Paralegal – General Counsel Support

Job Description

Paralegal (U) | New Mexico Courts

The Tone:
This is a full-time, at-will role at New Mexico Courts, located in Albuquerque, NM. The New Mexico Courts provide essential judicial services to the community, and specifically, the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Court ensures fair and efficient legal processes. This Paralegal position in the Office of General Counsel is crucial for supporting judges and administrative staff with critical legal research, analysis, and compliance, contributing to the court’s effective operation.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time, At-Will
• Location: In-person, Albuquerque, NM
• Pay: $51964.64–$64956.32 yearly
• Team: Office of General Counsel, reporting to an attorney
• Mission: To provide essential legal research, analysis, and procedural support to judges and administration, ensuring the court’s compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Tech Stack: Westlaw, New Mexico One Source, Lexis, Westcheck, case management systems

What You’ll Actually Do
• Legal Research & Analysis: Perform advanced legal research and analysis for judges and administration across areas like business, contract, procurement, employment, general civil, and criminal law.
• Case & Document Management: Manage cases, coordinate the timely processing of documents, and maintain accurate office files and records.
• Procedural & Form Compliance: Review court rules, analyze circumstances, and revise legal forms to ensure compliance with New Mexico Statutes and court guidelines.
• Stakeholder Support & Liaison: Provide procedural information and referrals to pro se litigants, attorneys, and act as a liaison with other court staff, state agencies, and the public.
• Training & Reporting: Develop and present continuing legal education programs or other training, and prepare statistical reports, legislative bill analyses, or fiscal reports.

The Must-Haves
• Background: Minimum qualification involves meeting one of several options as per State Bar of New Mexico, Rules Governing Paralegal Services, Rule 20-115, including graduation from an ABA-approved, associate, post-baccalaureate, or bachelor’s degree paralegal program; a post-secondary legal assistant program; a Bachelor’s degree in any field with substantive law-related experience; graduation from an accredited law school; certification by a national paralegal association; or a high school diploma with extensive substantive law-related experience.
• Experience: Experience requirements vary from 1 to 7 years of substantive law-related experience under attorney supervision, depending on the specific educational qualification path chosen.
• Skills: Demonstrated knowledge in authorized and unauthorized practices of law, legal terminology and procedures, court rules, employment law, case management systems, New Mexico Statutes Annotated (NMSA), forms of opinions and legal writing styles, and legal research tools such as Westlaw, Lexis, and New Mexico One Source. Additionally, proficiency in conflict mediation, project management techniques, procurement procedures, audit procedures, court records maintenance, and HIPAA requirements is essential.