Paralegal (Legal Assistant)

This is not a Civil Service Position.  DWSD employees are subject to provisions of Court Orders entered in United States District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, Southern Division, Case No. 77-71100 with regard to certain terms and conditions of employment. DWSD does not honor reversion rights for internal candidates. 

Applicants for open positions at the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the U.S. The Detroit Water and Sewerage Department is unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time. 

General Summary

The Paralegal /Legal Assistant isa professional who perform complex and technical administrative work in the Office of the General Counsel of DWSD and is responsible for performing technical tasks; researching relevant laws, regulations and legal articles (if certified as a paralegal); gathering and arranging legal documents; filing documents with courts; drafting reports to assist counsel; reviewing discovery for relevance; summarizing depositions; taking detailed notes and; drafting correspondence on behalf of counsel as well as following security and safety policies and procedures in carrying out work duties.

Requirements

• Paralegal certification (desired)
• Bachelor’s degree (desired)
• Notary Public (desired)
• Two to five years of experience in Paralegal or Legal Assistant role
• Experience in the presentation of legal information in a public setting
• Experience in drafting, editing and serving litigation related documents including, but not limited to, discovery, responsive pleadings and creating a TOC and TOA for litigation briefs
• Experience in reviewing and summarizing deposition and trial transcripts and medical records. 

JobDuties

(Illustrative only, may not include all of the duties listed nor do the listed examples include all of the tasks that may be performed)

• Assist four attorneys in preparing for legal transactions, depositions, hearings, trials and conferences
• Complete administrative tasks, including individual cases or transactions
• Investigate the factual evidence of a transaction or case and preparing relevant exhibits, charts and diagrams to display or communicate information
• Draft basic legal court documents, such as pleadings, motions, discovery, affidavits and subpoenas without a specific example
• Obtain due diligence materials
• Organize and track files for important transactions or case documents, including pleadings and voluminous discovery documents
• Review Discovery responses/documents for relevance
• Create and maintain a case-management database
• Conduct case research (if certified Paralegal)
• Preparedetailedreportsand memoranda

Knowledgeof:

• Laws, policies, and procedures that affect the department
• Litigation, organization and management
• MS-OfficeSuite(Word,Excel, PowerPoint)
• Quality management and process improvement principles
• Michigan Court Rules and Federal Court Rules related to Pleadings and Discovery

SkillTo

• Maintain the calendars of counsel
• Coordinate and confirm court dates and appointments
• Perform electronic filing process
• PrepareFOIA responses
• Prepare Damage Claim responses 
• Prepare litigation related documents without use of an example
• Highly organized when managing multiple tasks
• Work under tight deadlines
• Draft correspondence and basic pleadings
• Actively participate in organizational change initiatives
• Analyze information to make effective decisions

AbilityTo

• Respond to work place dynamics in a timely, visionary and proactive manner
• Proficiently utilize standard office and pertinent specialized software (including Microsoft Office Suite products and Westlaw)  
• Interpret and analyze data
• Manage multiple priorities
• Acquire additional training and knowledge of contemporary principles and best practices of function managed
• Work effectively with minimal supervision
• Complete specialized, technical assignments
• Develop effective working relationships with other business units as well as external vendors and customers
• Learn and effectively use new software programs (including Smartsheet and HighQ) 

EvaluationProcess

1. Oral appraisal 25%
2. Writing Assignment 50% 
3. Training, Experience, and Personal Qualifications: 25%

License, Certification and Other Special Requirements

• Valid Michigan Driver’s License
• This is not a remote position. In-office attendance is required Monday through Friday.