Paralegal (U) #10117310-23500 Full-Time, At-Will in Roswell, NM

About the role

The Fifth Judicial District Court in Chaves County, Roswell, New Mexico has one job opening for a full time, Paralegal (At-Will) position # 10117310. The position is in the Range II with a target pay range of $24.73 to $29.374 hourly. Hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for performing 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, analyzes circumstances, and makes recommendations on complex situations and how to address non-routine issues that may fall outside of court guidelines.
• Affords 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.
• Revises 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.
• Other duties as assigned.

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; or
• F. a high school diploma or equivalent plus seven (7) years of substantive law-related experience under the supervision of a licensed attorney.

Application

Candidate must submit the New Mexico Judicial Branch Application for Employment form and proof of education prior to the position being filled.

Contact Information

Kennon Crowhurst, CEO
Fifth Judicial District Court
Roswell, NM 88202
Phone #: 575-622-2565 ext. 127
Fax #: 575-624-7501

Equal Opportunity Employer