Temporary Paralegal, LGBTQ Law Unit

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 over 400 impacted the lives of nearly 129,000 people last year.

LGBTQ Law Unit

NYLAG’s LGBTQ Law Unit, founded in 2008, exists to protect and expand the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community and to provide services that meet the unique legal needs of low-income LGBTQ New Yorkers. LGBTQ communities, especially those of color and transgender and gender non-conforming individuals and youth, are at greater risk of living in poverty and of being targeted for violence.

Job description

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) has an immediate opening for a paralegal in the LGBTQ Law Unit to support attorneys providing consultation, advocacy, and representation on a wide array of civil legal matters, including legal name and gender marker changes, immigration, housing and employment discrimination, wills and advance directives, public benefits, and access to gender affirming healthcare. This is a six-month position with the possibility of extension as funding permits.

Duties and Responsibilities

NYLAG seeks a motivated individual with a demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer communities and an interest in public interest law. Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• • Conduct comprehensive client intakes, including entering client demographic and case-related data into case management system, identifying possible eligibility for relief, and gathering necessary documents for case evaluation;
  • Provide general litigation support, including formatting and preparing legal documents for filing, drafting petitions and supporting affidavits and gathering evidence, completing immigration forms, and filing documents with courts and administrative agencies;
  • Conduct public education trainings and outreach on legal issues impacting the LGBTQ community;
  • Interface with community-based partner organizations to help provide holistic serves and meet the urgent needs of our clients;
  • Assist in administration of program, including data entry, preparation of grant reports, and completing other administrative tasks as assigned by the Supervising Attorney and Unit Director;
  • Provide interpretation and written translation of documents (if applicable); and,
  • Meet with clients and prepare cases under the supervision of an attorney.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to the LGBTQ+ community and knowledge of the complex and systemic issues faced by our clients
• Strong organizational and administrative skills are required
• Ability to speak Spanish fluently is strongly preferred
• Paralegal or administrative experience preferred
• Ability to work in and value a collaborative team model
• Ability to juggle a variety of tasks and roles, often under time pressure
• Ability to collaborate successfully with outside groups and organizations
• Excellent written, oral, and analytical skills
• Experience working directly with clients preferred
• Experience working with diverse communities and clients who are survivors of trauma is highly valued.

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

☒ Temporary

Professional Level:

☒ Entry Level

Salary Range:

NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $65,500-$68,770, pro-rated for the period of employment.

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

Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.

NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.