The Exploitation Intervention Project (EIP) of The Legal Aid Society has an opening for a full time Paralegal Casehandler to join its city-wide seven-person team. EIP provides direct representation and comprehensive services to individuals criminalized as a result of their experience of gender-based violence or exploitation, or their engagement in sex work. In addition to EIP's direct representation of clients in New York City's criminal courts, the team files post-conviction motions, provides immigration assessments and representation, provides internal and external trainings, works with an Advisory Board of former EIP client who experienced trafficking, and advocates for legislative reform.

We are looking for someone with a detail-oriented and curious mind who understands the critical importance of advocating on behalf of low-income people. The Paralegal/Casehandler will have the opportunity to work on all facets of the team's work, including policy advocacy and immigration representation. Although based in Manhattan, the Paralegal/Casehandler must be available to project attorneys and the mitigation specialist staffed in other boroughs.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Interview clients, assess needs, and make appropriate referrals
• Work with clients to gather information and documentation for mitigation
• Advocate on behalf of clients in criminal court and with New York agencies
• Obtain and review client medical, educational, and criminal records
• Maintain and update case and client databases
• Manage intake for post-conviction relief
• Provide support to project attorneys and mitigation specialist
• Facilitate immigration referrals
• Handle Advisory Board and petty-cash expense reporting and budgeting
• Assist project attorneys with the drafting of legal memoranda, pre-trial motions, subpoenas, and orders to produce
• Other duties as assigned

• Paralegal certificate from an accredited school, Bachelor's degree in relevant field or satisfactory completions of a comprehensive in-house training course appropriate to practice area
• Excellent writing, verbal, and computer skills
• Excellent organizational and time-management skills
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team
• Ability to manage a reasonable volume of work and solve problems creatively
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people and immigrants is strongly desired
• Some knowledge of New York criminal law and criminal procedure
• Experience assisting people in crisis is desired
• Some working knowledge of trafficking dynamics and sex worker rights.
• Proficiency in Spanish or Mandarin is desirable, but not required

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: $57,687 to 83,218

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 jobpostquestions@legal-aid.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.

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

• Resume
• Cover Letter