Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Impress employers and recruiters.
Choose from hundreds of resume examples.

Target Resume Now

About the Role

The Paralegal Casehandler works on their own cases as well as with Housing Staff Attorneys to resolve benefits and advocacy issues, including obtaining rent arrears and ongoing rental assistance, agency advocacy, representation at administrative hearings, and outreach and training. This role is on the front lines of assisting individuals and families to avoid imminent eviction.

Responsibilities

• Conducts intake/Client interviews, provide advice and direct assistance, and assess requests for services
• Represent clients at administrative hearings at HRA or other appropriate forums
• Obtain rent arrears and ongoing rental assistance through FHEPS and other programs
• Handle a high volume of individual cases and respond to the needs of community-based organizations
• Work with Staff Attorneys and supervising attorneys to resolve the benefits issues involved with housing practice cases
• Prepare motion documents including client affidavits/affirmations
• Conduct advocacy in eviction cases and termination hearings
• Develop community education materials and conduct trainings for clients and other advocates, as well as conduct trainings and community outreach
• Maintain case records
• Conduct courthouse-based and off-site intake as needed, including during evening hours
• Conduct policy advocacy on behalf of clients
• Other duties as assigned

Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree (strongly preferred)
• 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
• Excellent organizational skills with ability to multi-task and manage a large workload
• Ability to work independently as well as in a team
• Ability to coordinate and collaborate successfully with other groups and organizations
• Commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people and immigrants
• Experience assisting people in crisis is desirable, but not required
• Proficiency in languages other than English, especially Spanish, is desirable, but not required
• All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit.
• For citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.

Skills

• Written advocacy
• Oral advocacy
• Computer skills
• Organizational skills
• Multi-tasking
• Case management
• Collaboration
• Proficiency in languages other than English, especially Spanish

Location

• Bronx Housing Justice – Tenant Defense Unit

Work Type

• Full-time

Experience Level

• 4+ years of legal work experience
• 4+ years of combined higher education and legal work experience

Education Level

• Bachelor's degree
• Paralegal certificate
• High school diploma / GED

Salary/Compensations

• $66,843-102,358

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Paid vacation
• Disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• State and Federal loan forgiveness programs
• Assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments (for NY residents)

About the Company

• The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness.
• 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.
• 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.

Equal 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.