Paralegal Specialist – Criminal Prosecution

Job Description

Paralegal Specialist | United States Attorneys’​ Offices

The Tone:
This is a full-time role at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC), located in Washington, DC. The U.S. Attorney’s Office serves as both the local and federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital, managing a unique and extensive scope of work. This role is critical in supporting Assistant U.S. Attorneys within the Superior Court Division, contributing directly to the prosecution of a high volume of felony and misdemeanor criminal cases, thereby upholding the rule of law.

The TL;DR
• Role: Full Time
• Type: Full-time
• Location: In-person, Washington, DC

• Team: Superior Court Division (SCD), with potential assignment to General Crimes, Major Crimes, Homicide, or Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Sections
• Mission: Support criminal prosecution efforts by providing comprehensive paralegal assistance from case initiation through trial.
• Tech Stack: Specialized software, databases

What You’ll Actually Do
• Evidence Management: Obtain, review, analyze, and summarize diverse forms of evidence, including police body worn camera footage, surveillance video, and digital evidence.
• Litigation Support: Assist Assistant U.S. Attorneys at hearings, grand jury, and trials, focusing on exhibits, witness preparation, strategy, and presentation.
• Discovery Preparation: Utilize specialized software to prepare and organize evidence for discovery processes.
• Legal Research & Drafting: Conduct factual and legal research, and draft legal pleadings and process documents such as subpoenas and warrants.
• Stakeholder Coordination: Correspond and interact with law enforcement, court employees, defense counsel, victims, and witnesses regarding ongoing cases and investigations.

The Must-Haves
• Background:
– For GS-9: Possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal Service; OR a master’s or equivalent graduate degree; OR two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR an LL.B. or J.D. (if related to criminal justice or law); OR a combination of specialized experience and education.
– For GS-11: Possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal Service; OR a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; OR three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to such a degree; OR an LL.M. (if related); OR a combination of specialized experience and education.
• Experience:
– Demonstrated application of the principles, concepts, and methods of legal research and analysis sufficient to perform assigned duties related to criminal prosecution proceedings.
– Experience must include meeting at least three of the five following criteria: preparing and composing a variety of substantive legal documents and correspondence; collecting and evaluating evidence in connection with litigation; preparing exhibits for court presentations in hearings and trials; providing case management by requesting, organizing, and indexing legal documents, information, evidence, and exhibits; and performing data searches utilizing databases.
• Skills:
– Legal Research and Analysis
– Legal Document Drafting and Composition
– Evidence Collection, Evaluation, and Organization
– Litigation and Trial Exhibit Preparation
– Case Management and Database Utilization