Queens Paralegal

About NYLAG:

Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combating 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 370 impacted the lives of over 129,000 people last year.

Job description

NYC’s Universal Access initiative has fully expanded the Right to Counsel in Housing Court to all New Yorkers with low incomes facing eviction. NYLAG’s Tenants’ Rights Unit (“TRU”) has one Spanish-speaking paralegal position immediately available on its Queens Team.

TRU is an integral part of NYC’s Right to Counsel Coalition to ensure New Yorkers with low incomes who are at risk of eviction have the right to an attorney to represent them in Housing Court and certain administrative proceedings. TRU represents clients in a full range of tenants’ rights matters, including defending evictions in housing court, advocating in administrative proceedings, and bringing affirmative litigation.

The paralegal will focus on providing litigation and Spanish-language support for attorneys representing tenants in Queens Housing Court and will regularly conduct in-person legal intake at Queens Housing Court with tenants in eviction proceedings.

TRU, which has an extremely committed, collegial, and hard-working team of over 65 staff attorneys, 18 paralegals, and 18 supervisors, is a great place to start or build your legal career and gain valuable skills while advancing housing justice.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct thorough, trauma-informed client legal intakes in Housing Court, at NYLAG’s main office, in community offices, and by telephone or virtual means to meet client needs;
• Investigate facts through follow-up client interviews and requesting documents from clients and outside agencies;
• Prepare legal documents to assist attorneys;
• Provide oral and written translations for attorneys who represent Spanish-speaking clients in various scenarios, including court appearances;
• Assist rent-stabilized tenants to file decreased services complaints;
• Assist with grant compliance, reporting, maintaining case files, and updating data in our case management system;
• Conduct home visits as needed;
• Advocate with various organizations and government agencies on behalf of clients to ensure clients access and/or maintain crucial public benefits;
• Other duties as needed.

Qualifications:

• Superb attention to detail;
• Excellent organizational, analytical, writing and communications skills;
• Demonstrated passion for social justice and commitment to working with communities burdened by systemic socioeconomic barriers and communities of color to advance equity;
• Demonstrated ability to speak, read, and write Spanish fluently; major plus factor for those who also speak Mandarin, Bengali, French, Haitian-Creole or other languages prevalent in New York City;
• Demonstrated ability to multitask, be reliable, and prioritize in a fast-paced, high-volume professional environment;
• Either a bachelor’s degree or two or more years of relevant work experience.

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 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 $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.

Application Instructions: Please upload your cover letter and resume as a single PDF document. You must submit a cover letter with your resume to be considered for the position.

Covid Vaccination Policy: Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.

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.