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Job Details for Paralegal - Trial Unit

Court Name/Organization Arizona Federal Public Defender
Overview of the Position The Federal Public Defender for the District of Arizona is accepting applications for the position of a full-time paralegal to be stationed in the Tucson Trial Unit. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. The Federal Public Defender operates under authority of Title 18, United States Code, Section 3006A(g)(2)(A), to provide federal criminal defense services to individuals unable to afford counsel.
Location Tucson, AZ
Opening and Closing Dates 02/11/2026 - 02/20/2026
Appointment Type Permanent
Classification Level/Grade JSP 11 - JSP 13
Salary $76,095 - $108,455
Announcement Number 26-14

Position Description

Paralegals are expected to provide a full range of paralegal services to staff attorneys. Duties include, but are not limited to, document creation/editing support, litigation support (both in and out of court), case preparation, preparation of sentencing videos, maintenance of files, organizing and indexing discovery, evidence and exhibits, as well as locating and retrieving documents, information and records from outside sources, client communication, to included traveling to meet with clients, assisting lawyers during trial and assisting in-field investigators.

Qualifications

To qualify, a person must be a high school graduate or equivalent, have a minimum of three years of general experience, and three years of specialized experience. Some higher education may be substituted for specialized experience. A bachelor’s degree is preferred. Applicants must possess proficient computer and document creation/editing skills and have experience working in a law office. Previous experience in indigent criminal defense is preferred. Experience with Microsoft office applications, CaseMap, Westlaw and Lexis are required. Experience in preparation of sentencing videos and use of video editing software is preferred. Proficiency with PowerPoint, Trial Director, and Summation is preferred. Applicants should have strong organizational skills, should be self-motivated, detail-orientated and a team player. Spanish language fluency is required for this position. Applicants selected for interview will be tested for Spanish-speaking fluency. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen. Employment is dependent upon a satisfactory background investigation.

Employee Benefits

The starting salary will be fixed commensurate with experience and qualifications of the applicant. For the paralegal position the range is from JSP-11, Step 1, to JSP-13, Step 1, currently yielding $76,095 to $108,455 per annum. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. The position does include regular Government employee benefits including health and life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit). All positions are at will and are subject to the availability of funds.

Miscellaneous

Paralegals are expected to provide a full range of paralegal services to staff attorneys. Duties include, but are not limited to, document creation/editing support, litigation support (both in and out of court), case preparation, preparation of sentencing videos, maintenance of files, organizing and indexing discovery, evidence and exhibits, as well as locating and retrieving documents, information and records from outside sources, client communication, to included traveling to meet with clients, assisting lawyers during trial and assisting in-field investigators.

Application Info

Qualified persons may apply by sending, via e-mail, a letter of interest and résumé to the Personnel Administrator, Federal Public Defender, District of Arizona, at azx_hr@fd.org. (Letter of interest and references must be included). Announced Feb. 5, 2026; Closes: Feb. 20, 2026.

All applicants, regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, or age, are encouraged to apply.

The federal Judiciary is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.