Job Description

Ardelle Associates is seeking a Litigation Support Specialist with litigation software experience to provide computer/technical and customer support to staff of the United States Attorney's Office (USAO) in Minneapolis, Minnesota. This position will provide comprehensive technical and analytical litigation support services to AUSAs and legal staff across all phases of criminal and civil litigation. The specialist will ensure efficient processing, review, management, and presentation of case materials, particularly electronic evidence.

Duties

Litigation Support

1. Provides technical advice to litigation teams on legal automation options, systems capabilities, and support services available to aid in case preparation, trial preparation and trial presentation. Performs a wide range of information system analysis, development, and installation in support of USAO DMN litigation support activities for assigned cases.

2. In coordination with Assistant United States Attorneys (AUSAs), investigators, federal agents, and paralegal specialists, the contractor develops project management strategies and tools for gathering, tracking, processing, reviewing, organizing, and producing case information in an effective, efficient, and defensible manner.

3. Recommends a variety of software packages including database, spreadsheet and word processing applications based on which software would be most effective for organization and management of information and documents, presentation of complex and voluminous evidence or production of graphic demonstrative evidence. Also, recommends best practices and procedures for processing information as part of case preparation.

4. The contractor performs essential litigation support tasks. Specifically, assignments encompass the following Litigation Support Services:

a. The contractor provides litigation support services, including trial preparation and presentation, in response to customer needs. The contractor performs such services directly or in conjunction with the USAO's Litigation Support Manager.

a. The contractor defines and creates case databases for processing electronically stored information (ESI), case review, production, organization, and trial presentation.

b The contractor plans and coordinates efforts with other agencies or offices involved in litigation team activities, including recommending best practices and procedures for collecting electronically stored information in a defensible manner using available software.

c. With attorneys and key legal support staff, the contractor organizes voluminous case information for efficient retrieval through automated means such as processing ESI in common litigation applications such as LAW Prediscovery or Nuix or industry standard equivalent., OCRing, indexing and production of documents to and from a database.

d. The contractor assures documents are organized for efficient electronic storage and retrieval by processing ESI, defining deduplication scope, quality control, preparing appropriate indices, defining data file search criteria, and indexing databases in common litigation applications such as Eclipse or Relativity or industry standard equivalent.

e. The contractor prepares graphical presentations, demonstrative exhibits, and trial presentations.

f. The contractor coordinates with the LTSC and vendors as needed.

g. The contractor installs, configures, and maintains litigation support equipment.

h. The contractor sets up and maintains trial presentation equipment; and

i. The contractor evaluates the efficiency of litigation support technology to ensure that it is responsive to the attorney and case needs, and that it represents the best methodology available.

j. LS Systems Administration - The contractor performs testing, quality assurance, configuration, installation, implementation, and maintenance of LS resources. The contractor ensures systems availability, functionality, integrity, and efficiency. In this regard, the contractor: (10%)

1. In coordination with the USAO's Litigation Support Manager, the contractor analyzes automated litigation support and recommends changes to improve support and to increase the system efficiency and effectiveness. The contractor monitors system uses and response time, conducts cost-benefit analyses, and develops implementation plans.

2. Diagnoses and resolves litigation support computer system problems and customizes databases and programs modified to meet individual user needs. Develops and evaluates procedures and computer specifications designed to ensure indexing consistency, and to maximize the ease with which documents can be retrieved from tailored data files on the computer or other storage medium.

3. Evaluates new developments in legal technology, including eDiscovery, analytics, trial presentation software and equipment and trial exhibit preparation. Recommends modifications and upgrades of software and equipment.

Required Experience

· Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in computer science, criminal justice, or related field

1. Knowledge of the legal process and familiarity with both civil and criminal law at the federal and local level. This includes the content and timing of the government's legal discovery obligations, as well as the issues to be addressed in a meet-and-confer with opposing parties and the role of the Information Technology Specialist in identifying and resolving discovery issues.

2. Ability to talk to attorneys, understand legal and factual issues, and subject matter details involved in a case to determine options for managing and presenting the data and to recommend a course of action.

3. Knowledge of, and skill in applying, most of the following:

· IT/LS concepts, principles, methods, and practices.

· eDiscovery technology.

· Visual design concepts.

· Imaging technology.

· Performance management/measurement methods, tools, and techniques.

· Systems testing and evaluation principles, methods, and tools.

· IT/LS security principles and methods,

· Requirement analysis principles and methods.

· Internet technologies to analyze the internet potential of litigation support systems, networks, and data.

· COTS products.

· Cost-benefit analysis principles and methods and budgeting.

· New and emerging information technologies and/or industry trends.

· Analytical methods and practices.

· Project management principles and methods; and

· Oral and written communication techniques.

1. Knowledge is necessary to accomplish assignments such as:

· Plan and carry out difficult and complex litigation support assignments and develop new methods, approaches, and procedures.

· Meet with attorneys and others to plan for litigation support for cases.

· Provide advice and guidance on a wide range and variety of complex litigation support issues.

· Interpret litigation support policies, standards, and guidelines.

· Develop and execute project management plans and processes tailored to case needs.

· Conduct analyses and recommend resolution of complex issues affecting litigation support technology.

· Evaluate and recommend adoption of new or enhanced approaches to delivering litigation support services.

· Test and optimize the functionality of litigation support systems, networks, and data.

· Identify and define business or technical requirements applied to the design, development, implementation, management, and support of systems and networks.

· Develop, organize, and present training for AUSAs and staff on the use of litigation support software and technology.

· Recommend to USAO management optimal use of commercially available products.

· Perform technical evaluations of proposals for the acquisition of litigation support products or services.

· Carry out difficult and complex assignments and develop new methods, approaches, and procedures.

· Evaluate and recommend adoption of new or enhanced approaches to delivering LS services.

· Prepare and present reports.

· Prepare and provide complex graphics.

· Represent the organization in interactions with other organizations; and provide technical leadership on group projects.

· Experience with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Adobe PDF

· Experience analyzing incoming electronic data to determine appropriate processing requirements

· Experience working with LAW, Nuix, Prediscovery, OCRing are valued but not required

· Experience working directly with a variety of technical and non-technical users

· Ability to organize and manage multiple priorities and meet tight deadlines

· Ability to deliver highest quality work under pressure

Applicants MUST:

Be U.S. Citizens and Pass a criminal background and credit check in accordance with local laws and regulations.

Job Types: Full-time, Contract

Pay: $36.76 - $41.69 per hour

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Ability to Commute:

• minneapolis, minnesota (Preferred)

Ability to Relocate:

• minneapolis, minnesota: Relocate before starting work (Preferred)

Work Location: In person

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