The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia is accepting applications for a Paralegal / Administrator Federal Public Defender position in our Richmond office. Pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, the office provides legal representation to indigent defendants in federal criminal cases and related matters.
The successful applicant must, at a minimum have: 1) 3 years of experience in a legal setting or the equivalent; 2) A high level of proficiency with MS Office (Word, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat; 3) experience with litigation support software. The successful applicant will have a working knowledge of law office operations, legal practices, methods and techniques, and an understanding of criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence. Successful candidates will demonstrate a willingness to assist in office operations and perform administrative duties as needed. Graduate level education from an accredited institution may substitute for experience.
The paralegal position provides support services to staff attorneys. This position will also provide vital administrative assistance to the Richmond location and serve as a backup for the Branch Manager. This position may require work on holidays, evenings, and weekends, as the nature of assigned cases require. General legal duties include providing research, drafting legal pleadings, assisting with case preparation and file management, managing discovery, assisting attorneys at hearings and trials, assisting with client contact, assisting investigators with interviewing witnesses as needed, maintaining research banks, and intensive technological litigation support. Additional duties may include analyzing legal decisions, opinions, rulings and compiling and summarizing substantive information on statutes, treaties and specific legal subjects. Administrative duties will include but are not limited to: greeting and directing visitors, answering and routing calls to the office, overseeing incoming and outgoing mail, overseeing and organizing office supplies, opening and closing physical and digital case files, assisting in financial and case file management, and managing office calendars for trials and dockets. Administrative duties during the regular course of business may account for a significant portion daily duties.