Paralegal Position: Intake Screener

PARALEGAL POSITION: INTAKE SCREENER

Appellate Advocates is a nonprofit public defender organization, based in New York City, providing high-quality representation of individuals who have been convicted of crimes in Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island and cannot afford private lawyers. We are a group of attorneys from diverse backgrounds who are experienced in criminal law and believe in fighting for every person’s constitutional right to a fair trial and in working to overturn unjust convictions and sentences and provide other post-conviction services.

Appellate Advocates is deeply committed to a diverse and inclusive workforce. To this end, we seek to:

• Hire staff that reflect the full range of racial, ethnic, cultural and socioeconomic identities of the communities we represent, particularly those communities disproportionately impacted by the criminal justice system;
• Ensure a workplace where diversity and inclusion is fostered and different perspectives are valued and freely exchanged; and
• Ensure that all staff members feel welcome, respected, and have equal opportunities to thrive and advance within the organization.

Position Description: We are seeking to immediately hire a paralegal to screen plea and trial cases. Paralegal responsibilities for this position include but are not limited to:

• Screening cases by reviewing the court file and transcripts to ensure the record on appeal accurately reflects the proceedings in the lower court and contains all necessary documents, and flagging trial cases for potential innocence claims and further investigation;
• Using Adobe Acrobat to bookmark transcripts and court files during the screening process to organize the electronic files;
• Updating information in our case management system and various excel spreadsheets to reflect the current status of each case, as well as other data entry tasks;
• Requesting exhibits, transcripts, court files, and other documents from courts, the District Attorney’s Office, and other state/city agencies;
• Digital filing and upkeep for all case files, which includes downloading, labeling, and saving documents to electronic files;
• Organizing and maintaining the physical files for newly assigned clients in the intake room, which includes filing physical documents and client correspondence;
• Other administrative and clerical duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Strong organizational skills and rigorous attention to detail;
• A self-directed ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks;
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively;
• An interest in criminal defense and social justice;
• Familiarity with Adobe Acrobat and Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Access;
• Bi-lingual capabilities valued.