About This Position
The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Eastern District of Virginia is accepting applications for a Paralegal / Administrator Federal Public Defender position in our Richmond office. Pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, the office provides legal representation to indigent defendants in federal criminal cases and related matters.
Qualifications
The successful applicant must, at a minimum have: 1) 3 years of experience in a legal setting or the equivalent; 2) A high level of proficiency with MS Office (Word, PowerPoint) and Adobe Acrobat; 3) experience with litigation support software. The successful applicant will have a working knowledge of law office operations, legal practices, methods and techniques, and an understanding of criminal law, criminal procedure and evidence. Successful candidates will demonstrate a willingness to assist in office operations and perform administrative duties as needed.
Graduate level education from an accredited institution may substitute for experience.
Major Duties
The paralegal position provides support services to staff attorneys.
This position will also provide vital administrative assistance to the Richmond location and serve as a backup for the Branch Manager.
This position may require work on holidays, evenings, and weekends, as the nature of assigned cases require. General legal duties include providing research, drafting legal pleadings, assisting with case preparation and file management, managing discovery, assisting attorneys at hearings and trials, assisting with client contact, assisting investigators with interviewing witnesses as needed, maintaining research banks, and intensive technological litigation support. Additional duties may include analyzing legal decisions, opinions, rulings and compiling and summarizing substantive information on statutes, treaties and specific legal subjects.
Administrative duties will include but are not limited to: greeting and directing visitors, answering and routing calls to the office, overseeing incoming and outgoing mail, overseeing and organizing office supplies, opening and closing physical and digital case files, assisting in financial and case file management, and managing office calendars for trials and dockets. Administrative duties during the regular course of business may account for a significant portion daily duties.
Conditions of Employment
The final candidate will undergo an FBI background check and employment is conditional upon its completion. The physical demands of the position are those required to successfully perform the duties described above. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions. The paralegal will spend most of their time in an office environment consistent with our telework policy. The individual must occasionally lift and/or move 25-50 pounds. Travel within the state may be necessary and a valid driver's license preferred.
Education
At a minimum, candidates must possess a high school diploma.
How You Will Be Evaluated
We will review your resume and supporting documents to ensure you meet the basic qualification requirements. We will evaluate each applicant who meets the basic qualifications on the information provided and evaluate your relevant professional, educational, and work experiences as it relates to fundamental competencies, identified in the Qualifications section above, required for this position.
Additional Information
The position is "at-will" employment in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive civil service.
This position is subject to the availability of funds. All responses will remain confidential. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. The Federal Public Defender is an Equal-Opportunity Employer.
How to Apply
To be considered for this position, email a single PDF containing a completed AO78 Judicial Branch Application, cover letter, and resume to [email protected].
You must include the job announcement number in the subject line. For required documents or additional information, visit the Employment section of https://vae.fd.org.
This position will remain open until filled with preference given to those who apply by March 27, 2026.
Required Documents
Completed AO78 Judicial Branch Application Cover Letter Resume See 'How to Apply' for instructions.