Introduction

The State of Wisconsin, Department of Military Affairs (DMA) is hiring a Paralegal. This position is located at the Joint Force Headquarters (JFHQ) in Madison. Our convenient location is near Madison College and adjacent to the Dane County Regional Airport with access to major highways. Our facility includes a fantastic fitness center, indoor pickleball court, and free on-site parking.

Hours of work are generally Monday through Friday between 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.

During emergencies, no single organization can handle the response. The DMA consists of several organizations working together to plan, prepare, coordinate, and respond effectively when our communities and neighbors need us the most. The DMA provides essential, effective, and responsive military and emergency management capability for the citizens of our state and nation.

We offer an opportunity to engage with a team of dedicated professionals, with a truly worthwhile mission.

The DMA offers flexible schedules (if applicable) and great life/work balance. In addition to meaningful and rewarding work, we offer a competitive benefits package featuring:

• Substantial leave time including at least 3.5 weeks of vacation to start, 9 paid holidays, and ample accrued sick time that rolls over each year.
• Excellent and affordable health, vision, and dental benefits (health plan options start at just $39/month for single plans and $97/month for family plans after two months of employment).
• A casual atmosphere and flexible work schedules, depending on the position's requirements.
• An exceptional pension plan with employer match and lifetime retirement payment , plus an optional tax advantaged 457 retirement savings plan .
• Well Wisconsin Wellness Program.
• A free and confidential employee assistance program that offers employees and their immediate family dependents a variety of tools, resources, and professional consultation services to support their health, goals, and overall wellbeing.
• Working for Wisconsin State Government may make you eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program

Position Summary

Under the general supervision of the department's General Counsel, the Paralegal supports the department's office of General Counsel and Government and Public Affairs. Primary responsibilities include assisting in responding to public records requests, legal research and analysis, assisting with administrative rulemaking and performing administrative support such as drafting correspondence and other documents, managing files, litigation assistance, assisting with distinguished visitor events, assisting with legislative tracking, handling mail, calendar management and assisting with record management. The Paralegal will also provide contract management support, assist with military financial aid applications, organize, schedule and staff the Wisconsin Homeland Security Council and other meetings, and give presentations during new employee orientation and other training sessions.

Salary Information

Starting pay is between $29.00 and $33.36/ hr.

This position is in the 07-04 pay schedule/range. A 12-month probation will be required.

Hours of work are generally Monday through Friday between 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m. After the probationary period, there may be an opportunity to work remotely on Fridays.

The Department of Military Affairs does not sponsor work visas at the time of hire or anytime during employment. All persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and complete the required Employment Eligibility Form I-9.

For current permanent state employees, pay will be set in accordance with the State Compensation Plan.

To learn more about the complete compensation package, please visit the Total Rewards Calculator .

Job Details

• Must possess or be eligible to obtain a valid driver's license and remain qualified as a condition of continued employment.
• Must pass a criminal background check.
• Must apply for and obtain a United States Department of Homeland Security secret security clearance if requested.
• Must have the ability for occasional travel, including overnight and weekend travel. Almost all travel will be within the State of Wisconsin.
• All new permanent, project, and limited term employees will be required to report to JFHQ in Madison on the Monday of their first week of employment for the New Employee Orientation (NEO) program. Additional information will be sent to the new employees and their supervisors on the Tuesday prior to NEO.

Qualifications

Candidates who meet minimum qualifications will have experience with:

• State statutes and/or administrative rules
• Organizing voluminous files, gathering records, and organizing data
• Programs such as Microsoft Office, Word, Outlook, Teams, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as Adobe.
• Performing administrative support duties (e.g., filing and file maintenance, scheduling, drafting correspondence, basic research, coordination of meetings, rooms and multiple calendars, scanning and photocopying materials, mail distribution, data entry, maintaining office supplies).
• Preparing legal documents (e.g., contracts, pleadings)

In addition to the minimum qualifications, well-qualified candidates will also have the following preferred qualifications:

• Experience or education in using Westlaw.
• Experience assisting with responses to records requests under Wisconsin public records statutes.
• Experience developing processes and procedures for efficient office operation.
• Experience providing litigation support (e.g., interviewing witnesses, summarizing depositions, responding to discovery requests).
• Experience organizing, coordinating and staffing meetings (e.g., draft and distribute meeting agendas, take and draft minutes, communicate with meeting members, coordinate presentations, schedule and prepare meeting rooms).
• Experience with Wisconsin's administrative rule-making procedure.
• Education/ training/ or experience with the structure of state and federal government.
• Education/ training/ or experience with the legislative process.

Your resume and letter of qualification are very important parts of your application. In these materials, you should clearly describe your education, training, and experience as they relate to the bulleted items listed above .

Your qualifications should be addressed in your resume and expanded upon in your letter of qualifications. These materials are used during our evaluation process to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job.

Here are instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications and what should be included in these materials. The vast majority of applicants are able to outline their background and experience in their resume in 1-3 pages; the same applies to the letter of qualification.

How To Apply

Apply online!

Click "Apply for Job" to start the application process. If you have not signed into your account, you will need to sign in before applying. If you do not have an account, click "Register Now" to register for an account and apply for the job. Follow the steps outlined in the application process and submit your application. You will be able to save your application as many times as needed and make edits up until the point you submit your application. Please note that once you submit your application, you will not be able to make any updates to the application or any materials submitted.

You will be required to attach your current resume and a letter of qualification in a Word or PDF-compatible format. Your resume and letter are reviewed to determine your qualifications as they relate to the job qualifications listed above. For instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications and what should be included in these materials, click here . Please note, the resume is limited to three pages and the letter of qualifications is limited to two pages. Pages in excess of these limits will not be reviewed. Submitted materials will be evaluated by a panel of job experts and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process. Please note: letters of qualification will be reviewed for clarity, organization, grammar and spelling.

For instructions on developing your resume and letter of qualifications and what should be included in these materials, click here . Submitted materials will be evaluated by a panel of job experts and the most qualified applicants will be invited to participate in the next step of the selection process.

Permanent classified state employees who are eligible for consideration (transfer, voluntary demotion, or reinstatement) should complete the online application process by the stated deadline.

Applications must be submitted through Wisc.Jobs. Failure to submit all required materials will result in an incomplete application and ineligibility for this position. Application materials will not be accepted if received in an incompatible format, an email, as a hard copy or a fax.

Questions regarding the application process can be directed to Rebecca Rupnow at Rebecca.Rupnow@widma.gov or 608-242-3150.

If you have technical difficulties, Wisc.Jobs helpdesk is available Monday-Friday, 7:45am - 4:30pm at 608-267-1012 or wiscjobs@wisconsin.gov . Some applicants report better performance when using the Chrome browser.

The Department of Military Affairs is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For complete information on veterans' hiring programs that may benefit you, please visit the Employment Assistance page on the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs' website.

If viewing through an external site, please click here to apply directly at Wisc.Jobs.

Deadline to Apply

The online application process must be completed by 11:59p.m. on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. Late applications will not be accepted.