Paralegal / Executive Assistant

Paralegal / Executive Assistant

(Full-Time Position)

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) works with people of color, immigrants, and low-income communities to fight discrimination, foster equity, and pursue justice through creative and courageous legal advocacy, education, and economic empowerment. In partnership with law firms and community allies, we provide free, life-changing legal support to individuals, families, and small businesses.

The vibe at LCR is bold, courageous, creative, and relentless. We are a rapid-response team that quickly mobilizes to tackle pressing problems, ensuring that those in need receive immediate and impactful legal assistance. We also believe in the power of partnership, working with organizations that share our commitment to justice. Embracing our unique approach, we are passionate about empowering individuals and communities through the law.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Lawyers for Civil Rights (LCR) is seeking a detail-oriented and mission-driven individual to provide support to our litigation management team, as well as at least five attorneys. The role would be divided 50% for support of the Litigation Director and Deputy Litigation Director, including duties such as scheduling and calendar management; document management; and meeting coordination. The remaining 50% of the role would be focused on general litigation support, including but not limited to assisting with all aspects of case planning, development and management. Key skills for this role include clear communication, time-management, strong problem solving, and excellent teamwork. Prior paralegal or legal support experience in preparing and managing court documents including tasks such as document preparation, electronic filing, and service in both federal and state court is strongly preferred.

This position is full-time (40 hours/week), and eligible for overtime pay. LCR currently employs a hybrid model, where staff are permitted to work remotely, but expected to be available on a regular basis for in-person meetings, activities, and events as needed and as assigned to ensure high productivity and organizational visibility. This role requires in-person work two to three days per week to carry out responsibilities effectively.

WORK RESPONSIBILITIES

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to, working with attorneys as needed and as assigned to:

• Schedule meetings, manage calendars, and perform other Executive Assistance functions for Litigation Director and Deputy Litigation Director;
• Gather information and documents from clients;
• Review, organize, and analyze documents;
• Ensure case files are organized and maintained in our internal document management system, including an internal case tracking system with relevant deadlines;
• Assist with preparation and filing of legal documents and briefs;
• Assist with depositions, court proceedings and hearings; and
• Review and analyze current litigation support systems (case management, calendar, files) for improvement;
• As needed, serve as a visible and proactive liaison between our attorneys and our allies, including community-based and grassroots organizations.

As a small and continuously growing organization, team members wear many hats and responsibilities may evolve over time. Comfort with change and the ability to respond effectively to unexpected needs are essential.

QUALIFICATIONS

Applicants must be extremely hard-working, highly self-motivated, creative, analytical, and passionate about civil rights and racial justice. The ideal candidate will also have:

• Knowledge or experience preparing and managing state and federal court documents, including document preparation, electronic filing through Case Management/Electronic Case Files (CM/ECF) and/or eFileMA, and service of process.
• Excellent writing, editing, and analytical skills.
• Familiarity with the Bluebook.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills.
• The ability to work productively and efficiently with minimal supervision.
• The ability to participate in legal or community events and activities in the evenings and on weekends as needed.

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you are excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly, we still encourage you to apply! You may be the right candidate for this or other roles at our organization.

HOW TO APPLY

Resume and cover letter (including salary request) should be sent to: employment@lawyersforcivilrights.org

BENEFITS

LCR provides a competitive, comprehensive benefits package that places us among the top tier of comparable organizations locally and nationally. Employees receive 15 days of paid vacation and 10 days of paid sick time. LCR covers 100% of employee health, dental, and vision premiums (and about 50% for dependents) and reimburses certain qualifying out-of-pocket medical expenses. Employees also receive a dependent care subsidy of up to $5,000 annually and may join a 401(k) with an organizational match after three months. We also offer professional development opportunities and a sabbatical policy.

LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

Spanish language skills–including the ability to speak, read, write, understand, and translate from one language to the other—are strongly preferred. The ability to communicate fluently in another language relevant to immigrant communities (including, but not limited to Mandarin, Khmer, or Haitian Creole) may also be considered.