Entry Level Civil Rights Paralegal Jobs in Worcester, MA

Duties:
Perform full range of paralegal duties for the Department of Correction (DOC) on site at Souza Baranowski Correctional Center. Duties and responsibilities will vary depending upon the nature of the particular litigation and include the following: (1) Assist DOC attorneys in defending inmate civil rights actions, tort claims and other legal proceedings in the state and federal courts and before administrative bodies through research and document gathering. (2) Assist in drafting affidavits, gathering documents, and responding to discovery requests, including electronic discovery, for use in state and federal court litigation. Obtain, compile, review and redact relevant documents, logs, reports, administrative records, etc. for DOC attorneys, as needed. Review and redact inmate and employee records in response to requests for completed investigations, electronic and other discovery, and public record requests. (3) Keep the Superintendent apprised of pending litigation, communicating potential areas of concern. Assist various institutional departments (e.g., Disciplinary, Property, Mail Room. Grievance Coordinator, Inner Perimeter Security) to ensure that proper procedures are followed. (4) Attend interviews and discussions with DOC attorneys, the Superintendent, and employees regarding pending litigation. (5) Review and gather institutional documents to respond to inmate correspondence, ensuring that the issues are fully researched, and that the response contains accurate information, is well organized and grammatically correct. (6) Coordinate pre-trial discovery and assist with deposition scheduling 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. (7) Maintain litigation files, schedules, calendars, case tracking system(s) and assist with electronic document management and record keeping, including filing. (8) Provide information to opposing counsel, the courts and the public in response to inquiries. Deliver documents to opposing counsel. (9) Perform other tasks and duties as needed, including preparation of Request for Representation packets for staff; creation of charts and spreadsheets; use of Westlaw and Lexis for legal research purposes; and Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, and the court electronic docket systems. 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 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.
Qualifications:
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.