Senior Paralegal / Legal Assistant II
This is a Full-Time (W2) Position supporting Large Government Consulting Firm. Full benefits, PTO, and paid holidays is inclusive to this position.
Number of Available Positions: 1
Project Location: Albuquerque, New Mexico 87102
Contract Term/Details: 9 Months with Possible Extensions.
Salary Compensation (Firm): $63K/YR( W2)
Job Description:
Position Summary
The Senior Paralegal will provide litigation and legal support under the direction of a Supervisory Paralegal or Project Supervisor. The position requires experience supporting litigation matters, conducting legal research, preparing complex legal documents, managing electronic discovery, maintaining case files, and assisting attorneys with trial preparation.
Work products will be reviewed before submission; however, the Senior Paralegal will frequently develop assignments with minimal direct supervision and in accordance with established written guidelines.
The position primarily interacts with contractor personnel, although occasional coordination with attorneys, trial staff, law enforcement personnel, witnesses, and other government stakeholders may be required.
Education Requirements
Candidates must meet at least one of the following requirements:
· Possess a paralegal certificate.
· Possess a Juris Doctor degree.
· Be currently attending an ABA-accredited law school and have completed at least one year of study.
· Possess an equivalent level of legal training or professional experience.
· Possess an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience.
Required Experience and Qualifications
· At least two years of litigation paralegal experience or relevant project experience related to the task order.
· At least one year of experience supporting automated litigation activities.
· Sound working knowledge of:
o Federal and state court systems.
o Legal research procedures.
o Legal research resources.
o Litigation support processes.
o Electronic discovery procedures and resources.
· Experience using legal research platforms, including:
o Westlaw.
o Lexis or LexisNexis.
· Hands-on familiarity with:
o Electronic discovery tools.
o Document review systems.
o File management systems.
o Databases.
o Word-processing applications.
o Spreadsheets.
o Imaging applications.
o Computer hardware systems.
· Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
· Strong proofreading, editing, research, organizational, and analytical abilities.
· Ability to consistently produce high-quality work under significant time pressure.
· Ability to work independently within established procedures and written guidelines.
· Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a Public Trust clearance.
Key Responsibilities
Legal Research and Document Preparation
· Conduct moderately complex legal research using original and online legal resources, including Westlaw and LexisNexis.
· Verify legal citations and statutory references contained in legal documents.
· Confirm that citations are accurate, complete, and consistent with source materials.
· Prepare preliminary drafts of legal memoranda, correspondence, and other legal documents.
· Proofread, edit, and revise legal briefs and other case-related materials.
· Review case materials and identify:
o Potentially conflicting statements.
o Factual inconsistencies.
o Matters requiring additional investigation.
· Prepare summaries of hearing transcripts and oral arguments for attorney use.
· Develop tables of contents, tables of authorities, and indices for legal briefs in accordance with established formatting requirements.
· List cited cases, opinions, statutes, and other references contained in briefs.
Complex Legal Filings
· Prepare complex legal documents with limited instruction from client attorneys, including:
o Indictments.
o Arrest warrants.
o Summonses.
o True bills.
o Motions.
o Orders.
o Nondisclosure applications and orders.
o Stipulations.
o Plea agreements.
o Grand jury subpoenas.
o Trial subpoenas.
o Legal memoranda.
· Review incoming documents and materials and evaluate them in relation to the nature and status of the applicable case.
· Obtain required information from:
o Criminal case files.
o Law enforcement agencies.
o Government databases.
o Other relevant sources.
· Incorporate required information into legal documents before submitting them to the appropriate client attorney for review.
· Ensure recurring legal documents comply with:
o Local court rules.
o Applicable procedural requirements.
o Required legal style and formatting standards.
· Electronically file legal documents with the U.S. District Court using the CM/ECF system.
Trial and Hearing Preparation
· Assist attorneys with trial preparation by independently:
o Compiling trial notebooks.
o Compiling witness notebooks.
o Preparing and organizing trial exhibits.
o Assembling proposed jury instructions.
o Compiling witness lists.
o Compiling exhibit lists.
· Collate all necessary pleadings and supporting materials for hearings scheduled for the following day.
· Review court calendars to identify upcoming hearings, deadlines, and required filings.
· Coordinate with victim/witness specialists to ensure compliance with current Departmental guidelines regarding victims’ rights and services.
· Notify case agents and appropriate office personnel regarding victim and witness issues.
Electronic Discovery and Litigation Support
· Scan, input, upload, download, organize, and link case-related materials within electronic discovery databases.
· Manage electronic discovery databases and associated document repositories.
· Process materials received from local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, including:
o Investigative reports.
o Forensic reports.
o Bank records.
o Electronic communications.
o Audio files.
o Video files.
o Documents received in varying electronic formats.
· Manage discovery processing and production activities.
· Bates-stamp and redact discovery materials using Adobe Acrobat.
· Use IPRO Eclipse or similar technology to perform discovery-processing activities, when required.
· Prepare and transmit continuing discovery productions to defense counsel as directed by the assigned client attorney.
· Maintain accurate records of discovery received, processed, produced, and transmitted.
Case File and Case Management Support
· Maintain complete and accurate electronic case files.
· Enter and update information in the applicable case management system.
· Calendar court dates, filing deadlines, hearings, and other case-related deadlines using Microsoft Outlook.
· Prepare and file:
o Conflict-of-interest forms.
o Case-opening forms.
o Other required case-management documentation.
· Perform docketing duties and track case filings using the case management system.
· Conduct searches, generate reports, and analyze case-management data.
· Determine case status and reconcile inconsistencies within case records.
· Prepare case files for closing and ensure that each file contains all required documentation, including:
o Correspondence.
o Relevant pleadings.
o Conflict-of-interest forms.
o Investigative materials.
o Discovery productions.
o Grand jury materials.
o Court transcripts.
o Witness transcripts.
o Closing sheets.
· Confirm that required documents are properly executed by the assigned client attorney.
Legal Correspondence and Administrative Support
· Compose original correspondence requiring knowledge of legal procedures and specialized legal terminology.
· Prepare correspondence involving:
o Transmission of proposed orders to the court.
o Requests for extensions of time.
o Actions or developments in cases referred by other federal departments and agencies.
o Notifications to defense counsel regarding case-related issues.
· Respond to email and telephone inquiries.
· Refer inquiries to the appropriate attorney or staff member.
· Furnish appropriate information regarding:
o Pending matters.
o Closed matters.
o Office functions.
o General office procedures.
· Determine which matters should be referred immediately to client attorneys based on urgency and legal significance.
Travel and Office Support
· Coordinate travel arrangements by:
o Preparing itineraries.
o Securing transportation reservations.
o Securing hotel accommodations.
o Preparing travel authorizations.
o Preparing travel vouchers.
· Use a variety of office software applications to produce legal, administrative, and presentation materials.
Technical Proficiencies
Candidates must be proficient with, or have hands-on experience using:
· Microsoft Word.
· Microsoft Outlook.
· Microsoft Excel.
· Microsoft PowerPoint.
· Microsoft Access.
· Adobe Acrobat.
· CM/ECF.
· Westlaw.
· Lexis or LexisNexis.
· Electronic discovery databases.
· Document review and file management systems.
· IPRO Eclipse or comparable discovery-processing tools.
Assignments may require integrating outputs from multiple applications, such as:
· Database-generated tables.
· Spreadsheet-generated charts and graphs.
· Word-processing documents.
· Desktop-publishing materials.
· Legal filings.
· Courtroom presentation materials.
The Senior Paralegal will proofread all work products to ensure proper:
· Format.
· Spelling.
· Punctuation.
· Capitalization.
· Grammar.
· Citation style.
· Legal terminology.
