Paralegal

The Rhode Island Office of the Attorney General is seeking an applicant for a paralegal position in the Healthcare Unit and Public Protection Bureau within the Civil Division. 

About the Office of the Attorney General: The Attorney General is the state’s top lawyer and law enforcement official, protecting and serving the people and interests of Rhode Island through a broad range of duties. Every day, the Office’s attorneys fight to ensure the public safety of the state’s communities, improve the economic security of its citizens, safeguard the state’s spectacular natural resources, and restore the public’s trust in government. Assistant and Special Assistant Attorneys General represent the people of Rhode Island in civil and criminal matters before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States. The Office is unique among attorneys general offices across the country. Out of fifty states, only two other offices share the same broad criminal mission. The Office’s attorneys prosecute complex and violent crimes but also functionally serve as one of the nation’s largest district attorney’s offices, prosecuting all felonies throughout the state.

Civil Division: The Civil Division leads affirmative and defensive litigation on behalf of the state, counsels the Attorney General and other government officials, and performs a range of regulatory duties. From identifying and pursuing landmark civil actions against businesses and individuals that have harmed Rhode Islanders to defending state laws, state agencies, state general officers, legislators, and employees, the Division and its attorneys are at the forefront of matters being litigated before trial courts, appellate courts, and the supreme courts of Rhode Island and the United States.

Public Protection Bureau: The Public Protection Bureau has been recently created within the Civil Division of the Attorney General’s office and is comprised of four units – Healthcare, Consumer and Economic Justice, Environmental and Energy and Civil & Community Rights. Each of these units affirmatively develops legal work and initiatives by using the legal authority of the Office of Attorney General to advance and protect dignity, quality of life, and equity for all Rhode Islanders. The Public Protection Bureau and each of its units also engage with community members and advocates to identify needed change and with thought partners to understand drivers of poverty and inequities within existing systems. Litigation and other initiatives are chosen based on understanding where change is needed and the relationship of evident needs to larger drivers of inequity, and are prioritized by evaluating the potential for impact.

Health Care Unit: The mission of the Health Care Unit is to contribute to improving individual and community health, understanding that the health of Rhode Islanders requires access to the healthcare market as well as safe and healthy communities, homes, workplaces and schools, and working to make health care more accessible, affordable and of consistently high quality for Rhode Islanders by removing obstacles to care. Through the work of the Health Care Advocate and the Insurance Advocate, the Health Care Unit performs key regulatory oversight of significant hospital transactions and protects consumers against increasing health insurance rates and costs. 

Duties: The paralegal’s primary responsibilities are to support our Healthcare Unit and the Public Protection Bureau. This position will center around the Attorney General’s role as Insurance Advocate, including serving as a ratepayer advocate before the Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner, evaluating and investigating consumer complaints regarding commercial and public/private health insurance, and work more generally supporting the Unit’s efforts to address systemic problems in healthcare payment systems. Duties include the investigation of claims/complaints, outreach to complainants, assisting with preparation for litigation, legal research, organization of insurance rate filings and assessments, and generally providing logistical support (i.e., proofing and formatting documents, creating and updating spreadsheets, preparing binders, etc.). 

Eligibility: The applicant will have a paralegal certificate or college degree (essential) and experience working in a law office or other public-facing organization.  Excellent communication skills, a demonstrated interest in civil and community rights work, and fluency in Spanish is preferred.  The applicant will have a mode of transportation allowing them to travel between office locations and/or into the community to meet with members of the public.

Qualifications:  The applicant must be highly motivated with superb organizational, research, communications, and administrative skills. The applicant should be proficient at multi-tasking, highly organized, and have a keen interest in providing accurate and insightful support to lawyers and legal teams.

To be successful in this role, strong applicants will be able to:

How to Apply: Applicants should email or mail (1) a cover letter summarizing why you are interested and describing the skills and abilities you possess that will enable you to succeed in this position, (2) resume, and (3) list of three references to:

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Attorney General’s Office is stronger, more credible, and more capable when its employees bring diverse backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives to their work. The Office encourages all qualified applicants from all ethnic and racial backgrounds, veterans, LGBTQ individuals, and persons with disabilities to apply.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, disability, or covered veteran status. 

                                    

Other Information: Finalists will be subject to a background investigation including reference checks. All offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of the background investigation.