Paralegal, Trial Section

Title: Paralegal, Trial Section

State Role Title: Paralegal

Hiring Range: Commensurate with Experience

Pay Band: UG

Agency: Attorney General & Dept of Law

Location: Office of the Attorney General

Agency Website: www.oag.state.va.us/

Recruitment Type: General Public - G

Job Duties

The successful candidate will provide the following services:
• Clerical Duties: Provide secretarial support to up to attorneys in the General Civil Unit of the Trial Section. Duties include: prioritizing work assigned by the attorneys; typing and editing briefs, pleadings, discovery requests and responses, correspondence and memoranda, and preparing same for filing by mail, in person, or electronically; drafting correspondence for attorneys' signatures; proofreading and performing quality checks on all work product; scanning pleadings and correspondence received electronically and by U.S. mail into electronic database; attending to all aspects of discovery; opening and distributing mail; managing the opening of new cases and the closing of ended cases in the Office’s case management database; other administrative tasks related to active trial practice.
• Paralegal Duties: establish files and organize and maintain electronic file for all discovery; upload discovery documents to file sharing platform; calculate litigation deadlines; communicate with clients, experts, and opposing counsel; proofread and perform quality and cite checks on all work product, including referring to Lexis Advance, Westlaw and the Bluebook; assist in preparation of responses to discovery requests; conduct telephonic and in-person fact gathering; draft memoranda documenting interviews; draft affidavits and declarations; assist in preparation for hearings and trials; prepare trial exhibits and materials; contact and schedule witnesses for meetings and depositions; prepare and track subpoenas and arrange for service; other paralegal tasks related to active trial practice.
• Administrative Duties: prepare and process travel vouchers and requests for travel as well as purchase, reimbursement and payment forms; arrange for conference rooms and schedule court reporters; provide backup paralegal support to other units in the Trial Section; electronically file, where applicable and appropriate, in the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, the U.S. District Courts in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia, the Supreme Court of Virginia and the Court of Appeals of Virginia, using VACES and the CM-ECF/Pacer system.

Minimum Qualifications

• A minimum of three (3) to five (5) years working in a litigation practice.
  
• Competent working knowledge of legal terminology, court procedures, case management systems, and document management systems.
  
• Candidate must demonstrate the ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment and to adjust priorities without close supervision.
  
• The position requires exceptional written and verbal communication skills, proficiency in time management, and the ability to work independently and as a team member.
  
• Candidates must also demonstrate the ability to work well under pressure and adjust priorities without close supervision.
  
• Candidates also should be able to interact effectively with a diverse workforce and the general public.
  
• The successful candidate must possess a valid driver’s license and will be subject to a criminal background check.
  

Additional Considerations

• A bachelor’s degree or a paralegal certificate is preferred. However, an equivalent combination of training and experience indicating possession of the required qualifications may substitute for educational criteria.
  
• Proficiency using personal computers is required, and a solid working knowledge of Microsoft Word, databases, cite-checking, and legal search engines is preferred.

Special Instructions

Kindly utilize the Virginia Jobs website (https://www.jobs.virginia.gov) to submit your application. Applications sent to the Recruitment email address will not be reviewed for the hiring process. We do not entertain phone calls or emails inquiring about application status; instead, please login to the PageUp/RMS system for updates on your application's status.

Contact Information

Name: OAG Recruitment

Phone: 804-786-2071

Email: recruitment@oag.state.va.us

In support of the Commonwealth’s commitment to inclusion, we are encouraging individuals with disabilities to apply through the Commonwealth Alternative Hiring Process. To be considered for this opportunity, applicants will need to provide their AHP Letter (formerly COD) provided by the Department for Aging & Rehabilitative Services (DARS), or the Department for the Blind & Vision Impaired (DBVI). Service-Connected Veterans are encouraged to answer Veteran status questions and submit their disability documentation, if applicable, to DARS/DBVI to get their AHP Letter. Requesting an AHP Letter can be found at AHP Letter or by calling DARS at 800-552-5019.

Note: Applicants who received a Certificate of Disability from DARS or DBVI dated between April 1, 2022- February 29, 2024, can still use that COD as applicable documentation for the Alternative Hiring Process.