PARA-LEGAL ASSISTANT III (SR-20) [1 vacancy]

PARA-LEGAL ASSISTANT III (SR-20) [1 vacancy]

Salary

$5,133.00 - $6,242.00 Monthly

Location

Oahu, HI

Job Type

Full-Time Permanent

Job Number

020267

Department

Department of the Corporation Counsel

Division

Counseling and Drafting

Opening Date

07/29/2026

Closing Date

Continuous

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

Position Information

Got a sharp eye and a legal mind that thrives in a dynamic legal environment?

Help defend the City and County of Honolulu by supporting attorneys in complex litigation.

The Department of the Corporation Counsel, Counseling and Drafting Division, is seeking an experienced Para-Legal Assistant III to assist Deputies Corporation Counsel in providing legal advice and opinions to the Mayor, the City Council, and all City agencies, and to defend the City in litigation, administrative hearings, and appeals. Help support your attorney by organizing case files, managing and calendaring deadlines, drafting and preparing legal documents, memoranda, and correspondence, and coordinating depositions, discovery, and exhibits. Be the one attorneys rely on to keep every matter organized, on schedule, and moving toward successful resolution.

What You Will Do:

• Coordinate depositions, subpoenas, discovery, and communications with courts, government agencies, witnesses, and opposing counsel.
• Conduct legal research and verify legal citations using Lexis, Westlaw, and other legal research resources.
• Prepare exhibits, witness lists, and other materials for arbitration, administrative hearings, court hearings, and trials.
• Assist with drafting legal opinions and advice, legal documents, ordinances, rules, legislative testimony, and other legal documents.
• Ensure legal pleadings and documents are timely filed and comply with applicable statutes, court rules, and procedural requirements.
• Actual salary will be commensurate with applicable experience, pending approval.*

Enjoy excellent employment benefits including generous time off (up to 21 vacation days, 21 sick leave days, and holidays), comprehensive health coverage, retirement plan, career development, and much more! View details about all our available benefits by clicking on the "Benefits" tab at the top of this posting or visiting https://www.honolulu.gov/dhr/benefits/.

Apply today and join the team that provides legal support for matters affecting the City and County of Honolulu!

Additional Job Information

Some notifications will be sent via e-mail. You are responsible for monitoring instructions and correspondence from this office by checking your email account in a timely manner. To ensure proper delivery, please make sure you:

• use a valid e-mail account;
• verify your e-mail address is entered correctly on your GovernmentJobs account;
• are subscribed to e-mail notices;
• check your spam folders; and
• add infoneogov@honolulu.gov and info@governmentjobs.com to your contact list.

Notifications may also be sent via text message if opted into the service. Data and text messaging fees apply.

Minimum Qualification Requirements

At the time of application, you must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident alien of the United States or a non-citizen eligible under federal law for unrestricted employment.

EDUCATION REQUIREMENT:

Equivalent to graduation from high school. Responsible work experience demonstrating the ability to perform the essential functions of the job may be substituted for education.

EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT:

One year of experience representative of work at the Para-Legal Assistant II level.

Experience representative of work at the Para-Legal Assistant II level includes experience involving the research, application, interpretation, or explanation of laws, rules and regulations, a thorough working knowledge of legal procedures and terminology, and the drafting, review, and processing of legal papers and documents in a law office. Representative experience involves matters and procedures related to discovery and litigation support such as analyzing legal decisions, opinions, rulings, memoranda, and other legal material; selecting, assembling, summarizing, and compiling substantive information on statutes and specific legal subjects; indexing, grouping, and classifying legal opinions rendered by the office; assisting in the preparation of discovery materials; preparing exhibit and witness lists; summarizing, indexing and organizing files, witness statements, and evidence; drafting or responding to discovery requests; and assisting in the preparation and organization of trial exhibits and witness folders.

APPLICABLE SKILLS NEEDED:

• Solid understanding of legal terminology, court forms, and civil and criminal legal procedures.
• Experience with legal research, discovery, fact investigation, and evidence review.
• Understanding of the rules of evidence and courtroom proceedings.
• Strong legal writing, document drafting, proofreading, and report preparation skills.
• Ability to analyze laws and apply legal principles to specific situations.
• Skilled in researching, compiling, and summarizing complex legal information.
• Experience preparing, processing, organizing, and maintaining legal records and case files.
• Effective interviewing, information-gathering, and problem-solving skills.
• Clear and professional written and verbal communication skills.
• Professional interpersonal skills for working independently and collaboratively with colleagues and the public.
• Commitment to maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information.

Examination Process

If you qualify for the position, your name will be eligible for consideration for the current vacancy and future job openings with this job title. Screening will be based on the education, experience, and other job-related information provided in your application. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being rejected or your receiving a lower rating. All information provided on an application is subject to verification. As applicable, false or misleading statements or omissions of material facts are grounds for disqualification and/or termination of employment with the City and County of Honolulu.

What are the benefits of being a City Employee?

• • Vacation: Employees may earn up to 21 days per year.
• • Sick Leave: Employees may earn up to 21 days per year.
• • Holidays: 13 days a year; 14 days during election years.
• • Training and Development: Computer, career, and personal enhancement courses are offered; curriculum designed for employee, supervisory, and management development.
• • Medical, Dental, Prescription Drug, and Vision Care: Various health insurance plans are available. Premiums are subsidized by the City and deductible from pre-tax income for participants of the Premium Conversion Plan (PCP).
• • Group Life Insurance: No cost for eligible employees.
• • Deferred Compensation Plan: Invest in your future...choose to defer part of your pre-tax income for retirement.
• • Retirement Plan: The Employees Retirement System (ERS) of the State of Hawaii administers retirement benefits for State and County employees. Employee contribution required.
• • Commuter Choice Pre-Tax Benefits: Employees may designate certain transportation expenses (TheBus, LOTMA, Vanpool Hawaii, etc.) as a pre-tax item
• • Parking: Some job locations offer parking on-site; others may have access to parking at low monthly rates.
• • Direct Deposit: Direct deposit of paychecks to a designated financial institution is available.
• • Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Confidential, professional counseling and resource referral.
• • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program: A federal program forgiving the balance of federal student loans for individuals working in public service. For program requirements and additional information, please visit: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service

To view additional information, please visit our Benefits of City Employment page.

• All benefits as stated above, are subject to eligibility requirements and to legislative and/or negotiated changes. Individuals are responsible for any related fees or charges that may apply.

01

APPLICATION GUIDELINES & INSTRUCTIONS:

When applying for this position, please thoroughly complete the Education, Work Experience, and Supplemental Question sections of your application. The information provided in these sections, particularly the job-specific Supplemental Questions, will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements for the job and your final score. Failure to provide detailed and complete information or submit any required documentation may result in your application being rejected or you receiving a lower score.

Please do not submit resumes in place of completing any of these sections.

List each work experience separately, do not combine jobs. For example, if youve held more than one position or job level(s) for the same employer, they should be listed and described separately so that the resulting changes in your duties and responsibilities are accurately reflected. If any part of your experience is unclear, you may be asked to provide a copy of your official job/position description (PD).

In general (unless otherwise specified on the job posting), the following criteria is utilized for evaluation of the Minimum Qualification Requirements:

• Substitute, temporary assignment, internship or volunteer experience requires an official letter of verification from your supervisor and/or Human Resources department. The letter should include the job title, employment dates, number of hours worked, a description of the duties performed, and a contact name and phone number.

• Concurrent or overlapping experiences and/or education will NOT be double credited.

• Professional experience refers to work that generally involves independent critical thinking, solving complex, non-routine problems, preparing reports, and interpreting and applying technical information.

• Most work experience as an intern will NOT be creditable as equivalent to professional experience.

• Calculation of experience will be based upon a full-time, 40-hour work week. Part-time experience will be pro-rated. Hours worked in excess of 40 hours/week will not be extra credited.

• Example: Twelve months of experience at 20 hours/week will be pro-rated to six months of experience.

• Example: Twelve months of experience at 60 hours/week will be credited as one year of experience, NOT one and a half years.

• All requirements for the position must be met at the time of application or by the closing date of the recruitment.

Possession of the required amount of experience will not in and of itself be accepted as proof of qualification for the position. The overall experience must be of such scope and responsibility as to conclusively demonstrate that you have the ability to perform the duties of the position.

Any information you submit is subject to verification. Supporting documents must be either electronically attached to your application or submitted to our office at: Department of Human Resources, 650 South King Street, 10th Floor, Honolulu, HI 96813. Documents should be identified by job title and recruitment number.

If you previously submitted education documents (e.g., transcripts, diploma, etc.) to our office, for most cases you are not required to resubmit them. Supporting documents with an expiration period (e.g., drivers license, Department of Transportation medical certificate, etc.) will need to be submitted with each application to verify possession of a current license or certificate at the time specified on the job posting.

• I certify that I have read and understand the above statements.

02

SUBSTITUTION: Relevant education and training from a regionally-accredited college or university in a paralegal, legal assistant or law program may be used to substitute for some of the required general experience involving the research, application, interpretation or explanation of laws, rules and regulations. The amount of time credited for the substitution will be dependent on the specific program you completed. There is NO substitution for the required work experience in a law office.

The substitution must be met at the time of application. Education obtained outside of the United States must be comparable to a degree earned at a regionally-accredited college/university in the United States. In order to receive credit for the education, a foreign credential evaluation (FCE) must be provided. We also reserve the right to request further information about your academic program, evidence of comparability, or an original transcript.

Education Verification: Education information must be listed clearly on your application. If available, please attach a legible electronic copy of your diploma, official transcripts, and/or applicable foreign credential evaluation to your application. As part of the hiring process, you may be asked to furnish documentation to verify your education to move forward for further consideration.

If you do not have your documentation to verify your education at this time, please note that if selected for the job, you will need to furnish verification documents in order to move forward in the hiring process. Please refer to the job posting for more information.

If you are using a substitution for work experience, please indicate below:

• The name of the college/university you attended,

• The location of the college/university,

• The specific degree and major area of study you were in, and

• Whether or not you completed the degree.

Example 1: University of Hawaii at Manoa, Master of Arts in Sociology, pending graduation June 1, 2025.

Example 2: Graduated with a Master of Arts in Political Science from University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

If you are not using a substitution, please enter "N/A".

03

LEGAL RESEARCH, PROCEDURES & DOCUMENT DRAFTING

For each position listed in the Work Experience section of your application where you performed paralegal work, describe your experience researching, applying, interpreting, or explaining laws, rules, and regulations while providing support to attorneys. Include in your explanation:

• The employer and your position title;
• Your experience drafting, reviewing, and processing legal documents such as pleadings, motions, memoranda, affidavits, discovery requests/responses, briefs, or other court or administrative filings;
• The types of legal matters you supported; and
• Your role in preparing these documents.

If you do not have this experience, answer with "N/A".

04

LITIGATION, HEARING & CASE PREPARATION

For each position listed in the Work Experience section of your application where you performed paralegal work, describe your experience assisting attorneys with litigation, contested case hearings, or appeals. Include in your explanation:

• The employer and your position title;
• Your role in gathering, reviewing, organizing, and preparing discovery materials, including responses to discovery requests, document productions, or other materials prepared for attorney review;
• Your role in preparing or reviewing pleadings, motions, legal memoranda, exhibits, witness materials, deposition materials, or other documents filed with or submitted to courts or administrative agencies;
• Your experience researching legal issues; and
• Your experience preparing matters for hearings, trials, or appeals.

If you do not have this experience, answer with "N/A."

Required Question

Employer City and County of Honolulu

Address 650 South King Street, 10th Floor

Honolulu, Hawaii, 96813

Phone (808) 768-8536

Website https://www.honolulu.gov/dhr/