Experienced Criminal Defense Paralegal - Tucson, AZ

Grand Canyon Law Group is seeking an experienced, detail-oriented Criminal Defense Paralegal to support our growing Southern Arizona practice.

This role is ideal for someone who understands the pace, pressure, and demands of criminal defense and has experience navigating courts throughout Southern Arizona. The successful candidate will support attorneys handling felony and misdemeanor matters in Pima, Cochise, Graham, Yuma, and La Paz counties.

The ideal candidate can confidently review and summarize discovery, including body camera footage, identify missing or incomplete disclosure, maintain strong client relationships, and assist attorneys with case preparation from intake through resolution.

This position requires someone who is highly organized, adaptable, proactive with follow-up, and comfortable managing significant client communication. Familiarity with the court procedures, filing practices, prosecutors’ offices, and law enforcement agencies throughout Southern Arizona is highly valued.

Key Responsibilities

• Review, organize, and summarize criminal case discovery, including police reports, body camera footage, dash camera footage, audio recordings, photographs, laboratory results, interview recordings, and supplemental reports
• Identify missing, incomplete, or outstanding disclosure and follow up as needed
• Draft and prepare legal documents under attorney supervision, including:
  • Notices of Appearance
  • Requests for Discovery
  • Motions to Compel
  • Motions to Modify Release Conditions
  • Settlement memoranda
  • Sentencing memoranda
  • Subpoenas and records requests
  • Other criminal pleadings and correspondence
• Assist attorneys with felony case preparation and misdemeanor case management
• Prepare discovery summaries, case timelines, witness information, and case status updates for attorney review
• Communicate with clients professionally, promptly, and compassionately by phone, email, and text
• Build trust and maintain strong client relationships throughout the life of each case
• Maintain accurate, organized, and current electronic case files
• Calendar court dates, filing deadlines, hearings, and follow-up tasks accurately
• Monitor court dockets and case activity for assigned matters
• Coordinate with attorneys, courts, prosecutors, law enforcement agencies, experts, clients, and internal team members
• Assist with hearing, sentencing, and trial preparation
• Prioritize assignments, adapt to changing circumstances, and follow through on outstanding matters without constant oversight
• Track time accurately and meet the firm’s productivity expectations
• Support criminal matters throughout Southern Arizona as assigned

Regional Court Focus

This position will primarily support matters in:

• Pima County
• Cochise County
• Graham County
• Yuma County
• La Paz County
• Other Southern Arizona jurisdictions as the firm’s regional practice continues to grow

Candidates with experience in Pima County Superior Court, Tucson City Court, Pima County Justice Courts, or municipal, justice, and superior courts elsewhere in Southern Arizona are strongly encouraged to apply.

Performance Expectations

• Track a minimum of six hours per workday
• Meet an annual productivity goal of 1,440 hours
• Maintain excellent calendaring and deadline accuracy
• Complete assignments with urgency, accuracy, and attention to detail
• Communicate consistently with clients, attorneys, and internal team members
• Proactively identify missing information, approaching deadlines, and potential case issues
• Maintain ownership of assigned cases and follow-up responsibilities

Requirements

• Certificate of completion from an accredited paralegal program
• Minimum of two years of paralegal experience in an Arizona law firm
• Direct criminal defense experience required
• Felony criminal case experience required
• Misdemeanor criminal case experience preferred
• Strong experience reviewing and summarizing criminal discovery
• Ability to identify missing or incomplete disclosure and escalate issues appropriately
• Experience drafting criminal defense pleadings and related case documents
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Exceptional organizational skills, attention to detail, and sound judgment
• Ability to manage significant client communication with professionalism, empathy, and appropriate boundaries
• Ability to prioritize effectively, adapt to changing circumstances, and consistently follow up
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office 365
• Experience using legal case management software
• Clio experience is a plus
• Experience working in Pima County or other Southern Arizona courts strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of Southern Arizona criminal court procedures, filing practices, and local agencies preferred
• Experience in Pima, Cochise, Graham, Yuma, or La Paz County is highly valued
• Experience supporting matters across multiple Arizona counties is a plus
• Bilingual Spanish/English candidates are strongly preferred