Job Description
<span style="line-height: 107%;">The incumbent is required to provide paralegal support to Legal Officers in a Ministry/Department. Duties include researching laws; investigating facts; preparing pleadings, opinions and briefs; maintaining case files and assisting in the preparation of legal documents.</span>
Key and Critical Responsibilities
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;">&nbsp;</span></p><ul><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;">Conducts research and drafts or prepares briefs on legal matters as directed;</li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Symbol; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">ยท<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-feature-settings: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; font-stretch: normal; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal; font-family: " times="" new="" roman";"="">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">Investigates the facts and law Of cases and researches relevant sources to prepare Cases;</span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.3pt; font-size: 11.5pt;">&nbsp; &nbsp; Reviews legal/court documents for completeness and accuracy;</span><br></span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">&nbsp; &nbsp; Assists in the monitoring and reviewing Of government regulations to ensure that the Ministry and its agencies are aware</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;">&nbsp; &nbsp; of new requirements;</span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; Establishes and maintains case files and makes available and easily accessible to legal officers;</span></span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Assists in interviewing parties involved in court proceedings to gather information for case preparation or completion Of legal&nbsp;</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">documents;</span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Assists in the preparation Of legal documents such as contracts, opinions and agreements; drafts correspondence on routine legal issues;</span></span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Assists in the development and maintenance of an up to date repository Of laws, judgments, contract precedents and other relative material in areas affecting the Ministry's day to day operations. Copies and collates relevant documents;</span></span></span></p></li><li style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; Takes notes at court, tribunals, legal proceedings and meetings and generates documents as required. Performs other</span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.75pt; margin-left:4.8pt;text-indent:-.25in;line-height:normal;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt; text-indent: -0.25in; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-indent: 0px;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;"><span style="font-size: 15.3333px; letter-spacing: 0.4px;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;related work as assigned.</span></span></span></span></p></li></ul><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.9pt; margin-left:20.65pt;mso-line-height-alt:10.15pt"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top:0in;margin-right:5.3pt;margin-bottom:2.0pt; margin-left:20.65pt;mso-line-height-alt:10.15pt"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"> </p><br><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.9pt 4.8pt; line-height: normal;"><font face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 11.5pt; letter-spacing: 0.3pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
Key Competency
<ul><li style="margin-left: 16.15pt;"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3348" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;left:0;text-align:left;margin-left:16.3pt; margin-top:2.25pt;width:3.35pt;height:47.55pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible; mso-wrap-style:square;mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0; mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0; mso-position-horizontal:absolute;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text; mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:text' o:allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/GERARD~1.COM/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" o:title=""/> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><p class="MsoNormal"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/> </v:formulas> <v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/> <o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/> </v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_3348" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;margin-left:16.3pt;margin-top:2.25pt;width:3.35pt; height:47.55pt;z-index:251659264;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square; mso-wrap-distance-left:9pt;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:9pt; mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:absolute; mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute; mso-position-vertical-relative:text' o:allowoverlap="f"> <v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/GERARD~1.COM/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image001.jpg" o:title=""/> <w:wrap type="square"/> </v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><img width="4" height="63" src="file:///C:/Users/GERARD~1.COM/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/01/clip_image002.jpg" align="left" hspace="12" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_3348"><!--[endif]--><span style="line-height: 107%;">Knowledge of the methods and techniques Of legal research;</span></p></li><li style="margin-left: 16.15pt;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Some knowledge of the Laws of Trinidad and Tobago;</span></li><li style="margin-left: 16.15pt;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Some knowledge of the court procedures and practices and rules of evidence;</span></li><li style="margin-left: 16.15pt;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Some knowledge of legal drafting principles and practices.</span>Some knowledge of the laws and regulations&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; pertinent to the operations of the Ministry/Department.</li></ul>