var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.pubads().disableInitialLoad(); });
device = device.default;
//this function refreshes [adhesion] ad slot every 60 second and makes prebid bid on it every 60 seconds // Set timer to refresh slot every 60 seconds function setIntervalMobile() { if (!device.mobile()) return if (adhesion) setInterval(function(){ googletag.pubads().refresh([adhesion]); }, 60000); } if(device.desktop()) { googletag.cmd.push(function() { leaderboard_top = googletag.defineSlot('/22018898626/LC_Article_detail_page', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1591620860846-0').setTargeting('pos', ['1']).setTargeting('div_id', ['leaderboard_top']).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); }); } else if(device.tablet()) { googletag.cmd.push(function() { leaderboard_top = googletag.defineSlot('/22018898626/LC_Article_detail_page', [320, 50], 'div-gpt-ad-1591620860846-0').setTargeting('pos', ['1']).setTargeting('div_id', ['leaderboard_top']).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); }); } else if(device.mobile()) { googletag.cmd.push(function() { leaderboard_top = googletag.defineSlot('/22018898626/LC_Article_detail_page', [320, 50], 'div-gpt-ad-1591620860846-0').setTargeting('pos', ['1']).setTargeting('div_id', ['leaderboard_top']).addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().collapseEmptyDivs(); googletag.enableServices(); }); } googletag.cmd.push(function() { // Enable lazy loading with... googletag.pubads().enableLazyLoad({ // Fetch slots within 5 viewports. // fetchMarginPercent: 500, fetchMarginPercent: 100, // Render slots within 2 viewports. // renderMarginPercent: 200, renderMarginPercent: 100, // Double the above values on mobile, where viewports are smaller // and users tend to scroll faster. mobileScaling: 2.0 }); });
Download App | FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
 Upload Your Resume   Employers / Post Jobs 

Ideal Paralegal Work and Profiles in Government

published January 21, 2013

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left
Published By
( 11 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Ideal Paralegal Work and Profiles in Government
The government is a major employer of paralegals. Paralegals are working in all levels—federal, state, county, and city. These positions require that applicants take an examination and be put on a list to await a permanent appointment. Notices for these examinations are posted in government office buildings, or you can pay a visit to an agency's personnel office or search websites for more information.

There are also specific educational and/or experiential requirements, which must be met. Some provisional appointments may be made, however, when the agency is waiting for the examination to be given again but needs to hire people to fill an immediate need.


In the federal government, paralegals are employed as legal technicians and paralegal specialists. To be considered for these jobs, you must take the Professional and Administrative Career Examination (PACE). A legal technician may type, monitor cases, set up files, and draft form pleadings. He/she must have a knowledge of legal documents and processes.
A paralegal specialist assists attorneys in litigation, monitors discovery documents, drafts legal memoranda, and interviews witnesses.

Paralegal Specialist, GS-5

Duties. A trainee paralegal is assigned a variety of duties intended to provide the employee with a good working knowledge of agency programs, policy, regulations, and implementing legislation.

In this capacity, the employee:
 
  • Consults prescribed sources of information for facts relating to matters of interest to the program;
  • Reviews subpoenaed documents to extract selected data and information relating to specified items;
  • Summarizes information in prescribed format on case precedents and decisions; Searches for legal references in libraries and by means of computer data banks;
  • Accompanies attorneys to hearings and court appearances to assist in the presentation of charts and other visual information and to become informed on court procedures and the status of cases.

Paralegal Specialist, GS-7

Duties. In a developmental capacity the employee serves as a paralegal providing legal assistance to attorneys. In this capacity he/she:
 
  • Reviews case materials to become familiar with questions under consideration;
  • Searches for and summarizes relevant articles in trade magazines, law reviews, published studies, financial reports, and similar materials;
  • Prepares summaries of research findings for use of attorneys in the preparation of opinions, briefs, and other legal documents;
  • Interviews potential witnesses, and prepares summary inter¬ view reports for the attorney;
  • Participates in pretrial witness conferences, notes any deficiencies in case materials and additional matters requiring investigation prior to trial, and requests further investigation by other agency personnel to correct deficiencies;
  • Prepares and organizes trial exhibits, such as statistical charts and photographic exhibits;
  • Verifies citations and legal references on prepared legal documents;
  • Prepares summaries of testimony and depositions;
  • Drafts and edits non-legal memoranda, research reports, and correspondence relating to cases.

Most of the positions in the legal clerk and legal technician series require the employee to perform one or more clerical functions, such as: Initiating and composing standardized legal forms routinely needed for specific legal actions;
 
  • Accepting service of legal documents, reviewing for correct form and timeliness, annotating case files and status records to reflect receipt and due date for response or other actions required;
  • Maintaining docket calendars and tickler systems, coordinating schedules with clerks of courts, reminding attorneys of court appearances and deadlines for submitting various actions or documents, notifying witnesses of appearances and of changes resulting from suspensions or settlements;
  • Establishing, maintaining, and closing out case files or systems of legal records, annotating indices and status records, compiling workload and status reports, and locating and abstracting data from files and records.

Alternative Summary

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

About LawCrossing

LawCrossing has received tens of thousands of attorneys jobs and has been the leading legal job board in the United States for almost two decades. LawCrossing helps attorneys dramatically improve their careers by locating every legal job opening in the market. Unlike other job sites, LawCrossing consolidates every job in the legal market and posts jobs regardless of whether or not an employer is paying. LawCrossing takes your legal career seriously and understands the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.LawCrossing.com.

published January 21, 2013

By CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search left
( 11 votes, average: 4.2 out of 5)
What do you think about this article? Rate it using the stars above and let us know what you think in the comments below.