Instructor - Law jobs in Fresno, CA

A. Criminal Defense & Appeals Clerk/Paralegal

The Moran Law Firm is seeking a highly motivated, skilled and experienced Paralegal/Law Clerk to support our rapidly expanding Criminal Law Division. Our firm has experienced unprecedented growth over the last two years, providing interested candidates with a fast-paced, challenging and highly rewarding work environment. Our firm handles a lot of fascinating and complex criminal law matters, including high profile cases, homicide cases, and matters that will proceed to jury trial. In this position, our Criminal Law Paralegal/Law Clerk will have the ability to work directly with our Attorneys, and gain in court, invaluable hands on experience.

These vital positions will be supporting our law practice by reviewing law enforcement reports, watching witness interviews, working with our investigators, writing pretrial motions, arguing pretrial motions, preparing documents like affidavits and legal correspondence, as well as organizing and maintaining files and meeting with clients. This positions includes researching, writing and preparing motions, filing the pleadings with court clerks, and helping prepare for Criminal Jury trials by organizing exhibits, Jury Instructions, In limine Motions, and assisting the Attorneys with other tasks as required under the supervision of the Attorneys.

Law School Applicants will gain invaluable hand-on experience by assisting the attorneys in Court. (i.e. [1] assisting in pretrial criminal law hearings, preparing cases for jury trials, participating in jury trial, etc.; [2] preparing, submitting, and arguing their own motions before the Court.)

B. Experience Opportunities

The majority of Criminal Law is motion based—clerks will have ample opportunities to develop their research and writing skills and putting their own on the written motions filed with the court. Our firm strongly believes courtroom experience is also vital for the clerks—so there will be opportunities to assist the Attorneys in the courtroom. Our firm works as a team, so there will be several support team members available at all times, to assist and mentor this position while developing and growing as a clerk.

Law School Applicants will be afforded the opportunity to assist in various levels of the criminal justice system—from misdemeanors through felony allegations. Our firm is currently handling several high-profile homicide and sexual misconduct cases. Law School Applicants will assist with preparation and trial—including arguing their motions and conducting examinations.

C. Ideal Applicants

The ideal candidates will be persons entering their third and fourth years of law school—who are certified/certifiable. The reason for this is that Certified Clerks will be able to make Court appearances and place their name on the documents submitted to the Court. This is a great way to introduce yourself to the legal community.

We are additionally interested in candidates who may be interested in post-conviction—Writs and Appeals—as our firm is active in this area of law and has found success in both the CA and Federal Courts of Appeal.

To be successful in this role, you will need to be proficient with Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel. Additional knowledge with Westlaw, Clio, and Odyssey Portal are preferred. You will also need to be able to multitask effectively and essentially thrive in a busy, team-oriented environment.

D. Duties and Responsibilities

1. Create reports and documents for lawyers based on case specifications and requests.

2. Preparing affidavits/declarations, legal correspondence and other documents for attorneys.

3. Organizing and maintaining documents in a paper or electronic filing system.

4. Meeting with clients, attorneys, and other professionals to talk about case details.

5. Filing pleadings with court clerk.

6. Helping prepare for trial by organizing exhibits and assisting with other tasks as needed.

7. Preparing briefs, wills/trusts, pleadings, appeals, and other legal documents.

8. Investigating facts and laws of cases and searching public records and other resources to prepare cases and determine causes of action.

9. Directing and coordinating law office activity, including delivery of subpoenas.

10. Gathering and analyzing statutes, decisions, and legal articles, codes, documents and other data.

11. Calling on witnesses to testify at hearings.

12. Maintain responsibility over case load and deadlines

13. Develop and follow a case file indexing system that can be used as an active archive for all ongoing and completed cases

14. Utilize existing files and a variety of other legal research resources to develop information for pending cases

E. Requirements and Qualifications

1. Third and/or Fourth Year Law Students are strongly encouraged to apply.

2. Proficient with Microsoft Office, specifically Outlook, Word, and Excel.

3. Proficient in Westlaw, Clio, and Odyssey Portal

4. Strong oral and written communication skills.

5. Excellent organizational skills.

6. Must be able to effectively multi-task, manage time sensitive documents and have exceptional organizational skills in a fast-paced environment.

7. Must be able to function effectively in a busy, team-oriented environment.

8. Office administration experience preferred

9. Patience and Professionalism with Clients is a must

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time

Pay: Up to $30.00 per hour

Benefits:

• Employee discount
• Flexible schedule
• Health insurance
• Paid sick time
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Travel requirement:

• No travel

Education:

• Associate (Preferred)

Experience:

• Microsoft Office: 1 year (Preferred)
• Legal Field: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person