Job Description

Supporting the Most Exciting and Meaningful Missions in the World

Description:

• Examines, prepares, and processes a variety of technical legal documents which are characteristically voluminous and complex in format.
• Reviews incoming material and independently determines the need for assembly and preparation of a variety of legal documents, e.g., complaints, motions, orders, answers, pleadings, and subpoenas.
• Obtains needed information from files, law enforcement agencies, or other sources, and submits completed legal documents to the appropriate AUSA or, in limited cases, directly to the court.
• In preparation of documents, considers the nature and the status of the case involved. With limited instructions from the AUSA, prepares such legal actions as indictments, criminal complaints, search warrants, judgments, applications, notices, affidavits, summonses, grand jury subpoenas, rules to show cause, proofs of claim, and satisfaction of judgment.
• Completes variable aspects of recurring legal documents in conformance with the rules governing their style and format.
• Provides assistance to attorneys in trial preparation by performing duties such as independently compiling trial notebooks, assembling jury instructions, and compiling witness and exhibit lists.
• Coordinates with the victim/witness specialist to ensure adherence to current Departmental guidelines relating to victims’ rights and services responsibilities.
• Notifies appropriate individuals of victim/witness issues.
• Using original and online legal resources, verifies citations and statutory references contained in legal documents. Ensures citations are complete and consistent with source material.
• Develops tables of contents and indices to briefs in accordance with established format.
• Lists cited cases, opinions and miscellaneous references in briefs. o Composes original letters that do not require legal interpretations, but do require a good working knowledge of legal procedures and specialized terminology, e.g., transmittal of pleadings, requests for extensions of time in certain cases, notifying of actions taken or developments in cases referred by other federal departments and agencies, and notices to attorneys representing defendants.
• Performs research, evaluation, and analysis of a variety of routine legal topics and points of law.
• Using multiple online legal systems, researches references such as agency manuals, directives, issuances, court reports, appellate records or commercial legal publications to locate appropriate data such as applicable precedents, legislative history and commentaries which bear on particular legal issues.
• Independently analyzes both issues of fact and issues of law in order to prepare digests of case decisions and evaluate the applicability of precedents.
• Determines which statutes, regulations, cases, procedures and/or policies need to be researched and assembled, prepares initial summary and makes recommendations as to appropriateness of data.
• Organizes and prepares research material and determines information that is pertinent to the case. Research assists in the development of cases and is predicated on facts derived from a review of case information, requests from AUSAs and a review of documentary evidence or facts.
• Performs basic legal analysis of routine requests for information.
• At direction of assigned AUSA, drafts initial legal and administrative briefs, motions, oppositions to defense motions and correspondence for AUSA review.
• Prepares documents that summarize and explain case files, depositions, or interrogatories.
• Analyzes information, identifies missing information that requires additional research or investigation and identifies the appropriate reference source.
• Drafts legal documents that identify the legal or factual issues in the case, locate precedents and develop legally supportable conclusions.
• Uses considerable judgment in interpreting and adapting guidelines to draft correspondence and legal documents that accurately summarize information.
• Reviews, proofreads and edits legal documents.
• Verifies citations and statutory references against original sources.
• Provides a variety of direct clerical and administrative support assistance services to AUSA staff.
• Typical assignments include:
• Receives visitors and telephone callers. Furnishes requested information concerning pending and closed matters and cases, functions and general procedures of the office.
• Determines which matters should be referred to the AUSA and the urgency of the matter.
• Establishes and maintains a variety of files.
• Searches legal reference files for information needed by AUSAs in conducting interviews and preparing correspondence.
• Assembles exhibits, affidavits, and other legal documents from file material.
• Separates, screens, selects, assembles, and organizes files and records material for disposition or transfer to records depository in accordance with established procedures.
• Performs docketing duties such as opening, updating and closing cases through use of the automated case tracking system.
• As necessary, searches database for required information. o Enters information into various databases and monitors for continued necessity.
• Reviews bills and invoices and submits to budget office for payment. o Maintains calendar of assigned active cases.
• Tracks filing, hearing, and trial dates, and scheduling conferences and interviews.
• Develops and maintains suspense system for ongoing cases and informs the AUSA of pending dates and deadlines.
• Maintains calendar(s) of the AUSA(s), scheduling appointments, interviews, and conferences, and provides reminders of commitments and court appearances.
• Arranges travel by preparing itinerary and securing transportation and hotel reservations.
• Prepares travel authorizations and vouchers for traveler signature and Government approval.
• Provides automated litigation assistance to attorneys in trial preparation and courtroom presentations.
• Utilizes various software applications and graphics hardware such as scanners and plotters.
• Prepares documents, charts, and visual materials for use in trials. Provides technical support e.g., enlarging charts and photographs, duplicating tapes and videos, and marking exhibits.
• Produces a variety of written documents and materials utilizing a wide range of office software applications.
• For example, assignments may include integrating output from different software types, e.g., tables produced by database applications and charts and graphs produced by electronic spreadsheet applications, into word processing or desk top publishing text.
• Products include complicated tables, graphs and charts which may be incorporated into legal documents or courtroom presentations. Ensures proper format, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar.

Required:

• Requires paralegal certificate, JD, or currently attending an ABA-accredited law school, having completed at least one year of study (One year of legal training or legal experience or at least two years of college education may be substituted for the paralegal certificate).
• Must have at least one year of litigation paralegal experience.
• Must have basic legal knowledge, including knowledge of standard legal citation to cite check legal motions and memorandum.
• Requires hands-on experience with legal research tools such as LEXIS and Westlaw to perform basic legal research.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, thorough knowledge and hands-on familiarity with a variety of computer applications, including word processing, databases (such as document review and file management systems), spreadsheets, imaging, and hardware systems are required.
• Requires familiarity with ESI tools and knowledge of eDiscovery procedures and resources.
• Must have the ability to consistently deliver highest quality work under extreme pressure will be very important.
• Ability to obtain and maintain government issued security clearance

Preferred:

• Prior trial experience and automated litigation experience very helpful but not required. Automated litigation support experience valued.
• Familiarity with healthcare fraud, procurement fraud and False Claims Act extremely helpful.

PAE is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our hiring practices provide equal opportunity for employment without regard to race, religion, color, sex, gender, national origin, age, United States military veteran’s status, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, family structure, medical condition including genetic characteristics or information, veteran status, or mental or physical disability so long as the essential functions of the job can be performed with or without reasonable accommodation, or any other protected category under federal, state, or local law.