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Title:                                 Paralegal - Smoke Free Air Law

                                         $23.70 - $34.28 / Posted Thru: 10-2-25

Location:                         100% In-Office - Lansing, MI

Purpose:  This position supports and conducts critical work for the Indoor Smoke Free Air Law Enforcement Program.   Duties are critical for compliance with the law, protecting public health, communicating with constituents and their attorneys, supporting the preparation of appeal cases, and responding to legislative inquiries and Freedom of Information Act requests.  The Tobacco Section and MDHHS is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).  All Tobacco Section staff must value equity and diversity and demonstrate this in all communication and interactions with staff and community members.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Communicate and interact with diverse constituents and community members.
• Review case file and draft response to subpoenas.
• Review case file and draft response to legislative inquiries.
• Review administrative licensing case files and draft notices of non-compliance, complaints, and settlement agreements.
• Perform work in assessing requests filed under the Freedom of Information Act, reviewing case files, preparing necessary documents.
• Develop timelines and histories of exemption holders to support response to inquiries from MDHHS administration, and Attorney General document requests.
• Research relevant statutes, rulings, and precedents to be used as a basis for preparing contested case and violation decisions.
• Review complaints and prepare preliminary assessments of validity.
• Respond to constituents and their attorneys.
• Prepare transfer and sale affidavits and send to constituents.
• Process appeals and send to Attorney General with the copied exemption file.  
• Assist with the preparation of proposals for decision, final orders, and other decisional documents resulting from quasi-judicial hearings.
• Research relevant statutes, rulings, files, and precedents to be used as a basis for answering requests for appeals.
• Develop legal briefs for appeals.
• Prepare SFAL enforcement packets.
• Track timelines and needs of the SFAL enforcement program.
• Track violations, exemption renewals, and exemption applications.
• Document in exemption holder record and email exemption holder.
• Respond to constituent’s phone calls and document contact.
• Always represent the best interests of MPHI and MDHHS.
• All other duties as assigned.

Qualifications/Requirements:

Education:  Paralegal associate degree required.

Experience:  Possesses extensive experience in completing FOIA responses, reviewing and responding to subpoenas, and preferably handling legislative inquiries. They demonstrate excellent legal writing and comprehension skills, along with strong oral communication abilities. Their background includes navigating difficult conversations and working in fast-paced environments where urgent and emergency assignments arise unexpectedly. Experience in an attorney’s office or within a State Department’s legal division is preferred, as is familiarity with the Michigan Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules (MOAHRS) and the Michigan legislature. The candidate should be adept at writing legal briefs and managing detail-oriented tasks involving significant legal documentation. Familiarity with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services is also preferred. Additionally, they should have experience working with diverse staff and populations, and a commitment to expanding their understanding of experiences and identities beyond their own.

Important Skills and Characteristics:

• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong documentation skills and understanding of the need for significant historical records for potential litigation.
• Excellent multi-tasking skills and ability to move to urgent assignments.
• Strong critical thinking skills.
• High levels of ethics professionally, individually, and at the community and organizational level.
• Excellent legal writing and comprehension skills.
• Excellent oral communication including around legal and enforcement issues.
• Excellent tracking skills for timelines and coordination skills.
• Knowledge of administrative procedures.
• Knowledge of civil law.
• Value for diversity, equity, and inclusion for all experiences and identities different than one’s own.
• Knowledge of DEI, a commitment to learning about experiences and identities different than one’s own.

Work Environment and Physical Requirements:  No significant physical activities are required for this position.  Desk work, significant computer related activity, occasional travel within the state.

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE WORK OF OTHERS:  No assigned responsibility.

IMPACT ON PROJECTS, SERVICES AND OPERATIONS: This position has a direct impact on the quality of services provided by MPHI to MDHHS. This position impacts the critical public health work for the Indoor Smoke Free Air Law Enforcement Program.   This position supports constituents and their attorneys stay in compliance with their exemption from the Indoor Smoke Free Air Law (SFAL), supports the preparation of appeal cases to ensure compliance as a result of violations of the law.  This position provides both the administration of MDHHS and the legislature timely information to responds to issues that arise related to the SFAL.

REQUIRED COMMUNICATION

"For purposes of employment standards, this classification is “Non-Exempt” from overtime provisions of the fair Labor Standards Act."

MPHI works with you to promote health for everyone.  Together, we will build a world where tomorrow is healthier than today!

MPHI is an EEO employer that participates with e-verify.