Litigation Paralegal

Justice at Work is a nonprofit legal aid provider based in Pennsylvania, and is a partner in the Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network. Our mission is to support workers in low-wage industries as they pursue economic and social justice. We employ a client-centered model of service: we seek to address clients’ challenges based on their unique circumstances, with a focus on their goals; we recognize that justice is a process; we believe that our clients’ experiences as we guide them through the legal process are as important as their ultimate legal outcomes.

We have offices in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia and provide legal services throughout Pennsylvania. Our team is multi-lingual, and many of our clients are low-wage, Spanish-speaking workers living in small cities, towns, and agricultural communities across the state.

Location of Position: Philadelphia or Pittsburgh (hybrid remote eligible)

About the Position: The Litigation Paralegal will help advance workers’ rights in Pennsylvania by partnering with members of JAW’s employment team to provide litigation and administrative support for client representation. The Litigation Paralegal will also participate in client intake, community outreach and education, and program support. The ideal candidate will have excellent client communication, writing and editing, and organizational skills, as well as case management experience.

Core Responsibilities: The Litigation Paralegal will support the full range of litigation at JaW on matters including, but not limited to wage theft, workplace safety violations, discrimination, and labor trafficking. Support for litigation will include the following responsibilities:

Direct Services:

• Working with employment team members in preparing, formatting, filing, and serving legal

documents such as pleadings, exhibits, motions, notices of entry, and subpoenas, including

proofreading and cite checking, and creating table of authorities.

• Coordinating logistics for and attending and supporting attorneys and clients at agency

interviews, settlement conferences, court and administrative hearings, and depositions.

• Maintaining and organizing electronic case files and legal dockets, including ensuring that

all retainers, timekeeping, client files, data and reports are accurate, complete, and timely.

• Conducting trauma-informed client interviews and maintaining communication with clients

throughout the litigation process, particularly in group cases or class action matters

involving multiple clients.

• Engaging in factual investigative work and research to support the development of cases,

including drafting public records requests and obtaining and organizing evidence from

clients, witnesses, and opposing parties.

• Calculating potential damages using tools such as Excel.
• Assisting in drafting demand letters, agency complaints, discovery demands and responses,

where appropriate.

• Participating in general intake and new case evaluation on a regular basis.
• Supporting other direct services and systems-level advocacy as needed and assigned by

supervisor.

Program Administration

• Under the direction of the Supervising Attorney, participating in the development of internal employment-related resources for staff at the agency, including on-boarding training materials guides, templates, and any other internal resources necessary to further the employment work at JaW.
• Providing administrative and organizational support as needed, including scheduling internal team and working group meetings and preparing agendas and notes.
• Embrace and support our overall mission, standards, policies and procedures, and confidentiality guidelines.
• Demonstrate dependability through good attendance, adherence to timelines and schedules, and regular communication with supervisor.

Community Engagement

• Supporting or conducting outreach to client communities across Pennsylvania through legal

clinics and Know-Your-Rights trainings and other presentations, as part of JaW’s strategic

outreach goals.

• Developing and maintaining up-to-date employment-related outreach materials for the agency, and partnering with translation services as needed.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent (Associate’s Degree, Paralegal Certification, and/or experience supporting litigation in state or federal courts preferred)
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in both Spanish and English
• Ability to work well with a wide range of people
• Commitment to recognizing and promoting the dignity of all people
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to adhere to deadlines without exception, and to support others in doing so as well
• Experience and comfort using Microsoft Office tools including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel; ability to learn how to use client and data management systems
• Ability and willingness to adjust work schedules to meet client needs, including weekend and evening work
• Demonstrated resourcefulness and ability to take initiative in developing and completing projects