• Job Description

  Req#: 413255
  !*!
  The first review of applications will be April 5, 2024. Please submit the following required documents on the State of Montana Careers website:
  • Resume - Please include dates of employment and your supervisor’s name/phone number for each position.
  • Cover Letter
  • Three Professional References
  • Writing Sample – Required to demonstrate legal writing and research ability.
  When submitting the required documents, you must check the “relevant document” box to ensure your attachments are uploading correctly to the specific application for this position. Documents not requested will not be considered in the recruitment process. The Judicial Branch is an equal opportunity employer. Women, minorities, and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.
  An employee new to the Judicial Branch will serve a one-year probationary period. The successful applicant will be subject to a criminal background check. Length of appointment is negotiable. Law clerks serving more than two years may be moved to senior law clerk status.
  Law clerks Travel may be required and working hours may include evenings & weekends.
  For a complete job description, please email katie.erickson@mt.gov
  The Montana Judicial Branch offers a variety of opportunities to help you make a difference in your community, and further your career. As a service-oriented employer, we seek employees with a passion for customer service to help us fulfill our mission to provide an independent, accessible, responsive, impartial, and timely forum to resolve disputes; to preserve the rule of law; and to protect the rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitutions of the United States and Montana.
  Benefits of working for the Judicial Branch:
  • Work/life balance
  • Family friendly policies
  • Dedicated and caring colleagues
  • Health coverage
  • Retirement plans
  • Paid vacation, sick leave, and Holidays (combination of up to 38 per year)
  • Opportunities and room for professional growth
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness - Employment with the State of Montana may qualify you to receive student loan forgiveness under the PSLF
  Missoula is a city in the U.S. state of Montana, located along the Clark Fork River near its confluence with the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Rivers in western Montana and at the convergence of five mountain ranges, thus it is often described as the "hub of five valleys"¹. It is the county seat of Missoula County. The city is home to the University of Montana and is described as a youthful and progressive college town with an unusual mix of students, ranchers, “jet setters,” and nature lovers². Learn more at https://www.visitmt.com/
  ­Job Overview:
  This is professional legal work performed for the Honorable Judge Leslie Halligan of the 4^th Judicial District in Missoula, Montana.
  Work involves the performance of professional legal research and other related clerical/administrative work in the preparation of memoranda, opinions, or orders for a judge concerning the cases before him/her. Work is performed under general supervision of a judge and is reviewed through conferences and written reports. The ideal candidate is an energetic self-starter, who can work independently and track and maintain their own deadlines.
  Job Duties: (Any one position may not include all the duties listed, nor do the examples cover all the duties which may be performed.)
  • Reviews, studies, researches, and annotates laws, court decisions, documents, opinions, briefs, and related legal authorities.
  • Prepares briefs, legal memoranda, statement of issues involved, draft opinions and orders including appropriate suggestions or recommendations to the judge.
  • Compiles references on laws and decisions necessary for legal determinations.
  • Confers with judge concerning legal questions, legal theories, construction of documents, and preparation of orders.
  • Attends court sessions to hear testimony and record necessary case information; maintains records attendant to court proceedings; assists judge in the selection and preparation of jury instructions.
  • Tracks cases, pleadings, and court assignments and hearings, using full court enterprise and other resources.
  • May be assigned to assist other departments with legal research/cases or mediation.
  Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (Behaviors):
  • Knowledge of general law, state law, established precedent, and sources of legal reference.
  • Knowledge of trial court practices, rules, and procedures.
  • Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing, with a diverse group of people.
  • Ability to research complex legal problems or questions and apply legal principles.
  • Ability to represent the court in a respectful manner.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationship with others.
  • Skill in the use of technology, legal research software, and Word-based computer programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook) and Adobe.
  • Ability to work independently, use their time efficiently and productively, and track and maintain their own deadlines.
  Working Conditions:
  Work is performed primarily in an office setting or a courtroom.
  Physical Demands:
  • Work is essentially sedentary with occasional walking, standing, bending, and carrying items up to 25 pounds such as papers and files. Some positions may require periods of extended sitting, standing or computer use. Some positions may require standing on a ladder to retrieve files from high shelves.
  !*!
  Minimum Qualifications (Education and Experience):
  • A Juris Doctorate is required.
  • Legal research experience.
  • Excellent writing skills.
  New graduates as well as experienced attorneys will be considered.
  If another department vacancy occurs in this job title within six months, the same applicant pool may be used for the selection.!*!The State of Montana has a decentralized human resources (HR) system. Each agency is responsible for its own recruitment and selection. Anyone who needs a reasonable accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the agency's HR staff identified on the job listing or by dialing the Montana Relay at 711. Montana Job Service Offices also offer services including assistance with submitting an online application.
  
  State government does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, childbirth or medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, marital status, creed, political beliefs or affiliation, veteran status, military service, retaliation, or any other factor not related to merit and qualifications of an employee or applicant.

• About the company

  Montana (/mɒnˈtænə/) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States.

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