Subject to funding, the Parole Revocation Defense Unit of the Legal Aid Society has an opening for a Paralegal Client Advocate. The position will consist of working with individuals on community supervision to prevent incarceration on parole violations, as well as directly assist clients in their parole revocation matters and secondary legal issues related to parole or post release supervision. The position will also involve providing support to the unit’s staff attorneys in all phases of parole revocation cases. The position will involve significant communications with clients, attorneys, social workers and court personnel, as well as a working knowledge of the NYS community supervision revocation process
The individual position will include regular visitations with PRDU clients in the office, at the courthouse, or other hearing locations on scheduled court dates, and visitation with clients at their individual correctional facilities. Client and hearing date visitation should focus on discussing their case, identifying potential legal issues, exploring the client’s life and social circumstances in the community, creating or obtaining community contacts to assist the client with housing, employment and community treatment needs to assist in client in obtaining release and achieve successful completion of parole supervision. The position will also involve assisting attorneys in representing clients in parole revocation hearings, filing writs, Article 78’s and appeals, as well as corresponding with clients, their families and contacting community programs and services. Responsibilities will also include the research, drafting and writing of memoranda and preparation of other documents, including but not limited to discovery demands, correspondence and subpoenas.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES
Interview and assess client requests for services, facilitate referrals to partnering service providers and provide other forms of direct client assistance
Assisting attorneys with obtaining and preparing relevant documents for the parole revocation hearings and any other related proceedings, including conducting legal and factual research
Serve as a critical point of contact for clients and provides extensive advocacy and advises on relevant re-entry services and programs, and advocate for program placement
Corresponding with clients, their families, courts, adversaries and corrections officials to assist in release and re-entry back to the community
Assist clients in navigating all systems of care to ensure client’s needs are met throughout reentry
Visiting Rikers Island Correctional Facilities and other facilities as needed
Preparing documents for filing
Writing memoranda and preparing reports
Updating information in Law Manager
Other duties as assigned
TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS
Paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited school, Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or satisfactory completion of a comprehensive in-house training course appropriate to practice area
Knowledge of New York criminal law and criminal procedure is strongly desired
Notary Public or willingness to become one
Excellent writing skills
Excellent organizational skills
Excellent computer and word processing skills, including Excel
The ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team
Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people and non-citizens
Valid NYS driver’s license preferred
Proficiency in a language 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.
Resume
Cover Letter
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: $60,033- $91,932
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.
studentaid.gov
hesc.ny.gov/find-aid-you-need/new-york-state-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.