Legal Assistant (Paralegal)

LEGAL ASSISTANT

(PARALEGAL)

The Utah Indigent Appellate Defense Division (IADD) of the Utah Indigent Defense Commission (IDC) is seeking a temporary legal assistant or paralegal to support the Child Welfare Appellate Division. This is a unique opportunity for a hard working and creative individual with paralegal and or legal experience. This person will work as a paralegal reporting to the Senior Child Welfare Appellate Attorney to provide appellate defense services to indigent parents and families in Utah.  This individual should have experience with client management and should possess the ability to treat all clients with respect. Child welfare legal experience is preferred. The work will be in person and in-state travel may be required. 

Principal Duties 

• Drafts correspondence, reports, documents, motions, proposed orders, and/or other written materials

• Responds to calls and emails from clients and the courts

• Searches, retrieves and/or researches public and private records in accordance with applicable state and federal laws governing access to these records 

• Conducts interviews to gather or clarify information

• Maintains document control, tracking and tracing

• Participates in legal research

• Draft memoranda of legal research results

• Drafts and files proposed orders and procedural motions

• Participates in moot oral arguments with attorneys

• Maintains case management system

• Participates in client visits and documentation

• Conducts factual research and compiles information obtained from investigations under the direction of an attorney or other legal assistant staff

• Answers law-related questions

• Assists in updating and communications with clients

• Assists in preparation of appellate briefs, including preparation of tables of content, cases, and authorities; cite checking case law; compiling addenda, electronic filing, and certificate of service.

• Files pleadings in CARE, Xchange, and appellate courts as needed including printing and binding hard copies as necessary

Ideal Candidate

• Bachelor's degree preferred in Political Science, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, English, or equivalent experience in a similar field

• Experience of two to five years as a legal assistant or paralegal is required

• Experience with or working in a child-welfare related office preferred

• Advanced technical writing skills

• An active status Paralegal license or equivalent legal experience

Why You Should Join Our Team

The Utah Indigent Defense Commission is a fast-paced, dynamic office staffed with a hard-working, passionate team with diverse experiences and expertise.  Working in this office will give you direct, hands-on experience.  This job is one that will grow your professional skills and capabilities.  The Child Welfare Appellate Division is looking for team players who want to use their skills to make an impact on this area of the law and the lives of our clients.

The Agency

Created in 2016, the Utah Indigent Defense Commission, an agency located with the Governor's Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice (CCJJ), protects constitutionally guaranteed liberties through ongoing support for effective indigent defense services throughout the state. Currently, the IDC fulfills its mandate primarily through a discretionary grant program where state funding is used to help improve indigent defense services provided by local governments: Utah's 29 counties and many cities. Between FY17 and FY19, the IDC obligated approx. $5.2 million in state funding grants to Utah's counties and cities for this purpose.