Litigation Paralegal

We are a woman-owned, civil rights-focused boutique litigation firm in Washington, DC. We handle cases at the trial and appellate level and our docket consists of a mix of civil rights cases and complex commercial litigation, and we are looking for either an experienced paralegal or a hardworking and committed recent college graduate who can work on both sides of our docket.

Our civil rights practice is particularly focused on the criminal legal system, and includes both individual plaintiff damages suits and larger systemic reform cases (often class actions). We are based in D.C. but practice in state and federal courts all over the country. One of the best things about being a small shop is that we have a huge amount of flexibility and autonomy when it comes to building our docket. So while we focus heavily on cases involving police misconduct and the rights of prisoners and criminal defendants, our civil rights docket sweeps much more broadly than just these areas (e.g., voting rights and election law, representing survivors of gun violence in trying to hold gun manufacturers accountable).

On the commercial side, we handle a range of business and other civil litigation disputes, and are routinely retained to assist with targeted brief writing at the trial and appellate level and to represent third parties who are the target of deposition and/or document subpoenas.

What We Are Looking For

Our ideal candidate possesses the following qualities/experience:

Bachelors’ degree

Prior paralegal and/or law firm administration experience preferred, though we are open to applications from exceptionally strong recent college graduates with a demonstrated interest in public interest litigation work, and a willingness to learn new skills

Experience with, or enthusiasm for developing, various litigation support skills, including:

Handling all aspects of case filings, including Bluebooking/cite checking, creating tables of contents and authorities, reviewing local court rules, handling e-filing and hard copy filings

Assisting with deposition, hearing, trial, and oral argument preparation

Creating shells/templates of pleadings and discovery-related documents

Assisting with document discovery, including coordination with outside vendors

Creating and maintaining case files

Deadline tracking and calendaring

Preparing and tracking public records requests

Helping to manage client relationships, including preparing engagement letters and other client communications and scheduling client calls and meetings (including with incarcerated clients)

Handling initial case intakes and issue tracking, including reviewing dockets and conducting basic Westlaw research

Managing the administrative tasks that make our firm run, including (but not limited to) client billing and expenses; scheduling and logistics; assisting with hiring-related tasks; working with outside vendors; managing firm mail and incoming calls; and ordering supplies

Strong organizational skills, including the ability to follow-through on assignments independently, manage several projects at once, and be flexible in the event of changing priorities and deadlines

Extremely close attention to detail and a commitment to completing tasks efficiently and thoroughly

Ability to work effectively as part of a team

Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Excel, and Adobe and a willingness to learn additional programs used by our firm (e.g., Clio); experience with legal research databases (e.g. Westlaw, PACER) preferred

Prior experience with and/or a demonstrated interest in criminal justice and prisoners’ rights (including scheduling calls and legal visits with incarcerated clients) is a plus

Website maintenance experience also a plus

Compensation/Benefits

Salary range is $60,000-$70,000, commensurate with experience. We offer a competitive benefits package. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and an inclusive culture.

Location & Remote Work

We will only consider candidates in the D.C. area. Our team has a hybrid work schedule, with a practice of working in our office three days a week (or more if preferred).