Part-Time Bilingual Legal Assistant

The Family Center (TFC) is a nonprofit providing behavioral and mental health services, as well as social and legal services, to families affected by illness, crisis and loss. The Family Center has pioneered programming design and research to address the myriad of issues that challenge vulnerable New Yorkers and their families. Please visit our website at www.thefamilycenter.org to learn more.

TFC is seeking a Part-Time Bilingual Legal Assistant to join its Legal Wellness Institute (LWI). LWI promotes health and stability for low-income New Yorkers affected by serious illness and disability by providing representation in a number of practice areas including: (1) Housing Law; (2) Family and Matrimonial Law; (3) Public Benefits and Healthcare Access; (4) Lifetime and Future Planning; and (5) Individual Rights. LWI’s holistic, community-centered model is designed to meet the needs of our specific client population. In keeping with our commitment to holistic representation, all LWI attorneys represent clients in all of our practice areas. Work often occurs out-of-office throughout the NYC community, including in clients’ homes, hospitals, hospices, and nursing homes, among other locations.

Legal assistants function as part of a collaborative, close-knit team and receive substantial mentorship and guidance. Legal assistants receive extensive orientation, ongoing training and supervision, and many opportunities for professional growth and development. TFC is committed to supporting staff to do this difficult work well, and encourages work-life balance and self-care.

Primary Responsibilities

• Assist with provision of legal services to clients in all five boroughs, including participating in in-office client meetings and home/hospital/other offsite visits with clients
• Provide administrative support to LWI attorneys and advocates, including letter drafting, document preparation, preparing mailings, maintenance and creation of client files, arranging for service of process, and filing in courts and agency offices
• Provide interpretation and translation assistance for Spanish-speaking clients and callers
• Enroll new clients in client management database, assist with ongoing maintenance of client management database, and assist with entry of attorney/advocate notes and time records
• Interface with clients to perform assessments of ongoing need and eligibility based on funder requirements
• Assist with scheduling client meetings and calls
• Assist with new client intake, provide referrals to ineligible callers
• Assist with funder audits, reports to funders, and funding applications
• Provide administrative support at legal clinics and educational presentations at locations throughout NYC
• Other duties, projects, and tasks as requested

 Required Qualifications

• Fluency in Spanish required
• College graduate; or high school graduate with two years of relevant work history
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Excellent writing, speaking, and organizational skills 
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team setting
• Willingness to travel throughout NYC to meet with clients, file papers, etc.
• Must be available for in-person work in NYC

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working with individuals affected by mental and/or physical illness
• Experience working in a legal setting
• Experience with LegalServer and/or NYSCEF

Location: Our office is located at 493 Nostrand Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, which is conveniently located steps away from several public transportation options.

Starting Pay Range: $27.00-$29.00 per hour; salary commensurate with experience.

Schedule: Part-time, non-exempt with a minimum of 14 hours and a maximum of 21 hours per week.

The Family Center is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and is an eligible employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

At The Family Center, we are dedicated to creating a positive work environment for our team. We value relationship-building and collaboration within and across its departments. We also greatly value and appreciate our team members, their well-being and work-life integration. We strive to create a workplace where staff feel supported and receive ongoing coaching, training and opportunities for growth. The Family Center is also committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and has a DEI program that all team members have the opportunity to participate in and contribute to.

How to Apply

Please email a resume, cover letter and one writing sample to jobs@thefamilycenter.org with the subject line “Legal Assistant.” The Family Center greatly appreciates the time and effort that candidates put into their applications, and carefully reviews each one. Due to a high volume of applicants, however, the Family Center is only able to contact those candidates that are selected for further consideration.

Equal Opportunity

The Family Center is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.