Paralegal Specialist

Paralegal Specialist

The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (USAO-DC) is recruiting highly-motivated applicants to fill paralegal specialist vacancies in the Superior Court Division (SCD). The SCD has primary responsibility for prosecuting adult criminal cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Division handles the highest volume of felony and misdemeanor cases prosecuted by the Office, including homicides, sexual assaults, carjackings, kidnappings, robberies, burglaries, domestic violence, narcotics and weapons possession, and quality of life offenses. If selected, you may be assigned to one of the Division's four litigating Sections: General Crimes, Major Crimes, Homicide, or Sex Offense and Domestic Violence.

More information about the work of these sections can be found on USAO-DC's website. Please indicate in your cover letter which section you are interested in being considered for employment.

The General Crimes Section includes four units: the Case Initiation Unit, the Grand Jury Unit, the Felony Trial Unit, and the Misdemeanor Trial Unit. This section handles most of the cases prosecuted in the D.C. Superior Court.

The Case Initiation Unit handles the intake of new cases, arraignments, preliminary hearings, and other preliminary matters; the Grand Jury Unit manages issues relating to the operation of several Superior Court grand juries and handles the grand jury presentation of Felony Trial Unit cases; the Felony Trial Unit is responsible for prosecuting many felony cases brought in the Superior Court after the indictment and handles cases involving narcotics distribution, weapons offenses, and stolen vehicles; and the Misdemeanor Trial Unit prosecutes most Misdemeanor crimes in the District of Columbia, including offenses involving narcotics and weapons possession, theft, animal cruelty, destruction of property, threats, unlawful entries, and simple assault.

The Major Crimes Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting violent crimes in the District of Columbia including non-fatal shootings, home-invasion burglaries, armed robberies, and carjackings. The complexity of the cases assigned to a prosecutor in the section increases as the prosecutor gains experience in the section. The section also prosecutes felony financial crimes and elder abuse.

The Homicide Section is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of homicides committed in the District of Columbia. There is also a Specialized Cases Unit within the Homicide Section that focuses on murders involving young children, domestic violence, sex crimes, vehicular homicides, and cold cases.

The Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Section (SODD) has responsibility for the investigation and prosecution of a wide variety of cases brought in D.C. Superior Court involving intrafamily offenses (more commonly known as "domestic violence") (violence between former or current intimate partners, family members, roommates, and/or individuals who have a romantic partner in common), sexual abuse of children and adults, child physical abuse, sex and labor trafficking, voyeurism, stalking, unlawful publication of illicit images, and violations of the D.C. Sex Offender Registration Act laws. The Section also handles all of the intake functions of these Superior Court cases, from reviewing arrest warrants to screening and charging these cases.

Typical work assignments will include:

• Obtains, reviews, analyzes, and summarizes evidence, including police body worn camera footage, surveillance video, police paperwork, and digital evidence.
• Supports AUSAs at hearings, grand jury, and trials, including assisting with exhibits, witness preparation, strategy, and presentation.
• Prepares and organizes evidence for discovery utilizing specialized software.
• Conducts factual and legal research, drafting legal pleadings and legal process such as subpoenas and warrants.
• Corresponds directly with law enforcement, court employees, defense counsel, and other third parties regarding ongoing investigations and cases.
• Researches relevant legal issues and preparing a variety of substantive legal documents.
• Interacts with law enforcement, court personnel, victims and witnesses in preparing for court proceedings.

Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress. For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit the Department of Justice website.