Part Time Legal Assistant 35 hrs/wk

Profile

Federal Defender Services of Idaho, the Community Defender Organization serving the District of Idaho, is accepting applications for immediate hire for a part-time permanent Legal Assistant in the Boise Trial Unit. The unit currently includes six attorneys and two paralegals, three investigators, and other support staff.

DUTIES AND REQUIREMENTS: Duties include:

• Receive, screen, and refer telephone and in‐person callers. Assist attorneys with client contact and answer.

• General inquiries according to office policy.

• Retrieve and deliver documents to the court.

• Perform legal assistant functions for multiple trial attorneys.

• Utilize advanced knowledge of legal terminology, word‐ and information‐processing software.

• Understand federal rules and protocols for CMF/ECF e-filing in federal criminal cases.

• Edit and proofread initial drafts, perform cite checking, and prepare correspondence to clients.

• Review incoming mail and distribute appropriately.

• Assemble attachments and prepare documents for e-filing.

• Order transcripts as instructed by trial attorneys.

• Assist with closing out cases.

• Accurately and timely maintain Outlook calendar for assigned trial attorneys by posting/updating court deadlines and hearings.

• Perform a variety of other office, case, and attorney support duties as they arise.

• Collaborate with the Boise Trial Unit’s senior legal assistant and other legal assistants in other branches.

• Maintain correspondence and filing, books / library management, travel, maintains document management.

• Coordinates travel for Trial unit personnel.

Required Qualifications:

• A demonstrated commitment to and comfort working with diverse communities and with clients from a range of backgrounds.

• Excellent computer and communication skills are required; familiarity with Microsoft Office (especially MS Word, Excel, Outlook, and OneNote).

• Must be able to manage many projects at once.

• Demonstrated, excellent organization and technology skills with a willingness and ability to learn new skills or software applications.

• Dependability and punctuality.

• The ability to set priorities, meet critical deadlines and multi‐task.

• Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.

• High‐school graduate or equivalent.

• At least 3 years of full‐time work experience, or the equivalent.

• At least one year of which must be specialized experience relevant to this position.

• Completion of a Bachelor’s degree, subject to certain requirements, may be substituted for one year of specialized experience.

• The Legal Assistant must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds

Preferred Qualifications:

• College graduate; ideal for recent graduates from an accredited paralegal or criminal justice program.

• Bilingual (English‐Spanish) language skills.

• A demonstrated interest in and/or commitment to indigent criminal defense.

• Familiarity and skill with other relevant applications such as CaseMap, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Lexis/Nexis, Westlaw, etc.

• Legal secretarial experience preferred, ideally in the federal court system.

The ideal candidate must believe in this office’s mission for protecting the constitutional interests of our indigent clients and communicate with them in a professional and respectful manner.

The chosen candidate for this part-time position will be required to work 35 hours per week. This position works 35 hours during Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with a one hour lunch

break. With the right candidate and excellent job performance, this position may offer future advancement to a full-time legal assistant or possible paralegal position.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT: The selected candidate will be subject to a background check or investigation and subsequent favorable suitability determination for employment. Employees of the

Federal Defender Services of Idaho are in the excepted service, are considered “at-will” employees,and are not covered by the Civil Service Reform Act. Employment will be provisional and contingent

upon the satisfactory completion of the required investigation.

A Covid-19 vaccination is required for employment with the Federal Defender Services of Idaho, with reasonable accommodations for medical and religious exemptions; documentation must be provided.

SALARY AND COMPENSATION: This is a full‐time position with benefits based on qualifications and experience. Pay will be an hourly rate of $27-30 per hour (JSP Grade 6-9) depending on

qualifications, with promotion potential. Compensation also includes 10 paid federal holidays, 13 paid sick days annually, and 7 paid vacation days annually (to start), health insurance, 403(b) retirement savings, and retirement contribution. The position is “at‐will” and dependent on ongoing budgetary support.

Federal Defender Services of Idaho is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from individuals with diverse perspectives, especially people historically

underrepresented in the practice of law.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS: Cover letter, resume and three references (one combined PDF document) may be submitted via electronic submission to (no phone calls please):

idx_administration@fd.org

Application Deadline: March 16, 2022

Company info

Federal Defender Services of Idaho, Inc.