ROLE We need an experienced Legal Assistant to support the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Vermont. In this role, you will provide all clerical services required to perform the tasks related to the support of the USAO fact witness management process by providing a variety of direct assistance to USAO Victim-Witness personnel, AUSAs, legal assistants, administrative staff, and other USAO personnel. This is a full-time opportunity. We can offer a competitive salary and a comprehensive benefits package. Apply today!
RESPONSIBILITIES
Provide witness management assistance prior to, during, and after trial
Work directly with fact witnesses; provide assistance and support to ensure appearance for court, pre-trial conferences, and grand jury
Receive visitors, field phone calls, questions and other inquiries from fact witnesses seeking information pertaining to court, pre-trial conferences, grand jury appearances and expense reimbursement
Obtain pertinent information for files and documents necessary to arrange witness travel and reimbursements
Initiate contact/notify fact witnesses concerning travel arrangements, appearance date/time, and determine any special circumstances or needs of the fact witness
Use judgment to determine when AUSA should be notified of special circumstances or needs of fact witnesses
Confer with AUSA concerning fact witness appearance and special circumstances regarding witnesses (special authorizations, international witnesses, military/federal employee witnesses, or hostile witnesses)
Complete and submit proper documentation for special authorizations and obtain prior approval before proceeding with travel arrangement
Prior to fact witness’ appearance, ensure all travel documents and appearance date and time have been provided to witness
Make necessary arrangements for fact witness travel and lodging according to Department of Justice and USAO policies and procedures
Meet with fact witnesses upon arrival to designated hearing or pre-trial conference, offer and perform courtroom orientation, accompany witness to court, ensure a safe waiting area is available, and collect necessary documentation and signatures for fact witness reimbursement documents
Prepare and submit documentation for fact witness reimbursement, i.e. witness vouchers and other required documentation for fact witnesses
Furnish requested information concerning pending and completed fact witness vouchers
Gather required documentation and reconcile Government Travel Accounts
Obtain information, confer, and coordinate with the Court, Probation, Pretrial, U.S. Marshals Service, investigative agencies, and other counterparts, when necessary
Complete variable aspects of recurring documents in conformance with the rules governing their style and format
Compose original letters that do not require legal interpretations, but require a good working knowledge of legal procedures and specialized terminology relevant to fact witness laws and regulations
Perform general office procedures pertaining to fact witness management
Establish and maintain a variety of fact witness files, documents, and databases
Assemble documents and other information for fact witness file material and retention in accordance with established procedures and Department of Justice regulations
Establish and maintain calendar and/or database of active and pending fact witness appearances
Track hearings, trial dates, grand jury, and scheduling conferences
Perform other administrative and logistical fact witness management related duties as required/assigned
KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS
Good communication skills
Provide word processing and data entry/retrieval
Ability to review and analyze data and information from multiple sources
Ability to establish case/project files
Ability to enter and retrieve data from databases
Ability to prepare and format management reports
Ability to manipulate, transfer, compute, and print information
Ability to prepare and correct reports and correspondence using word processing software
Schedule appointments
Answer inquiries regarding case-related information as maintained in the database
Answer inquiries regarding case-related status
Obtain additional information from other agencies/organizations
Maintain internal status information on the disposition of designated information, files, and assets
Assure information is accurate and perform analytical computations necessary to process data
Provide administrative information and assistance concerning case or file to other agencies or organizations
BACKGROUND
Progressive and relevant experience
EDUCATION
High school diploma or GED required
Bachelor’s degree is preferred
JOB LOCATION
Burlington, VT 05401
CLEARANCE
U.S. citizenship required since this role supports the U.S. federal government
CLIENT
U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Vermont
TRAVEL
No travel required
WORK HOURS
40 hours per week
8 hours per day
EMPLOYMENT CLASSIFICATION
Employment Classification Eligibility — W2 or 1099
RELOCATION
Not eligible for relocation benefits
West 4th Strategy is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, gender, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, age, marital status, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, pregnancy, political affiliation, military or veteran status, or any other basis prohibited by federal or state law.
Other Considerations: This position is W-2 only; no Corp-to-Corp or 1099 candidates. Relocation will not be offered. Selected applicants will be subject to a background investigation. Individual’s primary workstation is located in an office area. The noise level in this environment is low to moderate. Regularly required to sit for extended periods up to 80% of the time; frequently required to move about to access file cabinets and use office equipment such as PC, copier, fax, telephone, cell phone, etc. Occasionally required to reach overhead, bend, and lift objects of up to 10 lbs. Specific vision abilities required by this job include the use of computer monitor screens up to 80% of the time.