PROMOTIONAL EXAMINATION
72-134
SENIOR PARALEGAL
http://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service
·
LAST FILING DATE: AUGUST 7, 2024
·
WRITTEN TEST DATE: SEPTEMBER 14, 2024
·
COUNTY ANNUAL
SALARY $49,642
·
GRADE 19
SPECIFICATION # 6138
APPLICATION PROCESSING FEE and FEE WAIVER
The application-processing fee is $40.
Application may be made via the internet at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service. Payment must be made by VISA or MasterCard
credit card and there will be an additional convenience fee of $1.95. An acknowledgement of receipt of application
will be sent to all internet applicants via e-mail. The application processing fee is non-refundable
and non-transferable.
The application processing fee may be
waived for Suffolk County residents who are veterans, active duty military,
members of the reserves or National Guard, auxiliary police, firefighters,
members in good standing of a local fire district or ambulance
company, members of a Volunteer Fire Department and volunteer CERT
members. Internet applicants should
complete the “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form
online. All claims for application fee
waiver are subject to verification.
DUTIES
An employee in this class provides specialized
assistance to attorneys in researching questions of law, investigating facts
and preparing various legal documents. The employee will work independently on
assigned projects, which will include such tasks as the drafting of complex
motions, drafting of discovery notices, drafting of contracts and agreements,
conducting independent legal research, drafting opinions, and may also
correspond and/or meet with attorneys, law firm staff and the general public.
Supervision may be exercised over Paralegals.
Work is performed under the supervision of a Principal Paralegal or
Attorney and is reviewed through periodic conferences and reports. Does related work as required.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
To be eligible, a candidate must now be
serving and have served on a continuous basis with permanent or contingent
permanent competitive status as a Paralegal for at least two (2)
years immediately preceding the written examination date.
SCOPE OF THE EXAMINATION
The written test will cover
knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:
1.
Preparing
written material;
2.
Understanding
and interpreting written material;
3.
Evaluating
conclusions in light of known facts;
4.
Legal
terminology, documents and forms.
Note:
The use of calculators is allowed
for this examination.
Note:
A Guide for the Written Test for
Legal Services is available at the New York State Department of Civil Service
website: https://www.cs.ny.gov/testing/testguides.cfm.
NOTES
1.
Should
it become necessary to amend any part of this announcement, the Department of
Civil Service reserves the right to make such amendment on the Department’s web
page without notification to applicants.
The most current copy of this announcement is available during the
filing period at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Civil-Service.
2. Expanded Description of the examination subtests.
3.
Candidates
who apply for this examination and who have not heard from the Suffolk County
Department of Civil Service by September 11, 2024 are advised to contact
the department before the written test date at (631) 853-5500.
N.Y.S.
DATE
PREPARED: June 7, 2024
GENERAL CONDITIONS PROMOTIONAL
ANNOUNCEMENT
1.
Application
may be made using the Suffolk County Application for Promotional Examination
(Form CS-203).
2.
Applicants
may complete a “Request for Application Fee Waiver and Certification” form and
submit it with Form CS-203.
3.
Unless
otherwise stated, candidates must meet the minimum qualifications by the date
of the written test, or last filing date in the case of training and experience
evaluations. Unless otherwise stated, part-time experience will be pro-rated.
4.
Candidates
found ineligible to compete in the written examination may appeal to the
Department of Civil Service for reconsideration prior to the last filing date
appearing on this announcement. Appeals
received on or after the last filing date will not be considered.
5.
Candidates
who fail the examination, or who fail to appear for the examination as
scheduled, will be eliminated from further consideration for purposes of this
competition. Unless otherwise specified,
the final rank order of the eligible list will be determined on the basis of
the scores received on the written test, plus seniority and veterans' credits
where appropriate.
6.
Eligible
applicants will be notified when and where to appear for examination. If an
application is rejected, due notice will be sent.
7.
Unless
specifically prohibited by the examination instructions, candidates are
permitted to use quiet, hand-held, solar or battery-powered calculators. Devices with typewriter keyboards,
spell-checkers, personal digital assistants, address books, language
translators, dictionaries and any similar devices are prohibited.
8.
Eligible
lists resulting from promotional examinations are only certified to the
jurisdiction in which a candidate is employed. In accordance with Section 52 of
the Civil Service Law, for county service, first consideration in appointment
will be given to employees in the department where a vacancy occurs after which
appointments will be made from the general eligible list.
9.
When
an examination is prepared and rated by the Suffolk County Department of Civil
Service, the provisions of the Suffolk County Civil Service Rules dealing with
the rating of examination will apply.
10.
When
the examination is prepared and rated by the New York State Department of Civil
Service in accordance with Section 23-2 of the Civil Service Law, the
provisions of the New York State Civil Service Rules and Regulations which deal
with the rating of examination will apply.
11.
The
eligible list established as a result of this examination will remain in force
for at least one year and may be extended by the Department of Civil Service
for a maximum of four years. Changing
conditions may make it necessary to certify to future vacancies at higher or
lower salaries than those announced.
12.
Information
regarding eligibility for veterans' credits appears on the promotional
application form.
13.
For
each six months of continuous permanent competitive service within the
jurisdiction, to a maximum of 20 years, .10 credits for seniority will be added
to the scores of passing candidates only.
14.
Inquiries
may be made as to character and ability and all statements made by candidates
are subject to verification. Some
employers may require the candidate to be fingerprinted and to pass a
background investigation.
15.
Candidates
must be medically, physically and psychologically capable of performing the
duties of the job. Candidates who are appointed
to positions in the Suffolk County service may be required to pass qualifying
medical and/or physical and/or psychological evaluations.
16.
Saturday
Sabbath Observers and handicapped persons:
If special arrangements for testing are required, indicate this on your
application.
17.
No
smoking is permitted in the building or on the grounds of the examination site.
18.
If
you will be on active military duty with the armed forces of the United States
on the date of this test, please contact the Department of Civil Service before
the last filing date appearing on this announcement for alternate test date
information.
19.
Multiple
Examinations Scheduled for the Same Date:
If you have applied to take a written test announced by either one or
several local jurisdictions (county, towns, city) scheduled to be held on the
same test date as this written test, you must notify each of the local
jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date, so they can make
arrangements for taking all test at one test site. All examinations for positions in State
government will be held at a State examination center. If you have any questions please call the
Suffolk County Department of Civil Service at (631) 853-5500.
20.
For
information regarding a weather-related cancellation of this examination,
please refer to our website at www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/CivilService
and click on the “Weather Related Exam Cancellations” link. Civil Service Announcements are shown at the
bottom of that page. Also check News 12 Long Island for notice of cancellation
of this examination: NEWS 12 LONG
ISLAND, TV CHANNEL 12 or at their website:
www.news12.com.
Suffolk County
Department of Civil Service
725 Veterans
Memorial Highway
William J. Lindsay
County Complex, Bldg. # 158
P. O. Box 6100
Hauppauge, NY
11788-0099
Phone (631)
853-5500