WORKERS’ RIGHTS ADVOCACY COORDINATOR/PARALEGAL

 TakeRoot Justice seeks applicants with relevant, substantive experience for the position of Workers’ Rights Advocacy Coordinator/ Paralegal and join our existing Workers’ Rights team (“the WR team”). The WR team conducts legal services for community-based worker centers and organizations in all five boroughs of New York City, representing low-wage workers in domestic, retail, service, construction and manufacturing industries. WR Team strives to engage in community lawyering, which support the organizing campaigns of partner organizations and equally importantly, which place the stories of workers and their empowerment at the center of the advocacy. The WR team represents workers with minimum wage and overtime violations, tip theft, labor trafficking, retaliation, discrimination, and sexual harassment claims through direct negotiations with employers, administrative agency filings, and federal/state court litigation. The successful candidate will be passionate about centering the workers’ stories and experience in the advocacy, and also building collective worker power and advocating for low-wage workers, particularly immigrants and people of color connected to grassroots organizing campaigns. They will also have an understanding of TakeRoot’s community lawyering model. 

What you will be doing: 

• • Working with a team of dedicated attorneys on cutting-edge legal issues affecting low-wage and immigrant workers; 

• • Working with community partner groups in organizing intakes and clinics, and helping create, maintain, and improve the best practices involved; 
• 
  
• • Working with attorneys to create workshops and presentations for community partners and their members on workers’ rights issues; 
• 
  
• • Working with clients for case management, such as communicating with clients about the status and development of their cases, and creating, maintaining, and organizing client files; 
• 
  
• • Working with TakeRoot’s Resource Management Team in exchanging information needed for contract management such as creating and maintaining the system of enrolling case intakes; 
• 
  
• • Working with clients and attorneys in obtaining supporting documents for contract enrollment; 
• 
  
• • Helping to interpret in client meetings and at court or other agency appearances; 
• 
  
• • Performing legal and administrative support tasks including filing court papers, serving legal documents, document review, completing forms, and conducting research; 
• 
  
• • Conducting background investigations of businesses and employers using various resources, preparing investigation memos or summaries; 
• 
  
• • Attending coalition and campaign work meetings as needed; and 
• 
  
• • Assisting other practice areas with occasional administrative tasks or interpretation assistance. 
• 
  

Who You Are: 

• 
  
• • You enjoy and are experienced in working with a diverse team in a collaborative model that uplifts all voices on the team and prioritizes professional development. You are skilled in working together with various individuals and perspectives. You are able to work with individuals from various cultural and professional backgrounds; 
• • You are a skilled communicator and have strong writing, analytical, and verbal communication skills; 
• 
  
• • You are a strategic thinker, problem solver, and can exercise good judgment; 
• 
  
• • You have strong organizational skills; 
• 
  
• • You can work during occasional evenings and weekends; 
• 
  
• You have experience working with low-wage immigrant workers or other vulnerable communities (preferred); 
• 
  
• • You have experience working with or in worker centers or other community-based organizations (preferred); 
• 
  
• • A commitment of 2+ years is requested due to the steep learning curve of this position.
•