Paralegal – Criminal Defense

Job Description

Paralegal | Maricopa County

The Tone:
This is an unclassified role at Maricopa County, offering hybrid or alternative work schedule options, primarily based in the Phoenix, AZ area. Maricopa County’s Public Defender’s Office is one of the largest public defender offices in the country, with over 470 employees, providing client-centered legal representation to individuals unable to afford legal counsel. This role is crucial for ensuring comprehensive legal support, assisting with all aspects of defense cases from indictment to sentencing. The department offers a challenging environment with varied tasks, focusing on making a significant difference in the lives of the people it serves.

The TL;DR
• Role: Early Career
• Type: Full-time
• Location: Hybrid, Phoenix, AZ
• Pay: $48672–$83720 yearly
• Team: Public Defender’s Office Team
• Mission: Provide comprehensive legal and administrative support to attorneys, ensuring top-notch client representation throughout the defense process.

What You’ll Actually Do
• Discovery Management: Collect, analyze, organize, investigate, and summarize discovery and other case materials for defense.
• Trial Preparation: Assist attorneys in preparing for various legal proceedings, including creating trial notebooks, witness files, trial exhibits, and charts.
• Client Communication: Maintain contact with clients (in and out of custody), their families, or other pertinent individuals regarding legal processes and case status.
• Strategic Support: Assist attorneys in the development of defense strategies and case theories, including researching and recommending expert witnesses.
• Factual Investigation: Interview witnesses to gather factual information as needed for the defense of cases.
• Document Preparation: Prepare routine to moderately complex legal or other documents necessary for case progression.
• Technology Utilization: Employ technological software to aid in file management, case synopsis, and presentations in courtroom proceedings.

The Must-Haves
• Background: An Associate’s degree in paralegal studies or legal assistance. Accepted alternatives include an Associate’s in an unrelated field with a Certificate in Paralegal Studies, or a Bachelor’s or higher degree in paralegal studies, legal assistance, or legal studies, or a Bachelor’s in an unrelated field with an Associate’s or Certification in paralegal studies.
• Experience: Two years of experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, or in work involving legal procedures, terminology, or administration. No experience is required if holding a Bachelor’s or higher degree in paralegal studies, legal assistance, or legal studies, or a Bachelor’s in an unrelated field combined with an Associate’s or Certification in paralegal studies.
• Skills: Legal research and factual issue analysis, discovery collection and organization, trial preparation, client and witness interaction, legal document drafting, case file management.
• Bonus: Experience working in a criminal justice office.