Paralegal

State of Minnesota Board of Public Defense; Minnesota; Hybrid; USD 52,000 - 76,000; Full time

Job summary

State of Minnesota Board of Public Defense is seeking a Paralegal to assist staff attorneys in preliminary or specialized legal tasks with moderate difficulty. Responsibilities include drafting, file organization, discovery, client interviews, trial support, and witness coordination.

The role requires strong legal research, communication, and organizational skills, with a hybrid work schedule after a 12‑month probationary period.

Qualifications

• Four year paralegal degree from an accredited college or university.
• Two year paralegal certificate from an accredited school plus two years of approved experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Responsibilities

• Compose substantive legal correspondence.
• Organize, index, and summarize files and materials.
• Obtain discovery, conduct legal research; draft motions, memoranda, notices, demands, jury instructions, and other documents.
• Gather information from clients and witnesses via interviews; confer with clients on case status and preparation.
• Assist attorneys with analyzing cases, developing defenses, theory of case, and trial strategies.
• Assist at hearings and trials.
• Draft questions for prospective witnesses; prepare witness lists; coordinate witnesses.
• Examine physical evidence, photographs, and exhibits; prepare trial notebooks.
• Locate and confer with expert witnesses and resource people.
• Conduct jury surveys; prepare and serve subpoenas.

Skills

Interviewing & listening

Written & oral communications

Organizing materials

Analysis of facts & data

Education

Four year paralegal degree

Two year paralegal certificate + 2 years experience

Job description

Under administrative direction and supervision, performs work of moderate difficulty assisting staff attorneys in performance of preliminary or specialized legal tasks.

• Composes substantive legal correspondence
• Organizes, indexes, and/or summarizes files and other materials
• Obtains discovery, conducts legal research; drafts motions, memoranda, notices, demands, jury instructions, and other documents;
• Gathers information from clients and witnesses through interviews and from documents; confers with clients on case status, preparation, and other matters;
• Assists attorneys with analyzing cases, developing defenses, theory of case, and trial strategies;
• Assists at hearings and trials;
• Drafts questions for prospective witnesses; prepares witness lists; coordinates witnesses;
• Examines physical evidence, tangible objects, photographs and exhibits;
• Prepares trial note books;
• Locates and confers with expert witnesses and resource people;
• Conducts jury surveys; prepares and serves subpoenas;
• Prepares diagrams and other exhibits; testifies in court; assists clients with arrangements for bail; acts as jail liaison;
• Assists clients with post sentencing issues such as jail credit, work release, and restitution;
• Monitors and reports legislative and case developments affecting clients;
• Maintains brief bank; administers law library; coordinates activities of interns and law clerks;
• May design and present information for statewide training programs;
• Performs related duties as required.

This position is eligible for a hybrid work schedule after successfully completing the probationary period of 12 months.

Knowledge

• Working knowledge of the juvenile and criminal justice systems
• Good knowledge of relevant legal information sources
• Good knowledge of the principles of legal research
• Good knowledge of legal protocol, legal vocabulary, document indexing methods and document filing methods

Skills:

• Considerable skill in interviewing and listening
• Considerable skill in written and oral communications
• Considerable skill in preparing and organizing materials for use by others
• Considerable skill in analysis of facts and data.

Abilities:

• Working ability to use legal research tools such as statutes, digests, practice manuals and computerized legal bases
• Working ability to develop written and oral reports
• Working ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Working ability to complete assignments under time constraints;
• Working ability to perform job duties independently, organize work-flow efficiently, set priorities and meet deadlines;
• Working ability to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion;
• Working ability to provide staff attorneys with a variety of legal processes.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Four year paralegal degree from an accredited college or university; OR
• A two year paralegal certificate from an accredited business or technical school plus two years of approved experience as a Paralegal, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.