POSITION ANNOUNCEMENT
LEGAL SERVICES PARALEGAL POSITION IN GENEVA, NY
Position Summary
The Geneva office of (LawNY) has an immediate opening for an enthusiastic experienced paralegal to join our team. The paralegal will work under the supervision of project staff attorneys providing civil legal help on a variety of poverty law-related issues, including landlord/tenant, fair housing, low-income homeowner issues, federal and state housing programs, code enforcement, mobile homes, redevelopment and land use, homelessness, TANF/Safety Net, SNAP, consumer issues, and the intersection of all these issues with racial justice. The ideal candidate will demonstrate an understanding of at least one of these areas of anti-poverty law through personal or professional experience.
Duties will include being an active case-handler and advocate for low-income clients, assisting attorneys in gathering documentation and evidence, drafting correspondence and pleadings, conducting legal research, conducting administrative law hearings, and attending community meetings and outreach presentations. The ideal candidate will have at least three years of relevant experience. Working with other LawNY staff members and the community, the paralegal will help develop strategies to address individual and systemic problems that adversely impact low-income and marginalized persons.
Program
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY) is a not-for-profit law firm which works to eliminate barriers to justice by providing civil legal services to low-income clients in a fourteen-county region in the Finger Lakes and western New York State. The Geneva office serves five of those fourteen counties (Livingston, Ontario, Seneca, Wayne and Yates) and provides representation primarily in the areas of housing, family law, government benefits, elder law, civil rights and consumer law. We work to achieve individual and systemic change through litigation, administrative advocacy, and partnership with community organizations. Our 30 member Geneva staff includes attorneys, paralegals, and a legal support team who work closely across areas of specialization to bring a holistic approach to addressing law-related issues affecting our clients and communities.
Required Qualifications:
- A college degree and/or a combination of education and relevant work experience. Applicants should have at least three years of relevant personal or professional experience
- A strong commitment to helping low-income and marginalized persons overcome institutional barriers to access housing and income supports and a passion for addressing systemic injustices
- Experience working with or coming from traditionally marginalized communities
- Excellent written, oral communication, research, and organizational skills
- Thorough, creative, and strategic approach to tasks
- Ability to establish and maintain collaborative working relationships with colleagues, community organizations and government agencies
- Ability to work effectively both collaboratively and independently
- Dedication to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe
- Highest ethical standards
Preferred Qualifications:
- Familiarity with many of our areas of practice
- Fluency in Spanish
Start Date
October 2019
Compensation
Salary is competitive and based on a formal salary scale dependent on years of relevant experience. For example, the annual salary for a paralegal with three years of experience is $33,000 and increases to $40,000 for a paralegal with ten years of experience.
LawNY provides an excellent benefits package including health, dental and vision insurance, generous leave provisions, retirement plan, paid parental leave, disability coverage, a flexible and accommodating work schedule, and numerous opportunities for professional development and other benefits.
To Apply
Applicants should submit 1) a cover letter describing qualifications, 2) resume, and 3) the name and contact of three references by September 20, 2019 to ensure full consideration. Applications will be accepted beyond that date until the position is filled. Applications should be sent by email to Managing Attorney Kate Woods at: lawnyapplications@lawny.org.
Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY) is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. LawNY encourages applications from diverse candidates. LawNY welcomes applications regardless of race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information or any other consideration protected by law. This position is considered exempt pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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