Legal Assistant at The… · United…

JOB SUMMARY

The Commission seeks to hire a legal assistant. Under the direction of the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel, the successful applicant will be responsible for managing routine legal matters. He or she will perform a variety of legal tasks in support of the Commission’s mission, including, but not limited to, the maintenance of systems for managing legal materials, preparation of the minutes of public meetings, and management of requests for public records.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide legal support, including conducting research and organizing materials, as directed by the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel.

• Formulate, establish and maintain tracking and other information management systems for administrative and legal matters, including electronic and hard copy files.

• Support legal and Commission staff in the preparation and conduct of public meetings, including the drafting of the minutes. The successful applicant will be familiar with Massachusetts Open Meeting Law (M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18-25).

• Support Legal and Commission staff in responding to general inquiries from the public.

• Support Legal and Commission staff in responding to public records requests. Review public records requests; gather responsive documents for attorney review; respond to public records requests; and manage electronic files of responses to public records requests.

• Maintain litigation files and support the Legal Department in providing the Office of the Attorney General with information pertaining to litigation matters before federal and state courts.

• Support Legal and Commission staff in the procurement processes and its relationships with outside vendors.

• Support the General Counsel and Deputy General Counsel with scheduling meetings and managing their calendars, as needed.

• Ability to interact professionally with high-level government officials, members of the Legislature and the public, as needed.

• Ability to meet expectations and accept personal responsibility for the work.

• Ability to work in a confidential manner and to handle sensitive information.

• Willingness to think creatively and to resolve problems.

• Commitment to building constructive working relationships.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Not applicable

PROFESSIONAL EXPECTATIONS

The Cannabis Control Commission expects all employees to model:

• Commitment to its Mission, Vision, and Values

• Contributions Toward Meeting Organizational Goals and Objectives

• A High Level of Integrity, Collaboration, and Professionalism

• A Culturally Sensitive, Inclusive, and Accountable Workplace Environment

• Working Respectfully with Others, Supporting Diverse Perspectives, and Upholding Organizational Values

• Transparent, Meaningful, and Effective Communication

COMPETENCIES, SKILLS, AND ATTRIBUTES

• Organized self-starter and effective collaborator, showing a strong interest in systems and process improvement.

• Strong technical, analytical, and problem-solving skills, including root cause analysis.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze business situations, create processes, and demonstrate problem-solving and analytical thinking skills for the success of the project.

• Strong communication skills with the ability to tailor information that establishes rapport and the ability to communicate and disseminate this information across the Commission.

• Ability to interact professionally with high-level government officials, members of the Legislature and the public, as needed.

• Ability to work on multiple assignments; exercise good judgment in decision-making; meet deadlines; work independently, demonstrate attention to detail and be flexible.

• Willingness to obtain training and learn new skills.

• Adept at presenting information in an accurate and concise format.

• Ability to think critically and strategically.

• Ability to be calm under pressure.

• Comfortable working independently, as well as with teams.

• Commitment to Commission’s mission, standards, and goals; and

• Ability to work in and travel to the Commission’s offices in Worcester and/or Boston.

QUALIFICATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

• Paralegal Certificate, Associate’s Degree, or equivalent experience. Bachelor level preferred.

• Minimum 3 years experience in a law firm, corporation or government agency.

• Must demonstrate a familiarity with Open Meeting and Public Records Laws.

• Outstanding organizational skills, which includes the ability to prioritize and complete multiple projects under time constraints and with available resources.

• Excellent interpersonal, verbal and written communication skills; must be able to interact with people at all levels within the Commission, with the entities regulated by the Commission, outside counsel, outside vendors, and members of the public.

• Ability to work productively, independently, and creatively in an evolving environment.

• Must possess good judgment in making decisions and addressing problems.

• Must demonstrate a proficiency with computers and the MS Office Suite (including Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint) and willingness to learn state- and Commission-specific information technology systems.

• Must demonstrate an appreciation of and an attention to detail.

• Willingness to perform administrative and clerical duties as needed.

1. WORKING CONDITIONS

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift, push, or pull up to 20 pounds.

• Must tolerate sitting, standing, or walking for extended periods of time.

• Must be sensitive to and can manage frequent interruptions.

• Standard office environment with use of, and exposure to various office temperatures, and equipment such as computers, fax machines, copiers, etc.

CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION’S MISSION STATEMENT AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES

OUR MISSION

The mission of the Cannabis Control Commission is to honor the will of the voters of Massachusetts by safely, equitably, and effectively implementing and administering the laws enabling access to medical and adult-use marijuana in the Commonwealth.

The Commission will foster the creation of a safely regulated industry that will create entrepreneurial and employment opportunities and incremental tax revenues in and to communities across the state and which will be a best practice model for other states.

The industry will be characterized by participation by small and larger participants and with full and robust participation by minorities, women, and veterans.

We will develop policies and procedures to encourage and enable full participation in the marijuana industry by people from communities that have previously been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement and positively impact those communities.

OUR OPERATING PRINCIPLES

The Commission promises to:

• Conduct all of our processes openly and transparently; and

• Engage in regular two-way communication with all concerned citizens, patients, health care providers and caregivers, partners, and other constituencies.

Build a world-class state agency by:

• Committing to the highest level of constituent services using state-of-the-art technology and multiple media;

• Defining and publicly measuring our performance versus metrics regarding timely execution, accessibility, impact on public health and safety, impact on disproportionately harmed communities, and incremental tax revenue generation;

• Becoming self-funding and generating a revenue surplus; and

• Creating a great place to work.

Enhance and ensure public health and safety by:

• Developing and enforcing effective regulations;

• Developing and executing a program of continuing public education;

• Conducting and contributing to research on marijuana-related topics; and

• Using surplus funds to help address issues in these areas.