Paralegal II

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, and a paralegal certificate from a paralegal training program accredited by the American Bar Association,

OR

graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher, plus one (1) year of work experience as a legal assistant or paralegal,

OR

graduation from an accredited college with an associate degree, plus (2) years of work experience as a legal assistant or paralegal,

OR

graduation from an accredited college or university with a juris doctor from a law school accredited by the American Bar Association,

OR

completion of a paralegal certificate obtained from a training institution accredited by the American Bar Association, plus one (1) year of work experience as a legal assistant or paralegal,

OR

five (5) years of work experience as a legal assistant or paralegal.

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully complete an interview which will include a written exercise and/or skills assessment as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

NOTE: Applicants will be required to provide a writing sample.

Writing Sample Criteria

Applicants must submit a writing sample prior to their scheduled interviews. All writing samples submitted in consideration for employment must comply with the following criteria:

I. The sample may either be a professional project report, academic project report, an official communication related to a professional or academic project, or a work-related report or communication.

II. Each writing sample submitted must be no more than five (5) pages.

III. Each writing sample must be accompanied by a cover page explaining:

A. The sample's original purpose (e.g. a writing class, a professional project, a memorandum for an employer).

B. When (MM/DD/YYYY) and for whom the sample was written.

C. The extent of editing by any third party (if any).

D. If the writing sample is an excerpt from a larger document, identify that larger document and provide context, if necessary.

If an applicant chooses to submit a writing sample containing confidential or privileged information, the applicant must identify the steps taken (redactions, name changes, or consent from the client or employer) to preserve the confidential or privileged nature of the document.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Jun 18, 2026, 12:00:00 AM