POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT PARALEGAL

FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER
WESTERN DISTRICT OF MISSOURI
1000 Walnut, Suite 600
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64106

LAINE CARDARELLA (816) 471-8282
FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER (FAX): (816) 471-8008
Website: mow.fd.org

POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
PARALEGAL

The Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Missouri is accepting applications for the position of a full-time paralegal to be stationed in Kansas City. The Federal Public Defender operates under authority of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 3006A(g)(2)(A), to provide legal services by court appointment to individuals unable to afford counsel.

Requirements: To qualify a person must be a high school graduate or equivalent and have at least three years of general experience and three years of specialized experience; some higher education may be substituted for specialized experience. Bachelor’s degree, paralegal certificate, and law office experience in a criminal defense firm are preferred, but not required. Computer literacy and experience with Word, Adobe Acrobat, Microsoft Excel, CaseMap, Westlaw and Lexis is required, use of PowerPoint, Trial Director, Summation, and video conversion software is ideal.

Duties: The Paralegal provides support services to staff attorneys. Duties of the paralegal include, but are not limited to, all aspects of case preparation and file management; gathering, organizing, summarizing and indexing of electronic and paper documents and discovery material; assisting with client contact; assisting attorneys at hearings and trials; gathering records, and litigation support services using advanced software programs. This position requires excellent skills in prioritization and organization, the ability to work independently and cooperatively, and excellent communication skills. Applicants must be flexible and willing to assist attorneys in crisis situations and also work with the attorneys in all aspects of case presentations and
correspondence. This position also provides backup to the switchboard and performs other general office duties.

Salary and Benefits: The starting salary for the paralegal position will be fixed commensurate with the experience and qualifications of the applicant within a range of JSP 11, Step 1, to JSP 14, Step 1, and currently yielding $62,737 to $105,664 per annum. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. The position does include regular Government employee benefits including health and life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit). All positions are at will and are subject to the availability of funds.

Background Checks: The selected candidate will be subject to a background check or investigation as a condition of employment. Employment will be considered provisional until a satisfactory background check and favorable suitability determination is confirmed.

How to Apply: Qualified persons may apply be sending via email a letter of interest and resume in pdf format to:
fpdmow@gmail.com

The Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Missouri is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Closing date to submit application material is September 20, 2019