Paralegal

Office of the Colorado State Public Defender; Golden (CO); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Office of the Colorado State Public Defender is seeking a Paralegal to support trial teams across regional offices in Colorado. The role focuses on discovery management, document organization, and coordinating with attorneys to prepare cases for hearings, trials, and appeals.

Responsibilities include reviewing discovery, preparing case files, drafting routine motions or memoranda under supervision, and maintaining accurate records and trial notebooks.

Responsibilities

• Manages and organizes discovery. Converts electronic files to PDF and other formats. Builds trial notebooks, creates digital bookmarks and indexes for easy reference and access by the attorneys and defense team.
• Reviews and summarizes discovery, videos, and witness interviews. Orders transcripts. Identifies matters of significance and brings to the attention of the defense team.
• Reviews client charges, pleadings, and court orders and researches legal issues as requested by the attorney such as statutes, case law, and legal articles for legal precedent, mitigation and sentencing considerations.
• Searches case-related information requested by the attorney such as media, news publications referencing the case, client, codefendants or witnesses to assist in defense strategies.
• Keeps attorneys and defense teams updated as new information is added to the case files.
• Under the attorney's direction, drafts routine motions, briefs, and memoranda; proofreads and edits motions; files pleadings and motions; redacts documents.
• Paralegals in trial offices may prepare appellate packets and coordinate with Appellate to ensure timely provision of materials and notices of appeal.
• Tracks and monitors case status and timelines to ensure court filings are processed in accordance with criminal procedures; updates attorneys and clients.
• Provides support for hearings or trials, including jury selection, witness tracking, exhibit tracking, client communication, note taking, and coordination of trial materials.

Job description

We are recruiting to fill a Paralegal position Colorado State Public Defender's regional trial offices.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manages and organizes discovery. Converts electronic files to PDF and other formats. Builds trial notebooks, creates digital bookmarks and indexes for easy reference and access by the attorneys and defense team. Creates spreadsheets to manage and organize case records and information including, but not limited to, discovery, witnesses, evidence and exhibits.
• Reviews and summarizes discovery, videos, and witness interviews. Orders transcripts. Identifies matters of significance and brings to the attention of the defense team. Reviews discovery with the client. Requests and reviews client records, court records and transcripts to complete case files.
• Reviews client charges, pleadings, and court orders and researches legal issues as requested by the attorney such as, searching and reviewing statutes, case law, and legal articles for legal precedent, mitigation and sentencing considerations. May assist attorneys in identifying potential conflicts of interest.
• Searches case-related information as requested by the attorney such as, trending media, news publications, and anything referencing the case, client, codefendants or witnesses that may assist in the preparation of the case, hearing, trial, juror selection or defense strategies.
• Keeps attorneys and defense teams updated as new information is added to the case files.
• Under the attorney's direction and review, drafts routine and standard motions, briefs and legal memoranda. Proofreads and edits motions prepared by attorneys. Files pleadings and motions. Redacts documents.
• Paralegals in the trial offices may prepare appellate packets and coordinate with the Appellate office to ensure timely provision of materials. Paralegals in Appellate, review appellate packets and communicate with the trial offices and other counsel about additional materials needed to timely file Notices of Appeal or complete the record.
• Tracks and monitors case status and critical timelines on assigned cases to ensure court filings are processed in accordance with established criminal procedures, rules and laws. Keeps attorneys and clients apprised, as appropriate.
• Provides support for hearings or trials as requested by the attorney including, but not limited to, jury selection; tracking of witnesses; tracking of exhibits; client communication; note taking and documentation of events; coordination of trial materials; and, providing technical assistance with audio/visual platforms for evidence and develops Power-Point presentations.
• Drafts and responds to correspondence from clients, client family members, and representatives from collateral agencies, to obtain and exchange pertinent information in accordance with policy and procedure.
• Performs a variety of administrative tasks as needed to support the defense team and client, which requires the processing of forms, documents and transactions in accordance with State Office policy and procedure.
• Performs all duties to ensure compliance with applicable laws and practices to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Performs other duties as assigned.