Paralegal/ Legal Assistant

CUB Job Announcement:

Part-Time Paralegal/Legal Assistant

Position Summary

The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (CUB) is looking for a Part-Time Paralegal or Legal Assistant to become part of our regulatory litigation team. This position is supervised by CUB’s General Counsel and will work closely with CUB’s regulatory team. The Part-Time Paralegal/Legal Assistant is responsible for assisting CUB’s General Counsel in managing litigation caseload and providing critical organizational support for CUB’s legal advocacy work before Oregon courts and administrative agencies.

About CUB

The Oregon Citizens’ Utility Board (CUB) is a non-profit established by initiative process to represents the interests of Oregon’s residential utility customers.

Learn more about our organization here https://oregoncub.org/

CUB advocates for customers by working to develop energy systems that are affordable, accessible, reliable, and clean and to ensure telecommunications policies that support universal access to Broadband.

• Affordable utilities. CUB keeps utility rates affordable by challenging utility rate proposals and has successfully saved energy and telecommunications customers over $10 billion.
• Advance energy efficiency and renewables. CUB was instrumental in creating the Energy Trust of Oregon to deliver energy efficiency and renewable energy programs.
• Reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CUB was central to the negotiations that led to the closure of Oregon’s only coal plant and worked as part of a broad coalition to pass Oregon’s 100% clean electricity legislation.
• Protect the accessibility and affordability of telephone and internet access services. CUB’s advocacy was critical to the passage of Oregon’s Net Neutrality and Rural Broadband bills.
• Ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are promoted in utility policy. CUB has collaborated with environmental justice groups to broaden participation in energy policy decision making; worked to protect vulnerable communities’ access to affordable electricity, natural gas, and broadband; helped develop programs to prevent utility shutoffs; and promote weatherization and energy efficiency. CUB strives to integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion principles in all our work.

Job Responsibilities

This Part-Time Paralegal/Legal Assistant will play a firsthand role in helping to shape state and regional energy policy as the region transitions to an affordable, low-carbon economy. This position is an integral member of CUB’s Regulatory Team providing critical support for CUB’s important and fast-paced advocacy work protecting Oregon customers during a period of marked technological and policy change. The Part-Time Paralegal/Legal Assistant will:

• Track, calendar, and help CUB’s regulatory team manage dockets and case-related deadlines;
• Assist in scheduling meetings and confirming appointments related to litigation and administrative proceedings;
• Arrange for service and filing of pleadings and documents, including for Oregon state court and state administrative agency matters;
• Assist CUB’s regulatory team by drafting, proofreading, cite-checking, editing, and formatting filings and legal correspondence including pleadings, motions, written testimony, exhibits, and other CUB official documents;
• Communicate in a professional manner with agency staff, court clerks, and other outside persons as necessary;
• Work with regulatory team to manage files and organize and summarize case materials, discovery, and data for litigation and other administrative proceedings;
• Ensure compliance with Oregon state court and state administrative agency rules and procedures;
• Maintain confidentiality and uphold ethical responsibilities; and
• Share administrative responsibilities, and other tasks as needed, in a collaborative and informal work environment.

CUB is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and strives to embody these values and put them into action both within the organization and in our outward-facing work, such as applying the CUB equity lens in our decision-making process, programs, and organizational development.

All CUB staff employees are expected to engage in CUB’s DEI activities, including active participation in Equity Learning Community sessions. Proactive efforts to enhance and expand CUB’s organizational DEI actions are also requested and valued.

Qualifications:

• Familiarity with environmental justice, low-income issues, and a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. (Lived experience encouraged, in addition to professional or educational experience.)
• Experience drafting legal and/or business correspondence, serving and filing pleadings and other documents.
• Experience managing and organizing legal files, including protected confidential information.
• Excellent word processing, document review, and editing skills.
• Excellent analytical, oral, and written communication skills.
• Detail-oriented with a demonstrated ability to work independently and meet aggressive project deadlines.
• Friendly, professional demeanor with a demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others, sense of humor.
• Ability to give and take direction graciously.
• Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Word and PDF Editors.
• Knowledge and experience understanding substantive and procedural law is a plus.
• Legal research and writing skills are a plus.
• Knowledge and experience related to administrative law, or energy and utility regulation is a plus.
• Knowledge and experience with Slack, Gmail, Teams, Zoom, and Google drive is a plus.

Terms of employment and compensation

The Part-Time Paralegal/Legal Assistant works in CUB’s downtown Portland office. Hybrid working arrangements are available depending on job responsibilities. Given the critical nature of this position to CUB’s litigation deadlines, this position will require a fixed hourly schedule of 20 hours a week. Pay is $30/hour and includes PTO, holiday pay, medical insurance benefits including 50% individual coverage, and a 401(k) retirement plan.

How to apply

CUB encourages applicants from all backgrounds to apply.* In your cover letter, we invite you to provide details that demonstrate how your education, training, and/or experience meets the qualifications listed above. If you have graduated from a paralegal, legal assistant, or related program within the last 3 years, please provide a copy of your academic transcript. Email your application materials to Sharif Morton at sharif@oregoncub.org and put “Part-Time Paralegal/Legal Assistant” in the subject line. Deadline is April 25, 2025.

A note to potential candidates: Studies have shown that women, trans, non-binary, BIPOC, and other candidates from most-impacted communities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications as described in a job description. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive organization, and we are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job. That candidate may be one who comes from a background less traditional to our field of work, and that’s welcome. We would strongly encourage you to apply, even if you don't believe you meet every one of the qualifications described.