Requisition No: 884627
Agency: Highway Safety and Motor Vehicle
Working Title: LEGAL ASSISTANT (WT: PARALEGAL SPECIALIST II) - 76004864 1
Pay Plan: Career Service
Position Number: 76004864
Salary: $42,000.00 Annually
Posting Closing Date: 10/15/2026
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OFFICE OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
LEGAL
FHP LEGAL COUNSEL I
*Career Service (CS) Opportunity*
*Open Competitive Advertisement*
To be considered for this position, applicant responses to qualifying questions must be clearly stated within the employment history. Software systems, actual work experience, and years of employment must be clearly defined, or the application may not be considered for the position .
Contact Person: Bonnie Buchanan, (850) 617-3101
The Organization
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) provides highway safety and security through excellence in service, education, and enforcement. With a workforce of approximately 4,500 employees throughout the state, the Department is leading the way to A Safer Florida through the efficient and professional execution of its core mission: the issuance of driver licenses, vehicle tags and titles, and operation of the Florida Highway Patrol.
Our Benefits include
• Paid Parental Leave
• Annual and Sick Leave Package
• Nine Paid Holidays
• State Health and Life Insurance
• Educational Benefits
• Contributory Retirement Plan
To learn more about FLHSMV and why it’s a great place to work, visit our website at: flhsmv.gov/careers.
If you're seeking employment with a meaningful mission, opportunities for skill growth and career advancement, competitive medical and life insurance, retirement benefits, ample vacation and sick leave, paid holidays, and educational assistance, consider building your career at FLHSMV!
Duties and Responsibilities
This Paralegal Specialist position provides support to the Chief Counsel and Deputy Chief Counsel for the Florida Highway Patrol (FHP), as well as other FHP Troop Legal Advisors as assigned. As a paralegal, you will provide assistance to attorneys handling Department civil, administrative, and appellate litigation primarily involving Florida Highway Patrol asset forfeitures. Duties and responsibilities will include: Preparing drafts of legal documents to include pleadings, orders, motions, memoranda of law and other legal correspondence, Performing legal research and data collection, Managing attorney calendars and tracking deadlines, Maintaining litigation files in the case management system, Filing litigation documents with clerks of court and/or judges, and requesting and scheduling hearings with courts.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
• Knowledge of court filing requirements.
• Knowledge of proper preparation of court pleadings and legal correspondence.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, computer skills, and the aptitude to learn new software.
• Skills in organization and the ability to work independent of close supervision.
• Ability to conduct legal and general research.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment, where attention to detail is crucial.
• Ability to effectively interact with all customers with courtesy and professionalism.
• Ability to maintain the confidentiality of information.
Preferred Qualifications
Preference will be given to candidates with the following:
• Two years of experience working in a legal office as a paralegal or legal assistant with significant experience drafting legal documents and pleadings.
• Experience with civil forfeitures and/or criminal law practice.
Additional preference will be given for experience with:
• Court filing requirements.
• Online legal research tools.
• Civil, appellate, or administrative litigation.
• State travel rules and regulations.
• Scheduling/managing calendars.
Job Related Requirements
• Day and overnight travel may be required.
• The position you are applying is subject to a Level 2 background along with CJIS security clearance, to include fingerprinting as a condition of employment pursuant to Chapter 110.1127, 435 and 943, Florida Statutes. As an applicant for positions requiring CJIS security clearance, you are required to disclose criminal records that have been sealed or expunged.
General Information
• The elements of the selection process may include a skill assessment and/or oral interview.
• Applicants being considered for employment will be required to submit to a fingerprint-based background investigation, which will include a check of the criminal history records of the FBI. Fingerprints and associated information/biometrics will be retained in the FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI) system and fingerprints may continue to be compared against fingerprints submitted to or retained by NGI.
• FLHSMV employees are paid once a month on the last workday of each month. All state employees are required to participate in the direct deposit program pursuant to s. 110.113 Florida Statutes .
Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.
The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.
VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.