Entry Level Civil Rights Paralegal Jobs in Boston, MA

Duties:

Perform full range of paralegal duties for the Department of Correction (DOC) Legal Division in the Boston Legal Office. Duties and responsibilities will vary upon the nature of the particular litigation and include the following: (1) Assist DOC attorneys in the defense of civil rights litigation and other legal proceedings brought by incarcerated individuals in the state and federal courts, and in other legal proceedings conducted before administrative bodies. Review and redact case records in response to requests for completed investigations, electronic and other discovery, and public record requests. (2) Obtain, compile, review and redact relevant documents, logs, reports, administrative records, etc. for DOC attorneys from the various correctional facilities and administrative divisions within the DOC, as needed. (3) Assist in drafting affidavits and responding to discovery requests, including electronic discovery, for use in state and federal court litigation. Attend interviews and discussions with DOC attorneys and employees regarding pending litigation. Deliver documents to opposing counsel and file court papers in various Commonwealth courts. Coordinate pre-trial discovery and assist with depositions and deposition summaries, witness attendance and scheduling of trials. Assist DOC counsel at trial by creating and maintaining trial notebooks and exhibits and assisting with witnesses. Maintain litigation schedules and files and assist with electronic document management and record keeping. Interact with opposing counsel and the court for scheduling purposes. Assist DOC attorneys in appellate work, including electronic filing of appellate briefs. (4) Perform other tasks and duties as needed, including maintenance of litigation files and case tracking documents, as well as creation of charts and spreadsheets; operation of office machines, including, but not limited to, computers, copiers, and facsimile machines; word processing; answering main phone line as needed; and delivery of mail to the U.S. Post Office. Must be familiar with Westlaw and Lexis for legal research purposes, and with Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, and the court electronic docket systems. Ability to learn and use DOC-specific databases and computer programs. Maintain confidentiality of all records and data.

Preferred Qualifications:

Familiarity with discovery of electronically stored information and with electronic document management for major systems and other litigation; experience with civil litigation matters at the trial and appellate levels.

Comments:

This is a Civil Service position. Please note that salaries for union positions are determined according to the provisions of the respective collective bargaining agreement.   Applicants must have no felony convictions, to include any actions defined in 5 U.S.C. 301; U.S.C. 509, 510; 42 U.S.C. 15601-15609. The Massachusetts Department of Correction shall not hire anyone who may have direct contact with incarcerated individuals, who has engaged in sexual abuse in a prison or other institution as defined in 42 U.S.C. 1997; or has been convicted of engaging or attempting to engage in sexual activity in the community facilitated by force, overt or implied threats of force or coercion, or if the victim did not consent or was unable to consent or refuse, or has been civilly or administratively adjudicated to have engaged in the activity described in the above paragraph.  The agency shall consider any incidents of sexual harassment in determining whether to hire anyone who may have contact with incarcerated individuals or residents.   The DOC urges bilingual applicants to apply.

First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must have at least (A) two years of full-time, or equivalent part-time, paraprofessional experience in legal research or legal assistant work, or (B) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below. 
Substitutions: 
I. An Associate's or higher degree with a major in paralegal studies may be substituted for the required experience. 
II. Completion of one year of study at a recognized, degree-granting law school may be substituted for the required experience. 
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Based on assignment, possession of a current and valid Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Operator's License may be required.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

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An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer.  Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law.  Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements.  We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.