Public Benefits Paralegal

Ready to Make a Difference?

The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Public Benefits Paralegal. Legal Aid's mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society that is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build community, and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position is based out of our Plattsburgh Office. For more information about our work, staff, and clients, visit www.lasnny.org.

About the Role:

Many of our housing clients facing eviction require public benefits assistance to fully resolve their cases and stabilize their housing long-term. To provide this assistance, LASNNY has public benefits experts that fight to retain, obtain, or increase critical public benefits, including emergency rental arrears assistance, cash public assistance, SNAP/Food Stamps, and WIC. The paralegal will work alongside our attorneys in the Plattsburgh office as well as with community partners to prevent evictions, maximize benefits in the household, and eliminate barriers to promote longer-term stability for families and individuals. Paralegals are responsible for case advocacy, including housing subsidy applications, public assistance applications, and administrative hearings.

Skills and Education

• Associates degree, 4 to 10 years of experience in serving the low-income community or equivalent experience.
• Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to housing justice.
• Must be intelligent, hardworking, careful, reliable, have good judgment, attention to detail, and a demonstrated commitment and sensitivity to the low-income community.
• Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff, work independently and efficiently and be able to problem solve and work collaboratively with community partner agency staff.
• Demonstrate strong listening and relationship-building skills, empathy, creativity, and ability to conduct outreach, education, and marketing campaigns.
• Must be willing to travel, attend court, hearings, and community events, and have a car and valid driver's license.
• Strong computer, administrative, reporting, and data entry skills required.
• Lived experience, case management, and social work training and experience (Preferred).
• A bachelor's degree in paralegal studies (Preferred).
• Ability to speak another language, Spanish preferred.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Provide legal assistance to households who are at risk of homelessness by preventing evictions, securing mainstream benefits, and making referrals to services that will enhance the household's ability to maintain permanent housing.
• Conduct outreach, education, marketing, and initial screening of program clients.
• Will provide intensive case management services to high-need families.
• Assist housing attorneys in providing eviction representation and provide direct legal representation in administrative matters, such as public assistance or other cases under the supervision of an attorney.
• Responsible for making necessary referrals to relevant social services, financial assistance, and income maintenance programs.
• As needed, follow-up referrals to help to stabilize other aspects of a client's household, including educational advancement, medical care, and better alternative housing.
• Participate in Coordinated Entry and other referral and services networks and work collaboratively with government and nonprofit agencies, which provide supportive services, income, shelter, permanent supportive housing, homelessness prevention, and rapid rehousing services and financial assistance to homeless and at-risk households.
• Participate in the implementation of LASNNY's race equity priority and their professional development plan.

Work Environment:

This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of items of up to 20 pounds. This role requires the use of standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual's race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state, or local laws. We strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults, and people with disabilities.

If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.