Legal Assistant

$42,120 - $50,898/Yr

Ardelle Associates - Fort Worth, TX

Full-time - Entry Level

Fort Worth, TX

Administrative and Support Services

About the position

Ardelle Associates is seeking a Legal Assistant to support the U.S. Attorneys Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Texas in its Fort Worth, TX branch office. This position is a full-time contract role, requiring 40 hours of work per week, and is expected to last for one year. The scheduled hours are from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday to Friday, and the position is primarily in-person. The Legal Assistant will play a crucial role in supporting ongoing criminal prosecutions by assisting prosecutors with various administrative and legal tasks. The responsibilities of the Legal Assistant include maintaining and updating calendars for assigned prosecutors, checking mail daily, scheduling meetings with agents and witnesses, and reserving conference rooms for meetings and trial preparations. The assistant will also be responsible for updating internal databases with case information, preparing and submitting administrative request forms, and assisting in the preparation of various court-related filings such as indictment packets, subpoenas, and trial notices. Additionally, the Legal Assistant will file documents with the Clerk's office as needed and help organize voluminous case information. The role requires strong clerical skills, including typing and filing, as well as the ability to work with complex electronic data systems. The Legal Assistant will assist with data entry and indexing, maintain case files, and ensure they contain all pertinent documents. The position also involves preparing trial notebooks and assisting with the preparation of exhibits for trial. The Legal Assistant will work closely with legal administrative specialists and prosecutors to ensure all necessary documentation is prepared and filed correctly, and will assist with special projects as determined by the prosecutors.

Responsibilities

• Maintain and update calendars for assigned prosecutors and check prosecutors mail daily, if requested.
• Schedule prosecutors meetings with agents, witnesses, etc.
• Reserve conference rooms for meetings, trial prep and trial.
• Update internal database(s) with defendant(s) and case information, court settings/hearings, etc.
• Assist prosecutors in preparing and submitting administrative request forms (transcript requests, etc.), and preparing indictment packets, subpoenas, and other court related filings.
• Send pertinent court filings and documents to case agents, e.g., indictments, arrest warrants, case agent letter, judgments, etc.
• File documents with the Clerks office, as needed.
• Assist prosecutors and legal administrative specialists in organizing voluminous case information.
• Perform data entry and indexing as needed.
• Assist with special projects as determined by the prosecutors and legal administrative specialists.
• Maintain the prosecutors case files and ensure they contain the pertinent documents.
• Assist with uploading/saving court filings and other documents to the appropriate cloud drives.
• Work closely with legal administrative specialists when preparing for trial and assist with preparing photo boards, maps, charts, and other exhibits, as needed.
• Assemble trial notebooks for use by prosecutors, judges, defense counsel and witnesses.
• Close case files, close the same case in an internal database, and purge the appropriate documents before providing the closed files to the docketing personnel.

Requirements

• A minimum of a high school diploma or GED is required.
• 1 year of experience in a legal setting is required.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong interpersonal relations and good communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong clerical skills including typing and filing.
• Ability to work in several complex electronic data systems to enter and retrieve information/data.
• Advanced computer skills with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Outlook, and Excel).
• Attention to detail and good organizational skills.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and demonstrate problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated accurate recordkeeping.

Benefits

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off