The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice has an immediate opening for a Paralegal I to provide client services in the Prisoners’ Rights Project.
The Prisoners’ Rights Project (PRP) is a leading advocate of humane and constitutional conditions in the New York City jails and State prisons. The Project seeks to dismantle the oppression and racism of the carceral system by protecting the safety and basic human rights of the people who are subjected to it.
Some of the problems PRP addresses include violence by correctional staff; protection from harm; denial of medical and mental health care; denial of education; treatment of LGBTQ+ people; and discrimination against people with disabilities. PRP engages in law reform and class action civil rights litigation to seek systemic change inside jails and prisons and advance the law governing incarceration, and advocates for regulatory and legislative protections for incarcerated people.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
- Handle high-volume telephone traffic: answer incoming calls from the public, persons in jails and prisons (including psychiatric units), and the advocates for and loved ones of incarcerated persons; obtain basic information; and direct and transfer calls to appropriate LAS practitioners. May also convey messages to callers or refer to other agencies
- Organize and maintain records of practitioners’ contacts with clients and jail and prison officials
- Assist with review and summary of incoming correspondence
- Prepare written reports summarizing information
- Assemble mailings, litigation files, documents and other materials for attorneys
- May require work in office and in “field” settings
- Perform other Paralegal I as necessary
- Other duties as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
Required qualifications:
- Eligible candidates must have at least one of the following:
- A high school diploma / GED
- At least 2 years of work experience
- Post-secondary education and/or relevant work experience is strongly preferred
- Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people is strongly desired
- One year of experience in a legal or other relevant work (paid or unpaid) environment
- Fluency in Spanish strongly preferred
- Some relevant college level work and/or paralegal training preferred
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
- Proficiency in computer and word processing skills
- Ability to work independently and in a team setting
- Ability to multi-task
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The salary range represents a good faith estimate of the range we expect to pay for this role. The actual salary offered may vary depending on many factors, including but not limited to job-related knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.
Salary Range: $53,295 - $81,795
The Legal Aid Society offers a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Click here to read more about benefits.
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
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 via the career portal. We do not accept emailed applications. Submit the following documents as a combined PDF:
- Cover Letter
- Resume
For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email [email protected].
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
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.
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
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 (people), to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us and our ability to build strong relationships with our colleagues. Every member of our community is expected to continuously learn about the dynamic, evolving, and emerging field of knowledge of identity, bias, and systemic forms of oppression and participate in productive efforts to dismantling bias in all forms.
