Paralegal

The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (FPD) is accepting applications for a full-time criminal defense paralegal for our Seattle office. The FPD represents people charged with federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an attorney. The Court appoints our attorneys to represent accused persons before charges are filed, upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review. Candidates should demonstrate a strong background in criminal defense litigation support and be dedicated to defending those accused of committing crimes even when the evidence against them appears strong. Candidates should be self-motivated, resourceful, creative, and client-centered, and should demonstrate a commitment to social justice, the promotion of equity, and anti-oppressive practices. This position is supervised by the Chief Paralegal.

Responsibilities: We seek a paralegal to provide case support at all stages of litigation; organize and maintain voluminous discovery and electronically stored information using a range of formats and platforms; review and analyze discovery and case documents; gather and maintain records; prepare pleadings efficiently and with attention to detail; identify subject matter experts; assist with hiring and working with experts; maintain regular communication with clients and assist them with ancillary matters; prepare demonstrative evidence and exhibits; assist attorneys at hearings, trials and sentencings; use presentation software such as Trial Director and PowerPoint; assist attorneys in preparing voir dire and jury instructions; prepare appellate briefs and excerpts of record; and contribute to sentencing mitigation packages including mitigation videos.

Selection Criteria: The selected candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to quality representation; excellent communication and interpersonal skills; and a high degree of personal responsibility and integrity. Candidates must have experience working with Adobe Acrobat and the full Microsoft Office Suite. Familiarity with electronic discovery management tools, such as Everlaw, IPro Eclipse, or Relativity, is preferred. Foreign language proficiency is desirable.

Requirements: The successful candidate must have (1) a college degree or the equivalent of three years of general experience and (2) a minimum of three years of specialized experience in the primary duties of this position.

Applicants must meet the employment eligibility requirements of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. As a condition of employment, candidates must be fingerprinted and complete a background check. A prior criminal conviction is not necessarily disqualifying.

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion: Our office values diversity, is committed to equity and inclusion, and aspires to create a culture of mutual respect, collaboration, openness, and humility that honors the people we represent. We embrace the unique contributions our employees can bring to the FPD because of their backgrounds, social identities, and lived experiences. We believe representation is better when members of the defense team have diverse backgrounds and experiences. We seek colleagues who share this belief and commitment. We are interested in applicants’ talent, intelligence, dedication, persistence, and desire to see that all people are treated fairly and respectfully—no matter the allegation or circumstance.

The FPD seeks applications from a diverse group of qualified individuals in terms of race, ethnicity, nation of origin, culture, sex, gender identity and expression, sexual identity, education, opinions, age, languages spoken, veteran status, disability, religion, and socio- economic circumstance. We especially encourage applications from people who have been affected by the criminal legal system and people from underrepresented and historically marginalized groups.

Benefits include health and life insurance plus 11 paid federal holidays, 13 days of paid sick leave, and 13 days of paid vacation leave annually. (The rate of vacation accrual increases with years of service.) The position is eligible for the Federal Employees Retirement System and the Thrift Savings Plan, which matches up to 5% of employee contributions. Salary is paid biweekly and only by direct deposit. Partial telework is available for this position. Work outside of regular business hours may be required.

Foreign language proficiency is desirable.