Executive Service
PARALEGAL
TN Department of Correction
Office of General Counsel
Nashville, TN
Annual Salary: $77,244.00
Closing Date: 11/16/2026
Background Check:
This position requires a criminal background check. Therefore, you may be required to provide information about your criminal history in order to be considered for this position.
Who we are and what we do:
The Tennessee Department of Correction operates and oversees 14 adult prisons across the state, housing some 21,000 offenders. In the community, TDOC supervises 79,000 offenders on probation, parole, or community corrections. The department operates 44 probation/parole offices in 13 districts across the state.
Job Overview:
The Paralegal provides legal and administrative support to the Department of Correction Office of General Counsel. This position assists attorneys with complex litigation, legal research, document preparation, discovery responses, case management, responses to subpoenas and public records requests, and other matters involving correctional operations. The position requires discretion, accuracy, sound judgment, and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information.
Key Responsibilities:
- Assist attorneys with the preparation, organization, and management of litigation files, administrative proceedings, legal documents, discovery responses, correspondence, and exhibits.
- Maintain accurate case files, calendars, databases, tracking systems, and deadline records.
- Monitor litigation deadlines, hearings, depositions, mediations, meetings, and other case related activities.
- Assist with discovery by gathering, organizing, reviewing, and indexing documents and information responsive to requests.
- Conduct basic legal and factual research using statutes, regulations, case law, policies, agency records, and other reliable resources.
- Prepare first drafts of correspondence, memoranda, chronologies, summaries, discovery materials, and other documents as directed by counsel.
- Assist attorneys in preparing for hearings, depositions, mediations, trials, administrative proceedings, and meetings.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, electronic document management systems, legal research databases, spreadsheets, and case tracking tools.
- Maintain confidentiality of privileged, sensitive, and legally protected information.
- Respond promptly and professionally to requests for information and assistance from attorneys, agency staff, and external partners.
Essential Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of legal terminology, legal documents, litigation procedures, and file-management practices.
- Ability to conduct organized legal and factual research.
- Ability to prepare, proofread, format, and review legal documents for accuracy and completeness.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines.
- Ability to identify discrepancies, follow established procedures, and exercise sound judgment regarding confidential information.
- Ability to work independently while also collaborating effectively with attorneys, agency personnel, and external partners.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office, electronic document-management systems, legal research databases, and other commonly used office technology.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of full-time professional experience or related work.
- Substitution of Experience for Education: Qualifying full-time professional experience may be substituted for required education, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of four years.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Paralegal certificate from an accredited program.
- Experience supporting litigation, government legal work, corrections, law enforcement, labor and employment matters, administrative law, or public-records compliance.
- Experience working with discovery, legal research, case management, or public-sector records.
- Familiarity with Tennessee statutes, rules, regulations, and governmental operations.
- Familiarity with correctional policies, inmate litigation, constitutional claims, or governmental immunity.
- Notary Public commission or eligibility to obtain one.
Pursuant to the State of Tennessee's Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State's policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person's race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran's status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.