Spanish-Speaking Paralegal

About NYLAG:

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. NYLAG’s staff of 350 impacted the lives of nearly 113,000 people last year.

The Special Litigation Unit collaborates with NYLAG attorneys across practice areas to develop and litigate complex impact litigations that advance social, racial, and economic justice, addressing the full range of legal areas in which NYLAG serves clients. Alone, or in partnership with other not-for-profit organizations and private firms working pro-bono, SLU initiates class actions and other impact lawsuits to bring about systemic change for thousands of people in need.

Job Description:

The Special Litigation Unit of the New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) is seeking applications to fill its Paralegal position.

The Paralegal will work on a variety of issues on SLU’s docket, including public benefits, special education, consumer protection, disability rights, and immigration. Examples of current and recent SLU lawsuits include: Dawson v. Student Loan Solutions, which challenges a nationwide scheme to collect on defaulted student loans after their statute of limitations have expired; NYLAG v. SSA, which challenges the Social Security Administration’s practice of keeping key policies secret from the public and wrongfully charging fees to public interest FOIA requestors; J.S.M. v. New York City Department of Education, which challenges New York City’s delays in scheduling hearings and issuing decisions regarding special education services for children with disabilities; and Josefina S. v. City of New York, which challenged the Administration of Children’s Services (ACS) discriminatory practices against parents with known or suspected intellectual disabilities; SLU is also litigating or developing potential litigation in the fields of homeless services, due process violations in immigration removal proceedings, wrongful denials of public benefits, and other topics.

SLU also manages several hotlines for its class action cases, including a new hotline to provide free legal advice to Medicaid consumers affected by the state’s transition to a single fiscal intermediary.

Duties and Responsibilities:

The Paralegal will provide general litigation support, which includes assisting with case research, discovery, and the preparation and filing of litigation documents; interviewing and assisting individual clients; obtaining facts from clients and others about cases; managing case files; non-legal research, writing, and editing tasks; providing administrative support; and responding to new tasks and responsibilities as they arise. The Paralegal will have the opportunity to observe and participate in class action lawsuits in federal and state courts.

The Paralegal will also work on various post-settlement aspects of NYLAG cases. Such responsibilities include responding to and monitoring calls from class members regarding settlement agreements; maintaining and tracking data about class members’ inquiries; and, in some cases, advocating for class members in their efforts to enforce their rights under the settlement agreements. The Paralegal will also be responsible for reviewing and assessing results of monitoring information provided by Defendants.

The Paralegal will assist with grant compliance and reporting, as well as ensure SLU attorneys update NYLAG’s case management system. The Paralegal will also provide oral and written translations for attorneys who represent Spanish-speaking clients.

The candidate who fills this position will be a member of the Union.

Qualifications:

NYLAG seeks highly motivated applicants with the following qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s degree;
• Excellent organizational, analytical, writing and communications skills;
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, be reliable, and prioritize in a professional environment;
• Demonstrated ability to speak, read, and write Spanish;
• Experience working with the communities of clients that NYLAG serves is strongly preferred;
• Applicants are encouraged to describe both professional experience and any relevant personal experience.

We are seeking someone available to start in June or July 2025.

NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.

Employment type:

☒ Full-time

Part-time

Temporary

Professional Level:

☒ Entry Level

Professional

Managerial

Salary:

NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $52,571– $54,630.

Benefits:

Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.