Supervising Paralegal

The Opportunity

Join ALC in our mission to champion justice and equality as our new Supervising Paralegal. You will play a pivotal role in defending fundamental rights across various fronts, including workers’ rights, housing rights, immigrant rights, community safety, voting rights, national security, and civil rights. Your expertise will serve as a cornerstone of our impact litigation and direct services cases, driving positive change and ensuring fair treatment for our communities.

As a leader within our Legal Operations Department, you will not only excel in providing comprehensive litigation support but also inspire and guide a team of dedicated paralegals. Your role will encompass dynamic responsibilities, from training and mentoring paralegals to navigating complex legal procedures and systems with mastery and efficiency. Your adept communication skills and ability to foster collaboration will be instrumental in maintaining a cohesive and motivated team environment. Under the supervision of the Legal Director, you'll bring a high level of organization to and ensure seamless coordination of our legal efforts. 

The Organization 

ALC is the nation’s first legal organization focusing on advancing and defending the civil rights of Asian American and Pacific Islander (API) communities, including Arab and Middle Eastern communities (AMEMSA). Since 1972, ALC has ensured access to affordable housing in San Francisco’s Chinatown, litigated high-profile civil rights cases, advocated for the passage of landmark policy changes, and provided an array of services, including community education, advocacy, and direct client representation to further the rights of low-income immigrants and communities of color. Current program areas include Workers’ Rights, National Security & Civil Rights, Housing Rights, Immigrant Rights, Community Safety, and Voting Rights.

Responsibilities

• Train current paralegals and new staff, as needed
• Assist the Legal Director with overall management of the Legal Operations team, including strategic planning and oversight of hiring and other processes
• Direct supervision of Paralegals, including identifying professional development opportunities, providing recommendations on performance, conducting evaluations, and assisting with conflict resolution, when needed
• Prepare and execute filings of a variety of legal documents, including but not limited to memoranda, pleadings, briefs, motions, court forms, petitions, subpoenas, bills of costs, and discovery documents
• Research court rules and procedures and communicate these to attorneys and paralegals to ensure the accuracy of filings and non-rejection by courts;
• Maintain primarily electronic case files, including pleadings, correspondence, discovery, and other materials
• Liaise with co-counsel, opposing counsel, clients, and court personnel
• Draft correspondence, declarations, and various court/legal documents such as requests, notices, and orders
• Assist attorneys with legal research, including cite-checking, internet searches, using off-site libraries, copying abstracts and cases, etc.
• Conduct factual and policy research
• Conduct and/or assist in client interviews
• Draft requests for public records/information, as well as analyzing and organizing responses to such requests
• Maintain a calendar of attorneys' litigation schedules
• Perform other duties as needed

All ALC staff are expected to participate in regular check-in meetings with their supervisor/supervisees, staff meetings, team meetings, and other organization meetings, as required. This includes two (2) annual retreats, an anniversary celebration dinner, and meetings as needed in the San Francisco Bay area. This position will require occasional work on evenings and weekends.

The above statements are not intended to encompass all functions of the position; rather, they are intended to provide a general framework of the requirements of the position. Job incumbents may be required to perform other functions not specifically addressed in this posting.

Qualifications

• One of the following set of criteria, to meet California requirements for paralegals: 

1. Completion of an American Bar Association-accredited and certified paralegal program
2. A certificate of completion of a paralegal program at, or a degree from, a postsecondary institution that requires the successful completion of a minimum of 24 semester, or equivalent, units in law-related courses and that has been accredited by a national or regional accrediting organization or approved by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.
3. A bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree and a minimum of one year of law-related experience under the supervision of an attorney who has been an active member of the State Bar of California for at least the preceding three (3) years or who has practiced in the federal courts of this state for at least the preceding three (3) years, and a written declaration from this attorney stating that the person is qualified to perform paralegal tasks

• Five (5) years of full-time litigation support experience
• Knowledge of filing procedures and requirements for trial and appellate courts in state and federal systems, and experience researching all courts’ rules
• In-depth knowledge of legal terminology and principles
• Excellent typing and proofing skills
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Suite, Adobe, Westlaw
• Experience with legal case management systems
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to work well under pressure, including some evenings and weekends
• Ability to set/change priorities according to deadline requirements
• Ability to take initiative, multi-task, and work independently
• Approaches problem-solving proactively and demonstrates strong judgment and decision-making capability 
• Team player and collaborator who enjoys working with colleagues of diverse backgrounds and experiences
• A deep and demonstrated commitment to the cause of civil liberties social justice, immigrant rights, and/or civil rights, preferred   
• Experience working with Asian and Pacific Islander (API) and Arab Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian (AMEMSA) community members affected by the immigration, housing, employment, and/or criminal legal system is highly desired
• Non-English language skills in AMEMSA and/or Asian languages (for example, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, Urdu, Cantonese) are a plus, but not required

ALC’s comprehensive benefits package includes generous vacation and paid holidays; medical, dental, disability, and life insurance coverage (ALC pays 100% of premiums for employees and 75% for qualified dependents); a flexible spending account (FSA); and a 401K retirement plan with employer non-elective contribution and match.

Interested candidates should submit via email to jobs@advancingjustice-alc.org by July 1, 2024, including the following (as PDF attachments):

1. Cover letter explaining your interest in the position
2. Resume
3. Writing sample (no more than ten (10) pages)
4. Three (3) professional references

Please indicate “Supervising Paralegal”  in the subject line.