Legal Assistant II and III

Recruitment Information

Recruitment Number 26-0291
This vacancy is with Department of the Attorney General, in the Child Support Enforcement Agency Division.

Duties Summary

Duties
Performs substantive legal work which attorneys otherwise perform, except that Legal Assistants may not give independent legal advice, appear in court, or perform other duties that may constitute the unauthorized practice of law. Legal Assistants perform services such as:

• Providing preliminary legal consultation services which involves providing legal information, answering questions which are covered by attorneys' previous interpretations or decisions or referring those not so covered and otherwise serving as a conduit between attorneys and clients
• Performing legal research and preparing summaries of specific decisions, laws, statutes and legal subjects;
• Preparing cases for court hearings including the collection, analysis and evaluation of evidence for use by attorneys in court; and
• Writing drafts or outlines of briefs, memos, legal opinions, stipulations, orders and other legal documents for review, approval and use by attorneys.

Level II is the independent worker in the series. Positions in this class reflect workers who are fully competent in basic Legal Assistant functions, procedures, techniques and skills.

Level III is the journey worker level in the series. Positions in this class reflect workers who are under the general supervision of an attorney, positions at this level provide the full range of Legal Assistant services required in an assigned program area. Positions independently provide preliminary legal consultation services to line departmental personnel; establish evidence and develop cases; perform legal research; prepare drafts, outlines or summaries of legal subjects, laws, statutes, briefs and other legal documents and related duties. Work at this level may also include training new Legal Assistant employees.

Minimum Qualification Requirements
Applicants will be placed on the eligible list for ALL levels for which they are qualified.
To qualify, you must meet all of the following requirements:
Legal Authorization To Work
The State of Hawaii requires all persons seeking employment with the government of the State shall be citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens of the United States, or eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment in the United States.

Legal Assistant II
General Experience/Education:
Four (4) years of progressively responsible administrative, professional or analytical work experience that provided knowledge, skills and abilities comparable to those acquired in four (4) years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree. To be acceptable, the experience must have been of such scope, level and quality as to assure the possession of comparable knowledge, skills and abilities; OR Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

AND
Specialized Experience:
Two (2) years of paralegal work experience which demonstrates that the applicant possesses knowledge of rules of evidence; the legal system and procedures; legal research methods and sources of legal information; and that the applicant also has the ability to understand and explain legal processes and procedures; evaluate and analyze facts and legal issues; prepare legal reports, documents and correspondence; speak clearly, and follow oral and written instructions.

Legal Assistant III
General Experience/Education:
Four (4) years of progressively responsible administrative, professional or analytical work experience that provided knowledge, skills and abilities comparable to those acquired in four (4) years of successful study while completing a college or university curriculum leading to a baccalaureate degree. To be acceptable, the experience must have been of such scope, level and quality as to assure the possession of comparable knowledge, skills and abilities; OR Graduation from an accredited four (4) year college or university with a bachelor’s degree.

AND
Specialized Experience:
Four (4) years of paralegal work experience which demonstrates that the applicant possesses knowledge of rules of evidence; the legal system and procedures; legal research methods and sources of legal information; and that the applicant also has the ability to understand and explain legal processes and procedures; evaluate and analyze facts and legal issues; prepare legal reports, documents and correspondence; speak clearly, and follow oral and written instructions.

Note:
Experience as a legal stenographer or legal secretary involving only the checking, filing, and processing of legal forms and documents is not considered qualifying.

Substitutions Allowed:
Relevant substitutions as described in the Minimum Qualification Requirements will apply.

The information provided above represents a summary of the complete Minimum Qualification Requirements. To view the Requirements in their entirety, please refer to the official documentation.

Other Information
The State of Hawai'i complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodations in completing an application, any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participating in the selection process, please call 808-587-1111 for assistance.

Your Job Benefits With The State Of Hawai'i
The State of Hawaii offers its employees who are members of the civil service a range of benefits. Some benefits are offered as a result of collective bargaining agreements and changes may occur.

A summary of these benefits, which is based on full-time employment, is listed below.

Paid Holidays
You may be eligible for 13 paid holidays each year; 14 holidays during an election year.

Paid Vacation
You may earn vacation leave at a rate that other employers find tough to match – 21 days each full year from the FIRST year of employment. This compares to an average of 10 days offered by private companies. You may accumulate up to a total of 90 days (720 hours) of vacation.

Paid Sick Leave
You may earn sick leave at the same rate as vacation – 21 days per year from the FIRST year, and there is no limit on the amount you can accumulate. Expectant mothers may also use sick leave for pre-natal or post-natal check-ups or any illness related to pregnancy. Plus, unused accumulated sick leave may eventually be used to increase your retirement benefits in certain situations.

Other Leaves
Reasonable time off with pay may be provided for jury or witness duty, a death in the family, some military duty, and donation to the Blood Bank. Leave sharing donations may be granted to eligible employees who have serious personal illnesses or injuries or need to care for a seriously ill or injured family member. Various leaves without pay may also be granted with full re-employment rights.

Health Insurance
The State pays a part of the premiums for each employee's enrollment in a State sponsored Medical, Drug, Vision, and Dental Plan. For more information, visit the Employer Union Trust Fund website for coverage and options.

Group Life Insurance
The State provides a free life insurance policy for employees.

Retirement Plan
The State contributes to a retirement plan for eligible employees. Generally, employees under the Hybrid Plan with 10 years of credited service and who have reached 65 years of age or have 30 years of credited service and have reached 60 years of age may retire and receive benefits. To find out more about the options you have, please refer to the appropriate resources.

Premium Conversion Plan
Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct the cost of health care premiums before payroll taxes are withheld.

Flexible Spending Accounts
Eligible employees can reduce their federal and state income taxes and social security taxes through a tax-savings benefit program. This program allows employees to set aside money from their paychecks to pay for out-of-pocket health care expenses and eligible dependent care expenses on a BEFORE-TAX basis.

Transportation Benefits
Participating employees may increase their take-home pay by having the State deduct qualified transportation expenses through pre-tax payroll deductions.

Deferred Compensation
The State offers employees a voluntary pre-tax retirement savings plan designed to give employees a tax break today and an opportunity to build a retirement nest egg through voluntary payroll deductions. Several types of investment options are available.

Temporary Disability Insurance
Qualified employees may be eligible to receive benefits for a disability caused by a non-work related injury or illness under this program.

Social Security
As an employer, the State also contributes to an employee's social security account.

Promotions & Transfers
For employees with membership in the civil service, the State offers promotion and transfer opportunities throughout the State Executive Branch.

Training & Continuing Education
The State supports developmental activities related to an employee's work. In many departments there are numerous in-service training opportunities available. Sabbatical leaves with pay are available for qualified employees.

Travel Expenses
The State may pay for certain business related travel expenses including mileage reimbursement for use of a personal car during work, airfare, meals and lodging expenses for trips to neighbor islands or out of state.

Incentive & Service Awards
The State has a program that recognizes employees for their years of service and provides cash awards for their superior accomplishments and other contributions that improve State operations.

Union & Collective Bargaining
Employees have the right to join the union for collective bargaining with the State and employee representation. Some employee unions provide discounts, insurance and other opportunities. Employees may also decide not to join a union, however, employees are required to pay union service fees unless the employee's job is excluded from collective bargaining.

The above information is solely intended as a summary of the benefits available to State of Hawaii employees and is subject to change. Whether or not you are entitled to a particular benefit will depend on your specific appointment and employment status.

The State of Hawaii is an Equal Opportunity Employer.