Paralegal

Overview The Paralegal supports the Tribes Legal Department in advancing and protecting the Tribes sovereignty, self-governance, and long-term legal interests. Under the general direction of the Senior Legal Counsel, this role provides high-level technical and administrative legal support to Tribal Government and Chumash Enterprises. The Paralegal manages complex legal workflows; drafting and redlining legal documents; and ensuring clear and effective coordination and communication across teams.

Responsibilities

• Organizes and manages legal documents including contracts, resolutions, ordinances, policies, memoranda, court pleadings, and correspondence.
• Assists with maintaining and updating the tribal code, ordinances, policies, legal archives, and other governmental documents.
• Communicates and coordinates with internal departments, external legal counsel, courts, governmental agencies, and other representatives as needed.
• Manages the central legal filing system, ensuring proper retention, secure storage, and confidentiality of privileged legal documents.
• Supports grant compliance activities related to funded programs, including tracking deadlines, maintaining supporting documentation, and monitoring regulatory requirements.
• Prepares meeting minutes, summaries, and reports on pertinent legal matters for tribal attorneys, department leadership, and the Business Committee.
• Organizes and manages case files for litigation, regulatory matters, and administrative hearings.
• Conducts legal research on tribal, federal, and state laws, statutes, regulations, court cases, and other relevant legal material, under the direction of a supervising attorney.
• Provides administrative support to attorneys, including coordinating travel arrangements, processing invoice payments, and managing office supply orders, as needed.
• Upholds a work environment that promotes teamwork, partnership, recognition, mutual respect, and collaboration, while role modeling the company values, behaviors, and culture of One.Team.Chumash.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Associates or Bachelors Degree in Legal Studies, Political Science, or a related field.
• Paralegal certification or Juris Doctorate from an ABA accredited law school preferred.
• Three years of experience in a law firm, government legal department or tribal administration, including direct support of elected officials and executive leadership; experience in federal Indian law, tribal law, or tribal government is highly preferred.
• Proficient in federal Indian law terminology, tribal court procedures, and the lifecycle of legal document management.
• Advanced proficiency in computers, including Microsoft Office Suite, legal research platforms (Westlaw/LexisNexis), digital case management systems, email, and Internet.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information.
• Native American hiring preference applies.

Strategic Thinking

• Understands and processes complex information and exercises sound judgment, considering the situation, the issues, the key players, and the levels of authority involved.
• Proposes courses of action that further the objectives, priorities, and vision of the organization.

Attention to Detail

• Taking responsibility for a thorough and detailed method of working.

Planning and Organizing

• Setting priorities and defining actions, time, and resources needed to achieve predefined goals.

Oral Communication

• Shaping and expressing ideas and information in an effective manner.

Written Communication

• Expressing ideas and opinions clearly in properly structured, well-organized, and grammatically correct reports or documents; utilizing language and terminology that is understandable for the reader.

Location 100 Via Juana Drive

Minimum Pay Rate $67,825 annually

Maximum Pay Rate $84,781 annually