Overview
About NYLAG
Founded in 1990, NYLAG is a leading civil legal services organization combatting economic, racial, and social injustice by advocating for people experiencing poverty or in crisis. Our services include comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. NYLAG exists because wealth should not determine who has access to justice. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving individuals and families whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality. NYLAG goes to where the need is, providing services in more than 150 community sites (e.g. courts, hospitals, libraries) and on our Mobile Legal Help Center. During COVID-19, most of our services are virtual to keep our community safe. NYLAG’s staff of 300 impacted the lives of nearly 90,800 people last year.
Mission
New York Legal Assistance Group uses the power of the law to help New Yorkers experiencing poverty or in crisis combat economic, racial, and social injustice. We address emerging and urgent needs with comprehensive, free civil legal services, financial empowerment, impact litigation, policy advocacy, and community partnerships. We aim to disrupt systemic racism by serving clients, whose legal and financial crises are often rooted in racial inequality.
Values that guide us
- We reduce the effects of poverty by providing high quality, effective civil legal services.
- We strive to serve individuals and communities through a race equity lens to counteract systemic racism.
- We work to create a welcoming and inclusive work environment that reflects the communities we serve.
- We achieve systemic change through class actions, impact litigation and by advocating for just laws and policies.
- We partner with our clients to help them transform their lives and strengthen their communities.
- We address our clients ’multiple legal needs by collaborating across our practice areas.
- We are at the forefront of identifying and understanding New Yorkers’ most pressing legal needs, rapidly adapting to meet these needs with innovative programs and partnerships.
- We assess need broadly, recognizing that need is not a function of income alone.
- We collaborate with community organizations and engage pro bono attorneys and volunteers to serve a greater number of people with unmet civil legal needs.
- We teach and train the next generation of legal service professionals.
Job description:
NYLAG seeks a highly motivated Clinic Paralegal to join its staff. NYLAG’s Immigrant Protection Unit reaches immigrant communities across New York City to connect individuals to free immigration legal consultations, document preparation, translation, interpretation and application assistance. The Clinic Paralegal will help monitor an intake e-mail box, pre-screen individuals for assistance from our hotline, field referrals from partners, make appointments, assist with clinic preparation and day-of work, and file affirmative applications. Applicants must be prepared to handle a high volume of correspondence and cases, and interact with a diverse population in a sensitive and professional manner.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Manage intake/clinic/unit email account, conduct pre-screening of clients for basic eligibility requirements, schedule appointments for full screenings, track contacts made, and collect documents.
- Assist clients to obtain the documents necessary to apply for relief, fill out appropriate forms, and follow up with clients via phone, mail and email;
- Manage data entry in internal and external data management systems and assist with generating reports;
- Attend screening and application assistance clinics, both in-person and virtual, with staff and pro bono attorneys
- Assist unit attorneys and case handlers with document translation and verbal interpretation
- Provide internal referrals for financial counseling and other wraparound services, and external referrals to partner organizations;
- Maintain regular contact with Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney and Supervising Attorney;
- Any other job duties as required.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree required
- Fluency in Pashto or Dari required; fluency in a third language strongly preferred.
- 1-2 years of immigration experience preferred, but not required
- Experience working with diverse populations
- Ability to work with individuals with disabilities and seniors in providing naturalization assistance
- Excellent written, oral and analytical skills
- Demonstrated ability to take initiative and work independently in an off-site context.
NYLAG’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
NYLAG is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, immigrants, veterans, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people, and those with lived experiences in the communities we serve are strongly encouraged to apply.
Employment type:
☒ Full-time
☐ Part-time
☐ Temporary
Professional Level:
☒ Entry Level
☐ Professional
☐ Managerial
Salary: NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is $48,000 – $48,916.
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.