Paralegal

Do you love South Carolina and protecting the environment? Come join our team at SCDES, put your passion to work with us! We are dedicated to protecting the state of South Carolina and we would love to have you as a member of our team!

Office of General Counsel (OGC) is the legal team for SCDES (Department" or "SCDES"), providing representation and legal advice on a wide range of highly important state issues. We are seeking a highly qualified and experienced paralegal to join the environmental practice group. Under limited supervision of the Chief Counsel for Environmental Affairs, the paralegal will provide administrative support to assigned attorneys in the performance of legal functions, including but not limited to the following responsibilities:

• Draft and proof routine legal documents such as letters, motions, discovery requests and responses, and other pleadings for review by the attorneys.
• File and appropriately serve pleadings and briefs in state and federal courts, including the S.C. Administrative Law Court, the S.C. Court of Common Pleas, the S.C. Court of Appeals, the S.C. Supreme Court, and the U.S. District Court of South Carolina.
• Organize and maintain paper and electronic files.
• Monitor and regularly communicate with attorneys on status of legal matters and assist with case management.
• Coordinate and track meetings, hearings and proceedings and assist the attorney with preparations such as creating calendar reminders, notifying the necessary parties, and organizing exhibits.
• Conduct legal research and identify relevant judicial decisions, statutes, legal articles, codes and other pertinent materials.

State Minimum Requirements: A high school diploma and experience in providing administrative support for an attorney(s) or a legal office.

To qualify as a candidate for this position, the applicant must have:

• a strong working knowledge of the South Carolina Rules of Civil Procedure and electronic filing procedures;
• excellent written and oral communication skills;
• strong organizational skills to effectively plan and organize work activities and prioritize task completion according to schedules and goals;
• strong interpersonal skills with the ability to work in a team environment and interact professionally and collaboratively with all levels of internal staff, courts, opposing parties, and the public; and
• a commitment to professionalism, ethics and public service.

Institutions of Higher Learning must be recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.

Applicants indicating college credit or degree(s) on the application are encouraged to upload an unofficial copy of the transcript as an attachment to the application. Please note that the agency will require an official, certified copy of the transcript or diploma prior to hiring.

The ideal candidate will possess:
 • A Paralegal Certificate or Associate Degree in paralegal studies.
 • A minimum of two (2) years litigation experience.
 • Experience supporting attorneys with appellate practice.
 • Experience in environmental law and/or administrative law.

SCDES is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including, but not limited, to lactation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.
 
The Department will not sponsor H1B visas for this position.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services offers an exceptional benefits package for full time (FTE) employees: 

• Health, dental, vision, long-term disability, and life insurance for employees, spouse, and children. Click here for additional information.
• 15 days annual (vacation) leave per year
• 15 days sick leave per year
• 13 paid holidays
• Paid parental leave
• S.C. Deferred Compensation Program available (S.C. Deferred Compensation)
• Retirement benefit choices *  
  • State Retirement Plan (SCRS)
  • State Optional Retirement Program (State ORP

*Enrollment in one of the listed plans is required for all FTE employees; please refer to the contribution section of hyperlinked retirement sites for the current contribution rate of gross pay.