Capital Habeas Paralegal

Federal Public Defender, Central District of California • Los Angeles, CA

18d

About The Position

The Federal Public Defender’s Office for the Central District of California is accepting applications for a full-time paralegal position in its Capital Habeas Unit (CHU) stationed in Los Angeles, California. The CHU advocates for the constitutional rights and inherent dignity of indigent persons sentenced to death. We provide the highest quality representation in post-conviction proceedings through diversity of experience, collaborative and thorough case development, focused litigation strategies, and skilled courtroom advocacy.

Requirements

• Applicants must have an undergraduate degree and five or more years of paralegal experience in complex civil or criminal litigation under the direct supervision of attorneys.
• Proficiency with Office 365 applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive), and Adobe Acrobat.
• Applicant must have a solid understanding of California civil litigation (state and federal rules).
• The ability to lift and move boxes and willing to travel to various locations to complete required tasks.
• Varying hours including nights, weekends, and holidays may be required.
• A background investigation is required as a condition of employment.
• In line with current federal appropriations law, applicants must be Unted States citizens or permanent residents seeking citizenship as described here: https://www.uscourts.gov/careers/search-judiciary-jobs/citizenship-requirements-employment-judiciary.
• Candidates must possess a commitment to the defense of individuals convicted of a crime and sentenced to death
• have excellent oral and written communication skills
• have strong legal research and writing skills
• have strong organizational and analytical skills
• be able to work independently, be flexible, and take initiative
• work well in teams

Nice To Haves

• A paralegal certificate from an ABA approved program is preferred but not required.
• Preference will be given to applicants with experience legal document management databases used to manage and review electronically stored information (ESI) (e.g., CaseMap, Summation); editing and ingesting load files, tagging, and exporting content; presenting digital evidence in the courtroom using Trial Director; and editing/converting audio and video files, and online research databases (e.g., Westlaw, LexisNexis).

Responsibilities

• managing high volume cases by organizing case files using various databases
• identifying important documents and assisting in developing factual support for claims
• cite checking
• summarizing legal research and procedural history of cases
• assisting attorneys with materials for experts
• drafting and editing expert declarations
• preparing, organizing, and tracking discovery requests
• assisting with depositions and hearings
• preparing documents for filing and service
• traveling to various courts and law enforcement agencies to scan, copy and reproduce records and exhibits

Benefits

• health and life insurance
• retirement
• a Thrift Savings Plan
• eligible employees may elect to telework up to two days per week, subject to certain conditions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level