Subject to continued funding and staffing considerations, The Legal Aid Society’s Civil Practice has an opening for a Paralegal Casehandler in the Law Reform Unit. The Law Reform Unit coordinates and commences affirmative law reform litigation, provides back-up and support for advocates in the neighborhood offices of the Civil Practice, and engages in policy advocacy on behalf of clients in the areas of public benefits, housing and homeless rights.  Please note that this position is primarily in-person and requires a two-year commitment.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Client advocacy

• Help manage intake and provide advice and assistance to clients
• Interview clients, review case records, and advocate with HRA to help clients secure public benefits, housing, and shelter rights
• Support attorneys and paralegal casehandlers in LAS neighborhood offices with client advocacy

Litigation support

• Attend negotiation sessions, court proceedings, and legislative hearings
• Organize and analyze information obtained in discovery
• Organize and manage electronic and paper litigation files
• Conduct factual and legal research

Administrative

• Enter and manage client information on client management database
• Organize and manage client advocacy caseload using spreadsheets
• Manage portfolio of apartments set aside pursuant to litigation
• Attend and take notes on negotiation sessions

Community outreach and engagement

• Attend meetings and conduct intake off-site as needed, including during evening hours
• Conduct outreach and monitoring as needed (provide Know Your Rights materials, give advice, and conduct intake)
• Develop community education materials and conduct trainings for clients and other advocates

Other tasks

• General assistance to the work of the Law Reform Unit

QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Eligible candidates must have at least one of the following:
  • A bachelor’s degree (BA)
  • A paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited paralegal program
  • At minimum a high school diploma / GED and 4+ years of legal work experience
  • 4+ years of combined higher education and legal work experience
• Excellent written, oral advocacy, and computer skills are required
• Capacity to assist people in crisis
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team and manage a high volume of cases
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Excellent organizational skills
• Proficiency in languages other than English, especially Spanish, is desirable, but not required

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Organizational Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission to secure equal justice before the law for all New Yorkers.
• Interpersonal and communication skills that enable healthy and productive working relationships
• Ability to perform duties with the highest regard for confidentiality, integrity, and respect
• Commitment to Legal Aid Society’s mission and values

Physical, environment, travel, and other duties required:  

• Mostly sedentary, significant time using a computer and monitor; communicating and meeting using video
• May or will require travel within NYC, across the five borough region

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Cover Letter
• Resume

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $60,033 – $91,932

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society 

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov 

hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs 

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jo**************@le*******.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.