Paralegal Specialist

Headquarters
300 7th Street SW
Washington, DC 20024, USA

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The below statements are intended to describe the general nature and scope of work being performed by this position. This is not a complete listing of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required. Other duties may be assigned.

• Responds to subpoenas, records requests, discovery requests, and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests by gathering documents, reviewing for legal sufficiency, and preparing responses in compliance with applicable laws and deadlines.
• Understands and applies District of Columbia, HUD, and federal rules and procedures when reviewing legal matters, drafting documents, and communicating with internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinates with clients and agency departments to obtain information required for timely and complete legal responses.
• Tracks all subpoenas, FOIA requests, and legal deadlines to ensure timely follow-up and resolution.
• Performs legal research and reviews relevant case law, statutes, and policies to support subpoena and FOIA response efforts.
• Maintains high attention to detail when preparing, proofreading, and organizing legal documents, correspondence, and case files.
• Supports and serves at the direction of the General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel and/or their designee; provides a wide range of paralegal and general administrative support to OGC attorneys in all legal matters as assigned, including, but not limited to, litigation, corporate or real estate matters, development and/or modernization activities, property sale/acquisitions, mixed finance and RAD redevelopments, contracts and procurement, leasing, Housing Choice Voucher Program (“"HCVP”") and other DCHA programs, public and assisted housing, Landlord/Tenant law, eviction proceedings, landlord contract claims, bankruptcy, tort claims, personal injury, and police matters.
• Provides support and assistance to outside counsel (for all types of legal matters) as directed;
• Investigates facts in connection with litigation; interviews and prepares witnesses; checks legal citations in court filings; assists in discovery and brief writing;
• Assists and prepares eviction notices and other documents for landlord/tenant cases;
• Drafts initial versions of standard real estate and transactional documents, including contracts and closing documents;
• Assists and prepares attorneys in connection with court appearances, real estate closings, client meetings and witness interviews;
• Assists attorneys with scheduling meetings and maintaining their calendars as requested;
• Prepares and organizes case files (electronic and hard copy), including reviewing files against standards for submission to outside counsel;
• Organizes, maintains and tracks files of case documents, including closing documents and litigation files, and makes them available and easily accessible to attorneys;
• Copies, scans and prepares documents and files as requested;
• Assists in communicating with internal and external clients as directed to support OGC customer-oriented focus;
• Conducts legal research such as studying relevant court decisions and legislative documents; searches title and governmental records;
• Reviews and analyzes available precedents relevant to assigned cases or matters;
• Drafts and proofreads legal documents for accuracy, proper grammar, legal sufficiency and proper citation format;
• Coordinates work assignments and/or efforts to ensure timeliness, thoroughness, and compliance to deadlines;
• Tracks assigned cases/matters and provides information on the status of all such cases on a weekly/bi-weekly/monthly basis; ensures that attorneys are aware of and assists in meeting all deadlines;
• Prepares monthly/bi-weekly/weekly reports and correspondence as required to keep General Counsel, Deputy General Counsel informed and their designee, and advised of status of assigned cases; enters and tracks time as required;
• Assists in the maintenance of a file retention/archival plan for systematic retention, protection, retrieval, transfer and disposal of records in accordance with administrative directives and accepted practices;
• Performs other duties and responsibilities as assigned related to the efficiency and effectiveness of the OGC;
• Supports all department activities, serves as back-up for other paralegals and OGC clerical staff as needed;
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities with minimal oversight.
• Demonstrated experience preparing responses to subpoenas, discovery, and FOIA requests.
• Excellent follow-up skills and the ability to track and meet strict deadlines.
• Proficiency in e-discovery platforms such as Relativity or Logikcull.
• Knowledge of policies, procedures, goals,…