Legal Assistant - Military Veterans
at Public Utility Commission
Perform routine to highly advanced legal assistant work in the Office of Policy and Docket Management. Work involves researching, analyzing, investigating, and drafting legal documents and orders, and assisting judges with successful case management. Work under limited to minimal supervision, with moderate to extensive latitude for the use of initiative and independent judgment.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
· Prepare orders and other documents for the administrative law judges (ALJs).
· Monitor procedural schedules and deadlines on assigned applications.
· Check citations, quotations, footnotes, and references for accuracy.
· Edit and proofread documents.
· Assist in the preparation of various legal and administrative documents, including orders for open meetings.
· Assemble exhibits and other documents as necessary.
· Assist with administrative matters as needed.
· Assist the ALJs with Commission held hearings.
· Research and analyze sources such as statutes, judicial decisions, and articles.
· Prepare memoranda of research findings.
· Compile citations and references.
· Responsible for performance measures related to applications assigned.
· Demonstrate a spirit of teamwork, offering positive and constructive ideas, encouragement, support to other members of the staff and team, and respond professionally to constructive feedback from others, while upholding the PUC’s mission and core values.
· Adhere to all PUC personnel policies and division procedures and perform other work as assigned.
REQUIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
· Certification from a formal Legal Assistant Program or Paralegal Certificate Program. One (1) additional year of work experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, or legal secretary may be substituted for the certification.
· Legal Assistant II: A minimum of one (1) year work experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, or legal secretary.
· Legal Assistant III: A minimum of three (3) years’ work experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, or legal secretary.
· Legal Assistant IV: A minimum of four (4) years’ work experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, or legal secretary.
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
· Work experience as a paralegal, legal assistant or legal secretary in administrative law or utility law.
Austin, TX
The Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) regulates the state's electric, telecommunication, and water and sewer utilities, implements respective legislation, and offers customer assistance in resolving consumer complaints. It does so while working to protect customers, foster competition, and promote high quality infrastructure. The PUC was born in 1975 when the Texas Legislature enacted the Public Utility Regulatory Act (PURA) and charged the agency with providing statewide regulation of the rates and services of electric and telecommunications utilities. As a result of deregulation and the institution of a competitive energy market, the PUC's mission and focus shifted from regulation of rates and services to oversight of competitive markets and compliance enforcement of statutes and rules for the electric and telecommunication industries, focused on ensuring customers receive the benefits of competition. For water and sewer utility service, however, the focus remains on the regulation of rates and services. The PUC continues to perform its traditional regulatory function for electric transmission and distribution utilities across the state. Additionally, while integrated electric utilities outside of the ERCOT power grid remain fully regulated by the PUC, the PUC is increasingly involved in multi-state efforts to implement wholesale electric competitive market structures and transmission planning in the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) and Midcontinent Independent System Operator (MISO) areas. In 2013, the Texas Legislature transferred the economic regulation of water and sewer utilities to the PUC. This transfer involved the functions with respect to the regulation of water and sewer rates and services, Certificates of Convenience and Necessity (CCNs) and Sale/Transfer/Mergers from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to the PUC.