Bilingual Litigation Paralegal

The Bilingual Litigation Paralegal must be passionate about transformational justice and criminal legal system reform, de-incarceration, and trial work.

This position will perform a range of administrative and litigation support duties, supporting the MacArthur Justice Center’s legal work. Spanish fluency is required.

Who We Are

MJC is a national nonprofit civil rights organization. We represent people who have been harmed by America’s criminal legal system, seeking to vindicate their rights, elevate their story, and hold people with power accountable. We do this primarily through cutting-edge litigation and advocacy across the country, on end-to-end issues in the criminal legal system, from policing, to prosecutorial discretion, to rights of indigent defendants, to mass incarceration, to prison conditions, to wrongful convictions and the death penalty.For more information on our work, visit www.macarthurjustice.org.

The criminal legal system disproportionately harms people of color, people from low-income communities, people who were formerly incarcerated, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ individuals. We strongly encourage people who identify within these and other communities underrepresented in the legal profession to apply. All applicants must have and be committed to the cultural competence required to work with clients, co-workers, and community partners who come from different backgrounds and experiences.

What You’ll Do

Case Management and Litigation Support:

• • Screen, investigate, and respond to legal intake and requests for assistance, over the phone, by email or regular mail. Maintain intake records and database.
  • Set up client and witness visits and calls, including in jails and detention centers.
  • Maintain case calendars and calculate court deadlines.
  • Manage service of process for new cases.
  • Provide litigation support including by filing and serving legal documents, such as motions, briefs, discovery, and exhibits; cite checking and proof-reading pleadings and correspondence; drafting and formatting legal documents and templates; creating and maintaining case files; and preparing for and supporting depositions.
  • Support document productions and discovery in electronic format, using document management software.
  • Maintain communication with clients, attorneys, witnesses, experts, opposing counsel, community partners, and court staff.
  • Research rules of procedure for court venues and ensure adherence.
  • Prepare for and support lawyers in the presentation of evidence in jury and bench trials and other hearings.
  • Provide translation services for case and client work including by conducting intakes, interviews, and meetings in Spanish and translating them, and translating legal documents and forms from English into Spanish as needed.
  • Maintain legal department subscriptions.

Administrative Duties:

• In accordance with office needs, administrative responsibilities associated with office management such as mail, phone coverage, supplies, office receivables & payables, supplies, equipment, vendor and facility liaison.
• In accordance with office needs, administrative responsibilities in support of other office staff, such as preparing, submitting, and tracking expense reports, preparing timesheets, and helping to coordinate and welcome interns, fellows, and visitors.
• In accordance with office needs, administrative responsibilities related to general office and staff support.
• Handle department administrative tasks such as processing invoices and reimbursements, scanning, copying, calculating billing hours, and sending and receiving mailings.

Other Duties:

• Participate in office and MJC-wide meetings and trainings
• Support volunteers, law students, and interns working on MJC cases

Qualifications

Education/Certifications:

• High school diploma or equivalent required,
• Paralegal certificate or Bachelor’s/Associate’s degree in relevant field (criminal justice, law, psychology, sociology, etc.) preferred,
• Court Interpreter or other translation certification is a plus.

Skills and Experience:

• • At least 2 years of experience working as a trial-level paralegal required, including experience filing pleadings in federal and state court, maintaining a litigation docket, managing and organizing large volumes of discovery, supporting clients, conducting trial preparation and supporting lawyers in jury and bench trials and hearings.
  • Comfortable working in detention centers and with people caught up in the criminal legal system.
  • Spanish fluency required;
  • experience with Spanish to English legal translation a plus.
  • Energetic self-starter with a desire to make change in the criminal legal system.
  • Ability to collaborate and to foster a team environment, a commitment to creating a working environment that is inclusive, equitable and welcoming, and a willingness to honor the diverse experiences and perspectives of MJC staff and clients.
  • Attention to detail and strong organizational skills, including the ability to follow through on assignments independently, to manage multiple projects at once, to work well under pressure, and to be flexible in the event of changing priorities and deadlines.
  • Excellent writing and editing skills.

Technology:

• Proficiency with Microsoft Products, including SharePoint, OneDrive, Word, Excel, and Outlook required.
• Proficiency with Adobe Pro required.
• Case management and trial presentation software, such as Relativity, Trial Director, and Clio preferred.

Travel:

• Limited domestic travel, including to jails or prisons, may be required depending on case assignments and demands.
• Occasional travel for organization-wide gatherings (e.g., All Staff Retreat).

Location

MJC operates on a hybrid schedule and requires some days in the office each week. The Bilingual Litigation Paralegal must reside within commuting distance to our Chicago, IL office.

To Apply

Please submit the following:

• A cover letter addressing your experience relevant to the considerations above and
• A resume.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis through April 16, 2026 or until the position is filled.

The starting salary range for this position is $66,000 – $74,000, commensurate with years of experience and includes an excellent benefits package that includes employer-sponsored health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance, EAP, FSA plans, 401K, and a generous paid-time-off policy.

Learn more about our benefits at macarthurjustice.org/benefits/

MJC is a (PSLF) eligible employer. For more information visit:

studentaid.gov/manage-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service#qualifying-employment

Bilingual Spanish/English