Division Overview:

The State’s Attorney’s Office in the Montana Department of Justice is dedicated to ensuring justice and upholding the rule of law on behalf of the people of Montana.

The State’s Attorney’s Office consists of Assistant Attorneys General and legal support staff that represent the State of Montana. The office includes the Solicitor General’s Office, Criminal Prosecution and Appellate Services, Civil Services and Consumer Protection. Additionally, the office provides legal expertise and litigation support to other state agencies. The functions within the office include defense of Montana’s laws as passed by the Legislature, and ballot initiatives passed by the voters; prosecution of criminals; litigation, from district court proceedings through appeal; and complex litigation of antitrust matters. Legal counsel and advice to state agencies is provided on a fee-for-service basis. Services typically include litigation, hearings officer services, and transactional work, and may relate to any legal matter regulated by the State of Montana.

Job Overview:

The Paralegal position performs a variety of paralegal functions for the Agency Legal Services Bureau, requiring the incumbent to work individually as well as with the attorneys, the management staff, and the Attorney General. The incumbent performs paralegal and administrative duties involving research and analysis of legal information such as statutes, court decisions, codes, rules, regulations, and other sources for use by staff attorneys. The paralegal is responsible for 120 monthly hourly billing requirements and there is an incentive program for meeting the billing requirements.

Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Has experience with cases in litigation and has a working knowledge of the Montana rules of civil procedure and the federal rules of civil procedure
• Two years of substantive work as a paralegal plus
• The following requirements listed under statute (25-10-305 (2), MCA):
• Associates degree in paralegal studies from an accredited institution or
• Bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies from an accredited college or university; or
• Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from an accredited college or university and completion of no less than 18 semester credits of course work offered by a qualified paralegal studies program; or
• Certification by the national association of legal assistants or the National Federation of Paralegal Associations; or
• Has received a high school diploma or its equivalent and has performed not less than 4,800 hours of substantive legal work under the supervision of a licensed lawyer documented by the certification of the lawyer or lawyers under whom the work was done and has completed at least five hours of approved continuing legal education in the area of legal ethics and professional responsibility; or
• Has graduated from an accredited law school and has not been disbarred or suspended from the practice of law by any jurisdiction.

Special Instructions:

The selection procedures to be used in evaluating the applicant's qualification may include, but are not limited to an evaluation of the résumé, a structured interview, performance test, academic transcripts, reference/background checks and fingerprint checks.

Additional materials, references or information submitted by the applicant, but not requested, will not be considered.

Successful applicant(s) will be subject to:

• Criminal History Fingerprint Check
• Driving History

REAL ID Compliant Credential Required and/or Passport:

State employees are required to present legally binding photo identification at the time of hire. Generally, this is a valid driver license, U.S. Passport or Employment Authorization ID (Form I-766).

All DOJ positions require a valid REAL ID or U.S. Passport within 60 days of hire, effective May 3, 2023.

For further information go to https://mtrealid.gov or https://www.dhs.gov/real-id-frequently-asked-questions

HOW TO APPLY:

To be considered for this position, you must attach a résumé at the time of application.

Tip: When attaching your resume you must mark the attachments as a “Relevant File”.

Your Résumé: Please include all work experience as well as job duties that demonstrate your qualifications for this position. Include dates of employment (month & year- start & end) and the reason you left each job.

A complete online state application is not required. To initiate an application, attach the cover letter and résumé to be considered for this position. Failure to attach résumé will result in an incomplete application that will not be considered further.

Only electronic applications will be accepted. Materials submitted but not requested will not be considered in the selection process.

All documents for Veteran or Disability preference must be received or date stamped by the closing date. Please submit DD214 to Amber Koop at Amber.Koop2@mt.gov via File Transfer Service.

To request an accommodation with the application process, please contact the HR office.

Your service is rewarded with competitive compensation and generous State of Montana Benefits.

• Medical, dental and vision coverage
• Retirement plans
• Generous paid vacation, sick and holidays
• Pre-tax Flexibility Spending Accounts
• Employee Assistance Program

State of Montana employment may qualify for student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program.

This Organization Participates in E-Verify.

Minorities are under-represented in this position and are encouraged to apply.