Trial Paralegal

About the role

The Federal Public Defender's Office for the Central District of California is accepting applications for a full-time trial paralegal stationed in the Los Angeles main office. The office is committed to the pursuit of justice by aggressively advocating in federal court for the constitutional rights and inherent dignity of individuals who are charged with federal crimes and cannot afford their own lawyer.

Responsibilities

• Providing a full range of support to attorneys in all types of federal matters, including pre-indictment cases, trials, appeals, and habeas cases
• Assisting attorneys in case preparation, including trials, sentencing and evidentiary hearings
• Identifying the best technology for review and analysis of discovery and case material
• Reviewing, analyzing, and organizing multi-faceted discovery
• Analyzing, producing, and presenting reports and summarizing evidence for the defense team or for presentations in the courtroom
• Creating, maintaining, and updating indices, chronologies, witness lists, witness files and documents
• Working with defense teams to develop and implement case strategies to meet the needs of each individual case
• Using technology to analyze, present and communicate information to case teams
• Using database programs (e.g., Eclipse, CaseMap, Summation, Relativity) to manage and review electronically stored information
• Editing and ingesting load files, tagging, and exporting content
• Using digital presentation tools in the courtroom (e.g., Trial Director, PowerPoint)
• Using forensic tools (e.g., Cellebrite, Axiom) to review and extract data from forensically captured digital devices
• Editing/converting audio and video files and working with proprietary video formats (NVRs, dash cam, pole cam, etc.)
• Identifying and preparing documents for experts
• Assisting attorneys and clients with bail processes
• Attending meetings with clients in/out of custody

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited school
• Five or more years of experience as a litigation paralegal preparing cases for trial and providing support during trial
• Advanced technology background (training will be provided for all technology and software tools described above)
• Must be available to work during regular business hours, and when necessary, during evenings, weekends, and holidays
• Must pass a background investigation as a condition of employment
• Must be a United States citizen or permanent resident seeking citizenship as described in current appropriations law
• Paralegal certificate from an ABA-approved program (preferred but not required)
• State or federal criminal defense experience (preferred)

Selection criteria

• Interest in advancing the Federal Public Defender's mission of providing high-quality criminal defense to indigent individuals
• Ability to keep up with emerging technology trends
• Strong oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently, be flexible, and take initiative
• Ability to work well in teams

Software & technical proficiency

• Proficiency with Office 365 applications (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, OneDrive)
• Proficiency with Adobe Acrobat and dtSearch
• Experience with online research databases (e.g., PACER, State Court databases, Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Accurint)

Benefits

• Health and life insurance
• Retirement and Thrift Savings Plan
• After successfully completing a probationary period, eligible employees may elect to telework up to two days per week, subject to certain conditions

Pay

Salary is commensurate with qualifications and experience and is subject to direct deposit. This is a full-time, at-will position.

Schedule

Varying hours including nights, weekends, and holidays may be required.

How to apply

Apply by submitting a letter of interest, résumé, and three references through the website at https://fpdcdca.org/careers/current-openings/. Applications will be accepted until September 11, 2026, or until filled. Interviews will occur on a rolling basis and the open position may be filled before that date. Priority will be given to early applicants. The Federal Public Defender's Office may fill current and future positions from this vacancy announcement. Please, no phone calls.

This response is AI-generated, for reference only.