Attorneys spend hours preparing arguments for each of the criminal cases they handle, but you may not have known that behind each prosecutor is a legal assistant gathering the information a prosecutor needs to meet the burden of proof in each case. In our office, we have 46 legal assistants who help our prosecutors prepare for each and every case they handle.
Our Criminal Division legal assistants are assigned to one or two prosecutors. They help attorneys prepare cases for court by gathering reports, media, like body camera footage, and other necessary evidence needed to prove a case. They issue subpoenas as requested by the attorney, aid with the formatting of motions to be filed with the court and help the prosecutors behind the scenes when they are in trial.
The same can be said in the Civil Division, whose legal assistants
also support civil attorneys in trials. They aid with the drafting and formatting of advice letters to clients, provide litigation support, and make sure any and all documents and resources are at the ready for attorneys during meetings and hearings. Civil legal assistants are assigned a few attorneys who each specialize in multiple civil areas, so the assistants must be well-versed in all areas to offer the best assistance to the attorney’s unique needs.
“The tasks you have to do when you first get a case are the same, but no two cases are exactly alike,” said legal Criminal Division assistant Danielle. “Every new case is a bit like sitting down to a new puzzle. You never know what challenges you are going to face, but you start at the corners and work your way in.”
Some legal assistants have personal experiences that drew them to the career, others found their way by chance. Their words on why they are called do the work are often better than what can be summarized, so here’s exactly what a few legal assistants had to say:
“My favorite part about being a legal assistant is knowing that I am helping make a positive impact on everyone involved in the cases I’m assigned to,” said Samantha. “Even though I’m behind the scenes, I know that the work I do is helping not only the attorneys, but also the victims and witnesses in each case.”
“I like that the job changes, and I always have something I can do. There is always Discovery, or some sort of little project, or other task that can be done and pretty much all of it is meaningful. At the end of the day, that’s all I really ever wanted from any job/career – meaning,” shared John.
“I’m especially grateful to be working with our domestic violence cases,” said Ashley. “My mom is a DV survivor and I’m proud to work with our office to protect victims and their affected family members.”
“We can’t say enough how proud we are of our legal assistants and the behind the scenes work they do for our office,” said Ada County Prosecutor Jan Bennetts. “Their role is vital to the success of our office.