PARALEGAL ASSISTANT

Agency: Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission
Class Title: PARALEGAL ASSISTANT - 30860 
Skill Option: None 
Bilingual Option: None 
Closing Date/Time: 10/15/2024
Salary: Anticipated starting Salary: $4766 per month; full range $4766-$6632 per month
Job Type: Salaried
Category: Full Time 
County: Cook; DeKalb; DuPage; Kane; Kankakee; Kendall; Lake; McHenry; Will
Number of Vacancies: 2
Plan/BU: RC062

 

This position is a union position; therefore, provisions of the relevant collective bargaining agreement/labor contract apply to the filling of this position.

 

All applicants who want to be considered for this position MUST apply electronically through the illinois.jobs2web.com website. State of Illinois employees should click the link near the top left to apply through the SuccessFactors employee career portal.

 

Applications submitted via email or any paper manner (mail, fax, hand delivery) will not be considered.

 

Posting Identification Number  41940 

Position Overview

Organizes and compiles case files from court records and other sources. Compiles transcripts, exhibits, and indices in standard format for presentation to Commissioners. Researches and drafts preliminary documents including but not limited to fact sections of case determinations, subpoenas, and correspondence. Examines case and court files for crime victim information; utilizes public databases and provided investigatory tools to locate crime victims’ families and notify them of Commission proceedings. Compiles administrative records, removing privileged and non-evidentiary information. Assists in responding to subpoenas, FOIA requests, or other correspondence received by the Commission. Coordinates with File Retrieval Specialist as necessary, including assistance at courthouses with retrieval, scanning, and copying of files. May assist Private Secretary with creation and transmission of Commissioners’ meeting books and other case documents or correspondence. May assist Private Secretary and staff attorneys with maintaining claim-tracking systems.

Essential Functions

• Performs preliminary legal research and organization of claimant files, particularly Cook County Criminal Court files. 

• Organizes files into complete administrative records for presentation to the Commissioners, removing privileged and non-evidentiary information prior to transmission to Commissioners.

• Conducts review of case files for documents demonstrating contact information of victims and their families to use in PeopleMAP searches of Westlaw to locate current mailing addresses and phone numbers of victims.

• Coordinates with File Retrieval Specialist and supervisor to ensure continued availability of ready-to-investigate case files for staff attorneys and pro bono partners, including managing Master Claimant list and organizing the list as specified in Administrative Rules to ensure priority cases are addressed in order required by Administrative Rules’ priority factors.

• Coordinates with Private Secretary, supervisor, and other staff attorneys to manage and distribute workload of drafting subpoenas, correspondence, and other Commission and case documents as needed.

• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill, and mental development equivalent to completion of four years of college with coursework in such areas as legal, pre-legal, English, statistics or directly related coursework.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers working knowledge of state and federal legal systems, including knowledge of court and quasi-judicial procedures.
• Prefers working knowledge of all available legal research tools including but not limited to those found in a law library, on Westlaw, and on Lexis Nexis.
• Prefers working knowledge of technical report writing, vocabulary, word usage and analytical ability in working with information such as would typically be acquired through post-secondary education.
• Prefers skill in utilizing Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Adobe Reader, Microsoft Excel, and other electronic data processing systems in a PC-based office environment.
• Prefers skill working with files and electronic documents in cloud-based document storage software such as OneDrive, SharePoint, and Microsoft Teams.
• Prefers excellent organizational skills: ab