The Criminal Defense Practice of the Legal aid Society has an opening for Paralegal I in its Kings County office to provide client services. Criminal Defense Practice is the primary public defender in New York City, providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 200,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Receptionist work: answering phones, delivering messages, and routing call to legal staff
• Copy, fax, scan, collate, and batch documents
• Distribute various documents
• Generate daily, weekly, and monthly reports from various databases
• Send and retrieve files from archives
• Update court calendars
• Office filing
• Create and maintain case files
• Provide general information to clients, clients’ families, vendors, and staff
• Messenger assignments
• Sort and deliver mail (may involve going to post office), including UPS/FEDEX, Airborne, etc.
• Scanning and uploading criminal court files into LAS databases
• Enter and search for data on various databases
• Work in a courthouse court part gathering client information for the attorneys
• Interact with clients and assist their families by providing case related information
• Access information from court records and assist attorneys
• Record case information using manual or electronic means
• Conduct criminal history and conflicts checks following established protocol
• Prepare written and electronic reports summarizing information complied
• Obtain and copy court and office files
• Assemble court files and materials for attorneys
• Liaison between attorneys and their clients
• Other duties as assigned

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

• High school diploma, GED or equivalent work experience of at least 2 years, or some equivalent combination of work and education
• Proficient computer skills
• Strong interpersonal, communications, and organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and in a team setting
• Ability to problem-solve and multi-task
• Position may require work in office, courtroom, and other field settings
• Knowledge of NYC public transportation

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: $53,295 – $81,795

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.