The Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB) of The Legal Aid Society is the largest post-conviction public defender in New York City, annually providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 1,000 people with misdemeanor, felony, and homicide convictions.
CAB has an opening for a Paralegal II position. The paralegal’s primary responsibility is to assist Legal Aid trial attorneys and their clients with filing notices of appeal and securing assignment of appellate counsel in Queens and Richmond Counties and other counties, as needed. This includes identifying sentenced clients to ensure that notices of appeal are filed in appropriate cases, communicating with the assigned attorney, drafting and filing appropriate legal documents, confirming that appellate counsel was successfully assigned, and contacting court personnel as needed. This may also include corresponding with clients and, in cases where CAB is assigned, opening a case on our case management system.
In addition, the paralegal would support CAB as needed. Among other responsibilities, this may include preparing and filing motions and briefs for attorneys, obtaining and organizing court records, corresponding with clients, and preparing cases closing. In general, time in the office will be divided between CAB and the trial office in Queens.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
- Review data and reports of upcoming recent dispositions and assist attorneys in identifying cases appropriate for filing notices of appeal
- Draft and file notices of appeal and, if necessary, documents securing assignment of counsel
- Draft and file motions for permission to file late notices of appeal and other motions, as necessary
- Track cases and enter progress of each into Legal Aid’s case management system
- Communicate with clients
- Open new cases in our case management system
- Report on trends and issues occurring within the courts that impact clients’ rights to file notices of appeal and secure counsel on appeal
- Assist attorneys with filing briefs and motions, by properly formatting documents and filing according to the court’s specifications
- Obtain and organize court files and other records
- Other responsibilities as assigned
QUALIFICATIONS
Required qualifications:
- Eligible candidates must have at least one of the following:
- An associate degree (or additional higher education)
- A paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited paralegal program
- A high school diploma / GED and 4+ years of related work experience, at least 2 of which are as a paralegal
- Notary Public or willing to become a Notary a must
- Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income individuals and people of color a must.
- Excellent computer and word processing skills, particularly Microsoft Word and a PDF program
- Ability to interact effectively and independently with courts and related criminal justice agencies, as well as Legal Aid attorneys, paralegals, and other support staff
- Highly motivated with a willingness to work as a team and adapt to the changing needs of the practice
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines
- Excellent organizational and communication skills
- High degree of professionalism and strong attention to detail
Preferred qualifications:
- A bachelor’s degree
- Some knowledge of New York criminal law and criminal procedures preferred
- Proficiency in a language or languages other than English is desirable
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.
- Cover Letter
- Resume
SALARY TRANSPARENCY
The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.
Salary Range/ Salary: $57,174 – $87,568
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if an offer is made.
Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society
HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS
The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.
Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.
hesc.ny.gov/loan-forgiveness-programs
OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.
WORK AUTHORIZATION
All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)
HOW TO APPLY
All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.
As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one’s internal deeply-held sense of one’s gender which may be the same or different from one’s sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one’s name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.