Position Announcement 26-05
PARALEGAL
Office of the Federal Public Defender
Western District of Texas (Austin)
THE FEDERAL PUBLIC DEFENDER, Western District of Texas, is accepting applications for the position of paralegal to be stationed in Austin, Texas. The Federal Public Defender operates under authority of the Criminal Justice Act, 18 U.S.C. 3006A, to provide defense services in federal criminal cases and related matters by appointment from the court to individuals unable to afford counsel.
Duties. The paralegal performs legal and administrative duties using legal terminology, procedures, and documents that include researching legal issues, drafting motions and orders, and maintaining electronic case files and databases. Paralegals support the assistant federal public defenders by performing duties that include assisting with case file management, gathering, organizing, summarizing, and indexing of electronic and paper documents and other discovery materials. Paralegals also assist attorneys at hearings and trials; with client contact; with expert and witness interviews; with litigation support services using advanced software programs; and other duties as assigned. The full position qualifications statement with position description is available upon request.
Selection Criteria. The successful candidate will have a working knowledge of law office operations, legal practices, methods and techniques, and an understanding of criminal law, procedure, and evidence. Prior federal court litigation experience is preferred. Employment is subject to a satisfactory background investigation, including but not limited to an FBI name and fingerprint check.
Salary and Benefits. The starting salary of a paralegal will be commensurate with the experience and quali-fications of the applicant, within a range from JSP-11, Step 1, to JSP-14, Step 1, and currently yielding $76,777 to $129,311 per annum. The position is in the excepted service and does not carry the tenure rights of the competitive Civil Service. This position offers federal government employment benefits, including participation in health and life insurance, retirement, and the Thrift Savings Plan. Salary is payable only by Electronic Funds Transfer (direct deposit).
Requirements. To qualify for the position of paralegal, candidates must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university or have a paralegal certificate from an accredited paralegal program. Spanish-language fluency is required. The position requires occasional travel. Candidates must also possess:
• a strong legal, administrative, or paralegal background.
• excellent organization, communication, and administrative skills.
• computer proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat, Excel, word processing, legal research tools using Westlaw and Lexis, and database coding, search, and maintenance.
• excellent command of English grammar and spelling.
• three to five years of relevant experience, preferably managing complex litigation and/or voluminous case files.
• experience as a paralegal performing progressively responsible paralegal duties.
Qualified persons may apply by sending a letter of interest (mentioning announcement 26-05), a résumé, references, and representative writing sample. Experience should be described in detail. Send all required documents in a single PDF document named with applicant’s “last name, first name-Announcement 26-05 Paralegal” by email to [email protected]. Electronic submissions sent directly to the Defender will not be considered. For applicants with disabilities, this organization provides reasonable accommodations, which are decided on a case-by-case basis. To request reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or interview process, contact personnel administrator Victoria B. Longoria at (210) 981-2081. More than one position may be filled from this announcement. Position announced January 6, 2026, subject to the availability of funds; open until filled.
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