The Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Western District of Washington (FPD) is
accepting applications for a full-time criminal defense paralegal for our Seattle office. The FPD
operates under the authority of the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3006A, to provide legal
representation to people charged with committing federal crimes who cannot afford to hire an
attorney. The Court appoints our attorneys to represent accused persons before charges are filed,
upon arrest, for the appeals process, and through federal habeas corpus review. We hope to find a
paralegal who has criminal defense experience, advocating for people accused of committing a
crime even when the evidence against them may appear to be strong. The paralegal should have
initiative, resourcefulness, creativity, compassion, and a desire to stand up for those with few
resources. We provide a vigorous defense at trial and, if our client is convicted, at sentencing and
on appeal. We advocate for humane sentences by developing mitigation evidence to present
judges with fully developed views of our clients and their lives, not merely their charges.

Responsibilities: The paralegal will provide litigation support under the direction of the case
attorney, the Chief Paralegal, and the Federal Defender for our clients charged with criminal
offenses or involved in post-conviction proceedings in the United States District Court for the
Western District of Washington and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.
The paralegal will collaborate with attorneys, investigators, social workers, and other staff to
uphold every person’s right to be presumed innocent and to receive a fair sentence if convicted.
The paralegal will provide case support at all stages of litigation; organize and maintain
voluminous discovery and electronically stored information using a range of formats and
platforms; review and analyze discovery and case documents; gather and maintain records;
prepare pleadings efficiently and with attention to detail; identify subject-matter experts; assist
with hiring and working with experts; maintain regular communication with clients and assist
them with ancillary matters; prepare demonstrative evidence and exhibits for pleadings, hearings,
and trials; coordinate witnesses for hearings; assist attorneys at hearings, trials, and sentencings;
use presentation software such as Trial Director and PowerPoint; assist attorneys in preparing
voir dire, jury instructions, and trial pleadings; prepare appellate briefs and excerpts of record;
and contribute to sentencing mitigation packages including written submissions, letters of
support, and videos. Paralegals in the Seattle office may be assigned to cases filed in the Tacoma
courthouse.

For more information, including how to apply, click here: WA-W Position Announcement – Paralegal