STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
HUMAN RESOURCES


 

CLASSIFICATION:  INVESTIGATIVE PARALEGAL

 

Class Code:  5355-22                                             Date Established:  02-08-06

 

Occupational Code:  7-5-5                                     Date of Last Revision:  02-24-06

 

BASIC PURPOSE:  To initiate and conduct investigations and perform paraprofessional law-related duties in providing recommendations and strategies for the resolution of agency claims and lawsuits.

 

CHARACTERISTIC DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

 

·           Initiates, conducts, and monitors the status of legal investigations.

·           Reviews and analyzes cases and identifies specific issues or problems.

·           Formulates recommendations for work strategies and disposition.

·           Reviews and analyzes highly technical contracts and other documents to obtain and verify information.

·           Responds to right-to-know requests and provides legal contact between the public and client concerning rights and procedures for filing claims.

·           Interprets state statutes and regulations and provides recommendations for use in agency legal issues.

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DISTINGUISHING FACTORS:

 

Skill:  Requires skill in analyzing and interpreting data, policy, and procedures OR in using equipment in order to arrive at logical conclusions or recommendations.

 

Knowledge:  Requires logical or scientific understanding to analyze problems of a specialized or professional nature in a particular field.

 

Impact:  Requires responsibility for achieving direct service objectives by assessing agency service needs and making preliminary recommendations for the development of alternative short-term program policies or procedures.  Errors at this level result in incomplete assessments or misleading recommendations causing a disruption of agency programs or policies.

 

Supervision:  Requires partial supervision of other employees doing work which is related or similar to the supervisor, including assigning job duties, providing training, giving instructions and checking work.

 

Working Conditions:  Requires performing regular job functions in a controlled environment with minimal exposure to disagreeable job elements and little risk of hazard to physical or mental health.

 

Physical Demands:  Requires light work, including continuous walking or operating simple equipment for extended periods of time as well as occasional strenuous activities such as reaching or bending.

 

Communication:  Requires summarizing data, preparing reports, and making recommendations based on findings which contribute to solving problems and achieving work objectives.  This level also requires presenting information for use by administrative-level managers in making decisions.

 

Complexity:  Requires coordinating a combination of diverse job functions in order to integrate professional and technical agency goals.  This level also requires considerable judgment to implement a sequence of operations or actions.

 

Independent Action:  Requires objective assessment in analyzing and developing new work methods and procedures subject to periodic review and in making decisions according to established technical, professional or administrative standards.

 

 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

 

Education:  Bachelor’s degree from a recognized college or university with a major study in legal studies or related field and possession of a Paralegal Certificate from a certified paralegal program.  Each additional year of approved formal education may be substituted for one year of required work experience.

 

 

 

Experience:  Four years experience in civil litigation, criminal justice, real estate law, legal research, paralegal work, investigations, or human resources investigations.  Each additional year of approved work experience may be substituted for one year of required formal education.

 

Special Requirements:  For appointment consideration, applicants must successfully participate in a structured interview measuring possession of knowledge, skills and abilities identified as necessary for satisfactory job performance by this class specification.  The structured interview is developed and administered according to Division of Personnel guidelines by representatives of the state agency in which the vacancy exists.

 

License/Certification:  Eligibility for New Hampshire driver’s license, if necessary, for travel throughout the State.

 

RECOMMENDED WORK TRAITS:  Knowledge of modern methods, practices and procedures of investigative work relative to tort, contract, construction, eminent domain and personnel claims and lawsuits.  Ability to locate individuals, collect information and conduct personal interviews.   Ability to manage, organize, supervise and coordinate investigations in a wide range of legal matters.  Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing.  Ability to exercise judgment and discuss problems rationally during a possible adversarial contact.  Ability to understand, evaluate and analyze contracts, engineering principals and practices, construction plans and appraisals.  Knowledge of pertinent laws for litigation practice, legal procedures and methods of legal research.  Ability to analyze widely divergent elements of information and arrive at logical conclusions.  Ability to objectively evaluate information received to make sound recommendations.  Ability to use integrity in the protection and confidentiality of evidence and sensitive documents and files.  Must be willing to maintain appearance appropriate to assigned duties and responsibilities as determined by the agency appointment authority.

 

DISCLAIMER STATEMENT:  This class specification is descriptive of general duties and is not intended to list every specific function of this class title.

 

 


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Last Updated 10/21/04
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