Legal Assistant - Justice Division - Felony Review

at  State of Utah

LEGAL ASSISTANT - JUSTICE - FELONY REVIEW

The Utah Attorney General’s Office’s is seeking a Legal Assistant to work in the Justice Division in the Felony Review Section. Incumbents work under the general direction of an attorney in accordance with the ABA Rules of Professional Conduct. Applicants must possess an Associate’s Degree in Paralegal Studies or a Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.
This position requires discretion and independent judgment as the cases are complex and usually have a large impact on the office. The applicant should have extensive experience and highly developed skills obtained from working in a legal environment. Applicants should be able to independently perform legal research and draft memoranda of legal research results; conduct factual research and compile information obtained from investigations; review case files and maintain document control, tracking and tracing; search public and private records; draft various routine legal documents, including: complaints, petitions, answers, motions and supporting memoranda, notices, stipulations, subpoenas, pre and post-trial statements, settlement agreements, and discovery documents such as interrogatories; requests for admissions, and request for production of documents, etc.; investigates and prepares cases to include, gathering evidence and preparing displays for trial, assist prosecutors in locating, obtaining, tracking and disseminating information and evidence. The area of law is primarily criminal prosecution, but knowledge of forfeiture and the civil rules in addition is preferable.

This position may be filled at any of the following levels:

• Legal Assistant I (0-2 years experience)
• Legal Assistant II (3-4 years experience)
• Legal Assistant III (5+ years experience)

TYPICAL QUALIFICATIONS

(includes knowledge, skills, and abilities required upon entry into position and trainable after entry into position)

• Find, gather and collect information or data
• Uniform System of Citation
• Legal terminology
• Court/hearing, criminal and civil rules, records, procedures and protocol
• Statute governing access to public and private records (Government Records Access and Management Act (GRAMA))
• Deal with people in a manner which shows sensitivity, tact, and professionalism
• Establish, organize and/or maintain files
• Interviewing techniques
• Formats for a variety of legal documents
• Monitor or track information or data
• Speak clearly, concisely and effectively; listen to, and understand, information and ideas as presented verbally
• Plan, organize and prioritize time and workload in order to accomplish tasks and meet deadlines
• Research methods, techniques, and/or sources of information
• Perform legal research using case law and appropriate techniques
• Use automated software applications
• Communicate information and ideas clearly, and concisely, in writing; read and understand information presented in writing
• Review and/or edit documents for accuracy and completeness
• Evaluate information against a set of standards
• Enter, transcribe, record, store, or maintain information in either written or electronic form.
• Make decisions or solve problems, identify key facts, explore alternatives, and propose quality solutions

• Schedule case screenings, coordinate with law enforcement and other personnel
• Maintain a daily master calendar for all court hearings, trials, meetings, etc.
• Track statistical information for case reporting
• Enter cases into database
• Prepare documents required for retaining expert witnesses, internal memorandum justifying category, contracts
• Receive invoices from expert witnesses, verify & confirm time entries and ensure changes are in accordance with contracts, obtain approvals and submit for payment
• Prepare files for archiving, inventory boxes, submit to Archives Record Center
• Coordinate meetings, documents, obtain discovery evidence etc., with AG case agents, FBI and other outside agencies
• Develop good working relationship with client agencies, courts, investigative agencies, victims, witnesses and experts
• Respond to GRAMA requests
• Maintain pleading and other case files
• Respond to all discovery requests, prepare responsive pleadings and ensure discovery provided to defense. ensure supplemental evidence obtained is provided
• Schedule witnesses for pre-hearing and/or trial meetings with prosecutor and case agent
• Schedule witnesses for appearance at preliminary hearings or trial
• For out-of-state witnesses, obtain flight information from AG Travel Coordinator, contact witnesses as to the best arrival & departure schedules for them, contact AG Travel Coordinator to ensure airline and hotel reservations are made
• Confirm and submit witness costs for payment
• Coordinate meetings with expert witnesses and their attendance at court
• Prepare exhibits and witness lists for hearings/trials. Ensure copies are provided to defense in advance, prepare courtesy copies for judge, jury and witnesses
• Draft jury instructions, voir dire, bench memoranda
• Second chair all preliminary hearings and trials. Assist with jury selection, take notes during testimony, ensure exhibits have been offered and received, and all witnesses are in attendance
• Track motion deadlines for AG responses
• Coordinate with victim services coordinator to keep victims apprised of court hearings and other developments in the case
• Prepare all pleadings to open criminal investigations
• Respond to incoming telephone calls re case status
• Proofread all outgoing pleadings/letters for content, grammar and errors
• Track all restitution payments
• Receive and document all incoming payments
• Coordinate with restitution court clerk regarding processing payments
• Prepare victim list and memo to advise when to disburse payments, in what amounts and pro-rata percentage, on a case by case basis
• Prepare documents for Order to Show Cause and/or Contempt proceedings
• Attend and testify if required at Order to Show Cause or Evidentiary hearings
• Prepare payment information for review hearings
• Respond to telephone calls from defendants, victims, attorneys, etc.,
• Coordinate with Adult Probation & Parole, Board of Pardons, and Office of State Debt Collection