven (7) years of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

To Apply

• Applicants interested in applying should complete a New Mexico Judicial Branch Application for Employment (Revised 7/29/24) or a Resume Supplemental Form (Revised 7/29/24) and submit with a signature and date to the Human Resource Division prior to 5 p.m.
• Application Forms Microsoft Word Format Adobe PDF Format
• Resume Supplemental Forms Microsoft Word Format Adobe PDF Format
• Human Resources Division 401 Lomas NW Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
• Tel: (505) 841-9819 | Fax No: (505) 222-4823
• Email: metrjobs-grp@nmcourts.gov
• Website: https://webapps.metrocourt.state.nm.us/HRjobsapp/job_ops
• Proof Of Education Is Required.