Law Office Assistant 1/2 (02-1255)

This position is open to Alaska Residents only. Please check ourresidency definitionto determine if you qualify.

This individual position is EXEMPT from the hiring freeze. Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

What You Will Be Doing

No prior legal experience is required this is an exciting opportunity for those looking to start their career or move into a new job field. Many of our Law Office Assistants do not have any legal experience and we provide on the job training to ensure your success.

Our Organization Mission and Culture

The Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel in many types of cases and the Public Defender Agency is appointed by the Court to represent people who are unable to afford counsel on their own. Law Office Assistants are an integral part of providing that representation and protecting our clients rights. Law Office Assistants work closely with attorneys and other Agency staff to make sure evidence and case materials are processed and distributed quickly. They often serve as important points of contact for the Court system opposing counsel and the public.

The Benefits of Joining Our Team

Support staff at the Public Defender Agency have the opportunity to learn about the legal system and hone their administrative and clerical skills to further their career development in the legal field. Most importantly they get to do this while working as a team to provide meaningful contributions to Alaska as the work we do impacts peoples lives and protects the constitutional rights of all Alaskans. This important work helps improve case outcomes for individuals charged with crimes helps re-unify families and provides the foundation for successful re-entry into communities. This is an entry level position and many Law Office Assistants use the skills and experience they gain to promote to paralegal investigative and administrative management positions within the Agency the State of Alaska or the private sector.

Your first 6 months in the Agency are probationary and considered a training period with formal and on-the-job training with your supervisor and your colleagues.

The Working Environment You Can Expect

The office is located in downtown Anchorage near the Nesbett and Boney courthouses. The hours are Monday through Friday 8:00 AM 4:30 PM with an hour lunch at noon. Downtown parking is provided by the Agency near the office. This position works closely with attorneys paralegals investigators and other law office assistants.

Who We Are Looking For

• Technology Application: Uses machines tools instruments or equipment effectively; uses computers and computer applications to analyze and communicate information in the appropriate format.
• Oral and Written Communication: Expresses information (for example ideas or facts) to individuals or groups effectively taking into account the audience and nature of the information (for example technical sensitive controversial); makes clear and convincing oral and written presentations; listens to others attends to nonverbal cues and responds appropriately.
• Information Assurance: Knowledge of methods and procedures to protect information systems and data by ensuring their availability authentication confidentiality and integrity.

PI01A1 Law Office Assistant 1

One year of experience that involves some combination of providing significant customer service contact; eliciting or exchanging information as related to requirements or procedures necessary to secure services authorizations or goods on behalf of the client; and/or performing standard administrative tasks such as preparing correspondence or reports filing entering data receiving payments and/or maintaining logs and includes the regular proficient use of electronic management information systems and word processing and other standard business software applications.

Substitutions:

Any combination of post-secondary education from an accredited college or university (2.67 semester hours or 4 quarter hours equal one month) in any area of study and/or applicable experience as defined above may substitute for the required experience.

An associates degree or specific vocational-technical certification in a legal support career area (e.g. paralegal legal assistant legal secretary or criminal justice) may substitute for the required experience.

Vocational-technical certification in a generalized business support career area (e.g. administrative office technology business and marketing management entrepreneurship or office assistance) may substitute for up to 6 months of the required experience.

PI01A2 Law Office Assistant 2

One year of specific experience as a Law Office Assistant 1 with the State of Alaska;

OR

Successful completion of training under a formally established Law Office Assistant 1-2 flexible staffing training plan with the State of Alaska;

OR

One year of experience in a law office or other administrative experience that includes the regular proficient use of electronic management information systems and word processing and other standard business software applications for preparing reviewing or processing legal documents such as affidavits court reports demand letters discovery requests or responses entries of appearances hearing transcripts memoranda of advice/instruction motions legal opinions subpoenas and/or writs.

Substitutions:

A bachelors degree in a legal field of study may substitute for the required experience.

An associates degree or specific vocational-technical certification in a legal support career area (e.g. paralegal Law Office Assistant legal secretary or criminal justice) may substitute for up to 6 months of the required experience.

Post-secondary education from an accredited college or university in a non-legal field of study may substitute for up to 6 months of the required experience (2.67 semester hours or 4 quarter hours equal one month).

Vocational-Technical Certification in a generalized business support (e.g. administrative office technology business and marketing management entrepreneurship or office assistance) career area may substitute for up to 3 months of the required experience.

Special Note (All Levels):

Most positions require incumbents to be able to obtain a Notary Public upon hire and to be able to pass a criminal background check to meet security requirements for using criminal record networks such as APSIN and National Crim Enforcement Information Center/National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NCIC/NLETS). If this requirement is present it will be stated in the vacancy announcement.

Please read the below information carefully. This applies to your application submission.

THIS RECRUITMENT IS FOR ALASKA RESIDENTS ONLY

Please be sure to check our residency definition to determine if you qualify.

• College transcripts (if using education to meet the minimum qualifications)

• Three professional references two who have had supervisory experience over you including current email and/or daytime phone number

EDUCATION
If post-secondary education is required to meet the minimum qualifications you must fill in the Education section of the application. If you have not obtained a degree please indicate the number of units completed. Copies of transcripts are required to verify educational credentials if used to meet the minimum qualifications for a position. Transcripts can be attached at the time of application or within 48 hours of the close of this recruitment to the contact person listed below.

SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR FOREIGN EDUCATION
Education completed in foreign colleges or universities may be used to meet the above requirements if applicable. If utilizing this education you must show that the education credentials have been submitted to a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign educational credentials and that such education has been deemed to be at least equivalent to that gained in conventional U.S. education programs; or an accredited U.S. state university reports the other institution as one whose transcript is given full value or full value is given in subject areas applicable to the curricula at the state university. It is your responsibility to provide such evidence when applying.

WORK EXPERIENCE
If using work experience not already documented in your application also provide the employers name your job title dates of employment and whether full-or part-time. Applications will be reviewed to determine if the responses are supported and minimum qualifications are clearly met. If they are not the applicant may not advance to the interview and selection phase of the recruitment.

NOTE: Attaching a resume or curriculum vitae is not an alternative to filling out the application in its entirety. Noting see resume or CV or any similar response on any portion of your application may lead to a determination your application is incomplete and removal from consideration for this job posting.

APPLICATION NOTICE
You can ONLY apply for this position through the Workplace Alaska website or via hardcopy application. If you accessed this recruitment bulletin through a job search portal such as AlaskaJobs or any other database you MUST use a Workplace Alaska online or hardcopy application to successfully apply. Instructions on how to apply with Workplace Alaska may be found on the Workplace Alaska How to Apply webpage found here: STATEMENT

The State of Alaska complies with Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Individuals with disabilities who require accommodation auxiliary aides or services or alternative communication formats please call 1- or in Juneau or TTY: Alaska Relay 711 or 1- or correspond with the Division of Personnel & Labor Relations at: P.O. Box 110201 Juneau AK 99811-0201. The State of Alaska is an equal opportunity employer.

NOTICE

If you choose to be contacted by email please ensure your email address is correct on your application and that the spam filter will permit email from the domains. For information on allowing emails from the domains visit the Lost Password Help page located at ALASKA APPLICATION QUESTIONS & ASSISTANCE

Questions regarding application submission or system operation errors should be directed to the Workplace Alaska hotline at 1- (toll free) or if you are located in the Juneau area. Requests for information may also be emailed to

Bradie Tucker

Paralegal Specialist 2