Appellate Paralegal Job Description

'An appellate paralegal is a paralegal who works in the area of appellate law. Appellate paralegals work for appellate lawyers and in appellate law firms and assist attorneys with their work. Appellate law is the body of law that involves appealing judicial rulings and jury verdicts to higher courts. Appellate law includes appeals of both civil law and criminal law, and appeals within the state court system and the federal court system. Appellate paralegals assist with reviewing trial records (reviewing transcripts from what people said in court), researching laws and regulations, and making filings in state and federal appellate courts. Because appellate paralegals are not attorneys and have not been admitted to the bars of any state, appellate paralegals must always work under the direction of a practicing attorney.

Here are a few sample appellate paralegal job descriptions:


Appellate Paralegal

The candidate will conduct online research. Will work independently and take initiative. Work on multiple projects. Maintain project deadlines. Must have recent experience in putting together and printing records on Appeal and Appellate Briefs. Must have experience with indexing. Knowledge and familiarity with the rules and internal operating procedures within: State Courts; Thirteen Federal Circuit Courts; The United States Supreme Court.

Appellate Paralegal

The candidate will excel in process driven environment by having great attention to detail. Will work closely with staff attorneys and production teams to ensure client's successful filings. Must demonstrate the ability to follow directions and adhere to processes while working within a team to serve client's needs. Areas of primary responsibility: Perform paralegal duties in preparation of client appellate documents; communicate with Staff Attorneys and clients on job requirements, pass this communication to the appropriate staff internally, or execute the requests personally and assist in other areas of daily operations as needed. Direct experience with appellate legal work can be helpful. Familiarity with basic legal documents is needed. Computer experience is required.

Appellate Paralegal

The candidate will provide procedural assistance and document preparation at all levels of the appeals process. Prepare documents for electronic serving and filing. Review appellate briefs to ensure compliance with Court rules. Compile motion papers to create a record on appeal/appendix. Must have 5+ years of experience in appellate litigation, organizing, preparing and managing Appellate Cases for all levels of the Appellate System. Knowledge of appellate rules and regulations is a plus. Proficiency in Adobe, Microsoft Word and possess satisfactory typing skills is must.

Appellate Paralegal at Counsel Press

The candidate will excel in process driven environment by having great attention to detail. Will work closely with staff attorneys and production teams to ensure our client's successful filings. Perform paralegal duties in preparation of our client appellate documents (See qualifications). Communicate with our Staff Attorneys and our clients on their job requirements, pass this communication to the appropriate staff internally, or execute the requests personally. Assist in other areas of our daily operations as needed.
Qualifications: Direct experience with appellate legal work is helpful. Demonstrate long-term interest in the position and the capacity to meet the requirements of the position through experience and willingness to be trained. Must demonstrate the ability to follow directions and adhere to our processes while working within a team to serve our client's needs. Experience in a fast-paced legal environment. Familiarity with basic legal documents. Demonstrate great attention to detail at all levels. Ability over time to master the rules of courts we work within. Ability to work closely with our team of staff attorneys, paralegals, and production staff. Ability to multi-task and successfully manage a variety of demands each day. Ability to rapidly learn a task and master it soon after. Computer experience. Ability to be a highly contributing part of the team on a daily basis.'