Job Description

State of New Hampshire Job Posting

Revenue Administration

Legal Bureau

109 Pleasant Street

Concord, NH 03301

Paralegal II - Legal Bureau

Position # 18966

$22.50/hour - $30.02/hour

*See total compensation information at the bottom of announcement.

The State of New Hampshire, Revenue Administration, Legal Bureau has a full-time vacancy for 23-2010 Paralegals-Legal Assts-4.

Summary:

Performs paraprofessional complex legal research, reviewing and analyzing statutes, rules, and regulations for use in administrative agency appeals, assists in the preparation for and conduct of legal proceedings, and interacts with department personnel, court officials, taxpayers and their advisors for the Department of Revenue's Legal Unit.

YOUR EXPERIENCE COUNTS

: Each additional year of approved formal education may be substituted for one year of required work experience and/or each additional year of approved work experience may be substituted for one year of required formal education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education/Experience: Associate's degree and 2 years of experience OR equivalent combination of 4 years of education and experience after completion of high school. Education and experience must be in law, paralegal studies, criminal justice, civil litigation, or a related legal field, and include some experience with legal research, legal terminology, and legal investigative work.

License/Certification:

None

Other Requirements:

As a condition of employment and to safeguard confidential information, all Department employees are required to undergo initial and periodic background checks. These assessments may include FBI fingerprint-based background screenings, state-level background investigations, and inquiries with local law enforcement agencies. An unfavorable background check result may lead to disqualification from the hiring process or serve as grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

Trainee Option:

Candidates with an equivalent combination of 3+ years of relevant education and experience after completion of high school may be considered and hired in 'trainee status' for this position.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Paralegal Certificate

Considerable knowledge in legal research techniques and terminology, including statutory history analysis, and investigative techniques and methods to determine the knowledge and credibility of people. Ability to develop evidentiary information for court presentation, perform tedious in-depth research, address groups, communicate effectively in oral and written form, and establish and maintain effective working relationships with the courts, attorneys, business owners and the public.

AFTER-HIRE REQUIREMENTS:

None

CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

In-Band Advancement Available: Yes No

Criteria:

Broad Group Level Advancement Available: Yes No

Criteria:

DISCLAIMERS:

The supplemental job description lists the essential functions of the position and is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. An employee may be required to perform other related duties not listed on the supplemental job description provided that such duties are characteristic of that job title.

When applicable, the work of an employee in trainee status in this position shall be overseen by a fully qualified individual. An employee in trainee status shall meet the minimum qualifications within the period of time specified on the SJD, not to exceed one year of being hired into this position.

Responsibilities:

Conducts legal research, analyzing statutes, case law, and administrative rules for use in preparation of Bureau of Tax and Land Appeal (BTLA) responses, legal inquiry responses, final orders, orders on motions, and evidentiary orders. Performs legal research including reviewing decisions of courts, other states and the federal government to determine precedent in legal matters.

Develops legal documents for use by the Revenue Counsel according to established agency professional and technical guidelines and prepares legal documents such as right-to-know responses, draft motions, proof of claims, and municipal response letters, based upon relevant facts, findings and state and federal laws, requiring considerable independence of judgment as to content, accuracy, and completeness for the Counsel's review and signature.

Prepares pleadings, memoranda, and exhibits for filing with courts and serves appropriate parties. Attends hearings with attorneys and provides hearing room support by handling exhibits and attending to witnesses.

Collaborates with litigation tax attorneys by reviewing and analyzing bankruptcy petitions and appeals filed by taxpayers and municipalities, initial pleadings in licensing cases and seizure cases, documentary evidence submitted and hearing testimony. Prepares summaries of taxpayer activity and outstanding tax notices and determines amount and nature of tax claims and maintains chapter 11 database in conjunction with Audit Division to research taxpayer status of chapter 11 debtors.

Prepares draft Proofs of Claim (POC) and bankruptcy documents for attorney review, files with bankruptcy court and maintains calendar of and tracks deadlines in all bankruptcy cases. Updates RIMS to reflect bankruptcy status of taxpayer cases and processes all bankruptcy payments, including allocating payments among different debtor/taxpayers, and provides information for the issuance of payments pursuant to settlements or bankruptcies.

Manages responses to right-to-know requests for the Legal Unit by tracking and docketing requests, calendaring deadlines, researching agency records for responsive materials, processing responsive documents including accurate redactions, bates numbering and production. Provides administrative and legal support, technical review, and editing for the administrative rulemaking process.

Maintains Legal Files program database to accurately track all activity associated with a legal file, including mail, pleadings, notes, research and discovery. Opens, maintains and organizes all legal and bankruptcy case files, pleadings binders, and the filing system for hard-copy and digital formats through the Legal Files software program database.

Provides back-up in the Hearings Bureau and the Administrative Assistant of the Commissioner's Office in the absence of peer paralegals and/or support staff.

Prepares reports, utilizing Legal Files, for attorneys to present to Commissioners' office, maintains monthly Balanced Scorecard, and demonstrates behavior consistent with the Department's Code of Respect in the Workplace. Upholds the Department's core values of respect and teamwork.

Maintains strict adherence to the departmental laws and regulations pertaining to confidentiality of all tax information obtained from records, files, tax returns, and departmental investigations. Instructs division personnel in the confidentiality requirements of the various tax laws administered by the department.

Disclaimer Statement

The supplemental job description lists the essential functions of the position and is not intended to include every job duty and responsibility specific to the position. An employee may be required to perform other related duties not listed on the supplemental job description provided that such duties are characteristic of that classification.

For further information please contact Lawrence Gagnon, Revenue Counsel at Lawrence.P.Gagnon@dra.nh.gov or 603-230-5028.

*TOTAL COMPENSATION INFORMATION

The State of NH total compensation package features an outstanding set of employee benefits, including:

HMO or POS Medical and Prescription Drug Benefits:

The actual value of State-paid health benefits and the amount of employee health benefit contributions may vary depending on the type of plan selected and the bargaining unit with which a position is associated.

See this link for details on State-paid health benefits:

https://www.das.nh.gov/hr/benefits.aspx

Value of State's share of Employee's Retirement: 12.87% of pay

Other Benefits:

Dental Plan at minimal cost for employees and their families ($500-$1800 value)

Flexible Spending healthcare and childcare reimbursement accounts

State defined benefit retirement plan and Deferred Compensation 457(b) plan

Work/life balance flexible schedules, paid holidays and generous leave plan

$50,000 state-paid life insurance plus additional low-cost group life insurance

Incentive-based Wellness Program (ability to earn up to $500)

Total Compensation Statement Worksheet:

https://www.das.nh.gov/jobsearch/compensation-calculator.aspx

Want the specifics? Explore the Benefits of State Employment on our website:

https://www.das.nh.gov/hr/documents/BenefitBrochure.pdf

https://www.das.nh.gov/hr/index.aspx

EOE

TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964