Executive Service
LEGAL ASSISTANT
Tennessee Public Utilities Commission
Nashville, TN
$3,958-$4,958/monthly
Depending on experience
Closing Date: 05/17/2023
For additional information, visit our website :
https://www.tn.gov/tpuc
This role is Hybrid
Please attach/upload a cover letter of no more than 500 words, resume, and three professional references. All materials must be combined into a single PDF file. Some applicants may be asked to provide a persuasive writing sample. Thank you for your interest and we look forward to reviewing your application materials
Who we are and what we do:
The Tennessee Public Utility Commission (TPUC) is seeking a Legal Assistant to join and become an integral part of the legal team. The Legal Assistant will provide a wide range of administrative and support services to attorneys in the legal division to ensure the effective and efficient operation of the division. This is a full-time executive service position that reports to and works under the direction of the General Counsel. The Commission office is in Nashville, Tennessee, and operates under a hybrid working arrangement that includes in-office presence and some opportunity for remote work flexibility.
The Commission is the regulatory body created by the General Assembly to provide general supervisory and regulatory oversight over all aspects of Tennessee's privately-owned natural and methane gas, electric, telephone, water, and wastewater public utilities. Commission staff also provide administrative and investigative support to the 17-member Underground Utility Damage Enforcement Board (Board). The Legal Division provides legal support and advice to all TPUC divisions and personnel and legal/administrative support to the Board.
How you make a difference in this role:
- Provide ongoing administrative and legal support functions to General Counsel, division attorneys, and internal stakeholders.
- Extensive proofreading and editing of agency orders and other documents.
- Draft routine and medium-level agency orders and other legal documents, including meeting minutes, clearly and accurately within time-sensitive deadlines.
- Perform a variety of administrative tasks, including but not limited to:
a. Tracking agency orders and shepherding them through the approval process.
b. Entering and maintaining case assignments and status information in custom-designed agency case management and docket system.
c. Preparation of electronic and hard copy Conference and case notebooks.
d. Compiling division data statistics for various purposes including the annual preparation of the division annual report.
e. Entering case assignments into custom-designed agency case and docket system.
f. Maintaining the legal library and associated billing receipts.
g. Filing; copying; scanning; mailing.
- Conduct legal research the status and impact of statutes, rules, legislation, and decisions of the Commission and sister agencies, on a wide variety of relevant legal issues.
- Performing as back-up support for the Commission docket room, as needed.
- Additional related duties and projects as position requires.
Key Responsibilities:
- Adherence to the highest standards of personal and professional integrity, discretion, judgment, and conduct.
- Highly organized self-starter requiring general to minimal supervision with proficiency to achieve stated objectives while managing multiple tasks, competing matters, and projects.
- Excellent written communication skills and superior proofreading skills.
- Ability to communicate effectively and maintain positive, professional interactions with executive-level directors, policy experts, regulatory analysts, and professionals in a variety of fields, as well as outside counsel and public officials.
- Detail-oriented with strong analytical skills and the ability to conduct legal research and analysis.
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion in handling sensitive information.
- Ability to work independently as well as a member of a team in a collaborative, collegial, and respectful manner.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Associate degree in paralegal studies or related field OR paraprofessional certification OR equivalent work experience.
- 3+ years of experience working in a legal environment, preferably in a regulatory or administrative law setting.
- Experience and high-level proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook, and PowerPoint, as well as legal research tools, databases, and electronic filing systems.
Pursuant to the State of Tennessee’s Workplace Discrimination and Harassment policy, the State is firmly committed to the principle of fair and equal employment opportunities for its citizens and strives to protect the rights and opportunities of all people to seek, obtain, and hold employment without being subjected to illegal discrimination and harassment in the workplace. It is the State’s policy to provide an environment free of discrimination and harassment of an individual because of that person’s race, color, national origin, age (40 and over), sex, pregnancy, religion, creed, disability, veteran’s status or any other category protected by state and/or federal civil rights laws.
