Legal Staff Paralegal in Austin, TX

Government

Austin, TX

Legal Staff Paralegal in Austin, TX

Legal Staff

Min 2 yrs required

No

Job Title: Paralegal (Special Project Worker)

Job Responsibilities:
In the role of a Paralegal (Special Project Worker) under the supervision of an attorney, the primary responsibilities include conducting routine legal research and providing support in case documentation. The job involves screening, reviewing, analyzing, and organizing case-related material. The paralegal is responsible for drafting, reviewing, and processing various legal documents such as pleadings, discovery, motions, affidavits, and subpoenas. Coordination of the work of assigned secretarial support staff is also part of the responsibilities.

The position requires preparing and organizing case materials and retrieving information from computer systems to assist in case documentation. It involves contacting office staff, court personnel, employees from other criminal justice agencies, and others as required to obtain information needed for prosecution and regulatory compliance. The paralegal reviews, screens, and analyzes case-related materials and provides a summary of facts to assigned attorneys. They are responsible for processing documents, including preparation, filing, and issuance of information, obtaining, indexing, and outlining criminal histories, offense reports, and other relevant documents, and analyzing jury lists.

Additionally, the paralegal assists attorneys in preparation for depositions, trials, court and administrative hearings, and regulatory compliance. This includes coordinating witness appearances in court proceedings, investigating facts, filing pleadings and orders, and drafting correspondence to various stakeholders such as victims, clients, attorneys, governmental agencies, law enforcement agencies, and the general public regarding case status. Conducting legal research, preparing files, subpoenas, and other legal documents are also required duties. The paralegal may appear in court with attorneys to take notes and follow up on items requested, file documents with the court, and appear with supervising attorneys at civil or district court.

The role involves coordinating discovery processes, including drafting and calendaring of interrogatories, requests for disclosures, requests for production, requests for admissions, and other legal requests in accordance with local, state, federal, administrative, and agency rules and procedures. Drafting discovery responses and objections in assigned cases is also required.

Court appearances, trial coordination, depositions, and meeting scheduling are part of the duties, along with maintaining court settings for the attorney's calendar. The paralegal responds to inquiries related to pending cases and manages communications with office staff, adverse counsel and staff, court clerks and personnel, and other department employees. They also handle open records requests and may be responsible for selecting, training, and supervising clerical support staff, including reviewing prepared files and documents. Other job-related duties may be assigned as necessary.

Education and Experience:
The minimum educational requirement for this position is a Bachelor's degree in Paralegal Studies, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a directly related field. Additionally, candidates must have at least two (2) years of experience as a paralegal. Alternatively, any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the stated requirements and provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to successfully perform the job duties is acceptable.

Licenses, Registrations, Certifications, or Special Requirements:
Candidates must possess a Paralegal Certificate from a professionally recognized Paralegal/Legal Assistant program.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Knowledge requirements include familiarity with federal, state, local, and county laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines, law office management and administration, open meetings laws, the Public Information Act, court system policies, practices, procedures, and legal terminology, the discovery process, current legal trends in the interaction of law and professional ethics, statistical and record-keeping applications including databases and spreadsheets, and integrated criminal justice and governmental technology systems.

Skills required include acquiring, maintaining, organizing, analyzing, and summarizing case evidence, understanding legal terminology and English grammar, examining case files for documentation accuracy, and operating modern office equipment including computers. Effective verbal and written communication skills are essential.

The ability to train and supervise clerical and administrative employees, accurately and succinctly summarize legal information, perform legal research, and establish and maintain effective working relationships with county employees and officials, judges, attorneys, court personnel, representatives of outside agencies, and the general public is necessary for this position.

Work Environment & Other Information:
The physical requirements for this position include the ability to lift or carry up to 20-50 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination, and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment. The job involves sitting, client/customer contact, standing, walking, vision monitoring, repetitive motion, stooping/kneeling, squatting, bending, and reaching to perform essential functions.

Employees may be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions. The work hours are 8 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday, with the possibility of working some holidays, nights, and weekends.

This position is temporary and requires criminal, education, and employment background checks. The job description is intended to be generic in nature and is not an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. Essential duties, functions, responsibilities, and overtime eligibility may vary based on specific tasks assigned to the position.

Salary Information:
The annual salary for the Paralegal (Special Project Worker) position is $58,.