Paralegal 4

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Job Title:  

Paralegal 4

Agency:

Georgia Professional Standards Commission

Job Requisition ID:

JR0000000992

Shift:

Day (United States of America)

Compensation Details:

$55,000.00

Job Description:

Description

The mission of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) is to build the best prepared, best qualified, and most ethical education workforce in the nation. PSC sets and applies high standards for the preparation, certification, and continued licensing of Georgia public educators. The Educator Ethics Division of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission is authorized by law to investigate reports of specified criminal conduct, violations of professional or ethical codes of conduct, and violations of certain rules, regulations, and policies by school system educators. The Commission imposes disciplinary action or a denial of a certificate against an educator. In addition, the Commission is charged with adopting standards of performance and a code of ethics for educators. For additional information about PSC, please see www.gapsc.com.

The individual in this position will work as a team member with the Chief Case Administrator and other staff members to cooperatively accomplish common agency work goals. The work also involves collaboration with multiple external stakeholders, including the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of State Administrative Hearings. Under limited supervision, the individual in this position drafts and prepares legal documents for review. Provides assistance and coordination in preparing and conducting legal research to initiate administrative action. Effectively manages multiple projects by appropriately focusing attention on critical priorities; effectively creates and executes against project timelines based on priorities, resource availability, and other project requirements; effectively evaluates planned approaches, determines feasibility, and adjusts when needed. Performs other duties as assigned.

Duties and Responsibilities

Compiles and Prepares Correspondence and Legal Documents:

Compiles and prepares legal documents and correspondence in an accurate and timely manner. This includes, but is not limited to:

· Correspondence pertaining to disciplinary action before the Commission

· Consent Orders

· Final Orders

· Operation of Law Final Orders

· Acknowledgement of Hearing Requests

· Open Records Requests

Gathers and Analyzes Data / Performs Data Entry and Searches / File Management:

· Processes received complaints (Preliminary Investigation Determinations / PIDs). Determines if the complaints meet minimum requirements to be processed. Inputs all required information into the Agency database and into other designated electronic databases as directed.

· Determines the need for extensions for new complaints (PIDs) and prepares a PID extensions list for each Commission meeting.

· Accurately redacts and scans new complaints (PIDs) for Commission meetings.

· Accurately records all Commission decisions pertaining to opening new investigations to determine which follow-up stage the case will enter and which correspondence is required.

· Accurately records all Commission decisions pertaining to “probable cause” determinations in order to determine which follow-up stage the case will enter and which correspondence is required.

· Receives all responses to the Commission's “probable cause” determinations and determines which follow-up stage the case will enter and which correspondence is required.

· Accurately records all requests for hearings; creates required reports and documents; and timely forwards those matters to the Georgia Attorney General's Office.

· Tracks non-responses to the Commission's “probable cause” determinations and properly determines when the disciplinary action in question becomes final by “operation of law” and which correspondence is required.

· Decides which final Commission decisions are to be reflected in a national database (NASDTEC) and timely performs the data entry. Also ensures that reinstatements are timely recorded in that national database as necessary.

· Creates required files (electronic and/or hard copy) in a timely manner and sees to the proper and timely placement/storage of the files.

· Accurately determines the Commission's/Agency’s decisions and forwards the case files (electronic and/or hard copy) to the appropriate Agency employees.

· Properly stores case files (electronic and/or hard copy) in a timely manner.

· Performs other database entries and searches as requested.

Other

· Conducts legal research as requested by the Management Team. Prepare memoranda on legal research.

· Other duties as assigned.

Minimum State Qualifications: High school diploma/GED and six (6) years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment; or certificate from a paralegal training program and four (4) years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment; or one (1) year of experience required at the lower level Paralegal 4 (LET033) or position equivalent

Agency Specific Qualifications: Associate's degree in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university AND two (2) years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment: Associate's degree in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university AND two (2) years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment

OR certificate from a paralegal training program AND three (3) years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment OR Five (5) years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment OR One (1) year of experience required at the lower level Paralegal 3 (LET032) or position equivalent.

Agency Preferred Qualifications: Experience as a paralegal or legal assistant or legal secretary or administrative assistant in a certification/licensing agency (government), in a state attorney general’s office/state prosecutor’s office, or a state administrative hearings office with work duties related to certification/licensure disciplinary matters. Proficient in the use of Excel, MS Word, Access, and Outlook. GBI-GCIC Network Operator certification (current or within 6 months of date of hire.

Minimum Qualifications:

Associate's degree in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university AND Two years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment OR certificate from a paralegal training program AND Three years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment OR Five years of experience as a legal assistant in a legal environment OR One year of experience required at the lower level Paralegal 3 (LET032) or position equivalent.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

The State of Georgia does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or other protected categories in employment or the provision of services.
Qualified applicants may request reasonable accommodation when needed during the application and/or screening process by contacting the appropriate agency Human Resources department.