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 90,000 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:
LegalHealth, a division of NYLAG has an immediate opening for a general paralegal. LegalHealth partners with medical professionals in 34 hospitals in New York City to address the non-medical needs of low-income people with serious health problems. LegalHealth complements health care with legal care – providing free legal services in medical facilities and training healthcare professionals to understand the legal issues their patients may encounter.
This position is an ideal opportunity for individuals interested in a career in law, public policy, or social work. Applicants must be prepared to interact with an under-represented client population in a sensitive and professional manner. Applicants must have excellent analytical skills in order to assist in assessing clients’ eligibility for various government benefits and immigration remedies. Applicants should demonstrate a strong commitment to public service and must have strong writing and oral advocacy skills. The successful candidate will work closely with NYLAG’s experienced attorneys and paralegal case handlers on a variety of general legal matters.
Duties and Responsibilities:
The paralegal will assist in performing direct client intakes of patients referred by partner hospitals and community based health organizations, representing clients at administrative hearings, filing immigration documents, and advocating with government agencies to secure benefits and services, such as Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, and public assistance. The paralegal will also be responsible for some written and oral translations and language support.
Qualifications:
- A 2 or 4-year college degree is required.
- Fluency in Spanish is required, both verbal and written
- Relevant work experience preferred.
- An interest in working with diverse and vulnerable clients referred via partner hospitals.
- Strong commitment to public service.
- Excellent organizational skills
- Strong written, oral, and analytic abilities
- Applicant must be able to commit to the position for at least 24 months.
To apply, please send a resume and cover letter in a single pdf. Incomplete applications will not be considered. We will ask for a writing sample and references prior to the interview. Start date is immediate.
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 starts at $48,000.
Benefits: Medical, dental, vision, 401k, life insurance, long term disability, commuter benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSA) for Medical and Dependent care.