Residence Requirements:

THIS EXAMINATION IS OPEN TO ALL QUALIFIED EMPLOYEES OF THE ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES. At present there are two anticipated vacancies at the Erie County Department of Social Services.

The eligible list resulting from this examination will not supersede currently existing promotional eligible lists for this title, if any. The duration of all promotional eligible lists is four years from date of establishment unless otherwise indicated.

Examples of Duties:

A Senior Paralegal  performing specialized paralegal duties in a Social Services Division dealing with child support and child welfare issues and legal advocacy for the disabled (claims for disability benefits under Titles II and XVI of the Social Security Act.) , or in the District Attorney’s office; 

Supervises and trains paralegal and clerical staff;

Monitors status of files;

Files appeals as necessary and/or directed by supervisor, in a timely fashion;

Assists with preparation of rough drafts of briefs and various legal documents as assigned and prepares summaries of selected decisions and opinions;

Incorporates legal references and includes an analysis of precedents involved in relation to the case or matter under discussion;

Searches legal reference files and other sources for information and data required by the attorney in conducting interviews and answering correspondence;

Assembles exhibits, affidavits, legal documents, etc., for the use of attorneys in the preparation for trial of cases, and collects any additional information which is needed;

Verifies citations and statutory references contained in legal documents against original sources such as legal texts, reports, etc., making certain they are correct and in complete conformance with the source material;

Prepares drafts of motions and responses to motions, prepares complaints, determines status of cases and responds to inquiries;

If assigned to the Department of Social Services:

Prepares summons and subpoenas relating to Family Court support proceedings;

Prepares Court Orders relating to child welfare proceedings;

Interviews claimants, determines eligibility and assists in the preparation and review of pleadings and applications;

Prepares SSI/DIB applications for submission to SSA;

Acts as a liaison between Family Court and Child Support Investigators;

Maintains contact, personally and in writing, with SSA;

May represent claimants as well as DSS and department’s interests at administrative hearings;

Establishes and maintains effective working relationships with other units in DSS and other agencies in the community;

May utilize community medical and health resources;

May evaluate and interpret the social/medical factors relevant to employability and/or eligibility of clients for disability benefits;

May make referrals for medical care;

May act as liaison between social services case staff and community groups and individuals in medical/social matters;

May establish and maintain effective working relationships with medical and allied professional and other agencies in the community;

May maintain medical, social and other records in individual cases.

If assigned to the District Attorney’s Office:

Maintains specialized knowledge of regulations, procedures and laws pertaining to Buffalo City Court, Family Court, County Court and Superior Court;

Mediates problems between attorneys, victims and witnesses;

Provides required information i.e. in-state and out of State Certificates of Conviction/Incarceration, program narratives, etc. necessary for court proceedings;

Maintains contact with all arresting agencies locally, state-wide and on the federal level;

Prepares standardized forms concerning Extradition, Prisoner Return Orders and Writs of Habeas Corpus and presents legal documents in court;

Reviews parole notifications and informs victims of offender’s incarceration status, past and present;

Provides information to victims and families regarding convicted criminals and present prosecution;

Review case schedule for court and insures quality of case preparation is high;

Appears as expert witness;

Presents cases before hearing officers;

Reviews and enhances court face sheets;

Completes court turn around documents;

Prepares and follows up on summonses.

Qualifications:

QUALIFYING EXPERIENCE FOR TAKING THE TEST: Candidates must be permanently employed in the competitive class and must be serving and have served continuously on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class for 18 months immediately preceding the date of the written test in the position of Paralegal.

Notes:

None.

The New York State Department of Civil Service has not prepared a test guide for this examination. However,candidates may find information in the publication "How to take a written test" helpful in preparing for this test. This publication is available on line at: www.cs.ny.gov/testing/localtestguides.cfm

Subjects of Examination:

Subjects of Examination: A written test designed to evaluate knowledge, skills and /or abilities in the following areas:

1. Ensuring effective inter/intra agency communications

These questions test for understanding of techniques for interacting effectively with individuals and agencies, to educate and inform them about topics of concern, to clarify agency programs or policies, to negotiate conflicts or resolve complaints, and to represent one's agency or program in a manner in keeping with good public relations practices. Questions may also cover interacting with the staff of one's own agency and/or that of other agencies in cooperative efforts of public outreach or service.

2. Legal terminology, documents and forms

These questions test for the ability to recognize definitions of specific common legal terms or the term which fits a certain description. The questions are presented in various forms such as simple definitions, examples of terminology, and the use of this terminology within documents and forms related to the legal field.

3. Preparing written material

These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.

4. Supervision

These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices employed in planning, organizing, and controlling the activities of a work unit toward predetermined objectives. The concepts covered, usually in a situational question format, include such topics as assigning and reviewing work; evaluating performance; maintaining work standards; motivating and developing subordinates; implementing procedural change; increasing efficiency; and dealing with problems of absenteeism, morale, and discipline.

5. Understanding and interpreting written material

These questions test for the ability to understand and interpret written material. You will be presented with brief reading passages and will be asked questions about the passages. You should base your answers to the questions only on what is presented in the passages and not on what you may happen to know about the topic. 

NOTICE TO CANDIDATES: Unless otherwise noted, 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", or any similar devices are prohibited. You may not bring books or other reference materials.

INFORMATION FOR PROMOTION CANDIDATES

Unless otherwise indicated, the eligible list resulting from this examination will have a duration of four years and will not supersede existing promotional lists, if any.

RATINGS REQUIRED:  Test is rated on a scale of 100 with a passing mark at 70.  Test instructions may further divide the tests into parts and set minimum standards for each part.

Points will be added to scores of candidates who achieve a passing mark as follows: Seniority:  For each year of service in the classified service:

Less than 1 year……………………..................…0 points

1 year up to 6 years…………….…........................1 point

Over 6 years up to 11 years.....………......….........2 points

Over 11 years up to 16 years….…........….........…3 points

Over 16 years up to 21 years………..................…4 points

Over 21 years………………………..................…5 points

**IMPORTANT APPLICATION FEE - READ CAREFULLY**

A None filing fee is required for this exam. The required fee must accompany your application. Send or bring check or money order made payable to Erie County Personnel Department and write the examination number(s) on your check or money order. Do not send or bring cash, as the County cannot be responsible for cash payment. As no refund will be made, you are urged to compare your qualifications carefully with the requirements for admission and file only for those examinations for which you are clearly qualified.