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:
The Student Debt paralegal will provide remote and in-person counseling services to individuals who need help navigating the student lending system and understanding their repayment options. Services include helping borrowers enroll in appropriate repayment plan, getting out of default, applying for student loan discharge or forgiveness programs, and much more. The Student Debt paralegal will be responsible for providing one-on-one consumer assistance to borrowers and conducting outreach and education efforts for the project. This position is currently for a 6 month term with the option to renew for the next year up to March 2024.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Providing information and advice to student loan borrowers based on their specific circumstances
- Helping student loan borrowers apply for relief through cancellation, forgiveness, or discharge programs
- Conducting outreach and education presentations on higher education debt related topics
- Preparing training materials and fact sheets, as needed
- Maintaining thorough client case records of services provided, advice and/or referrals , data entry and assistance related to project.
- Ability to recognize and contribute to reporting of program trends and statistics
- Other duties as assigned
Qualifications
- BA or relevant advanced degree
- Detail oriented, ability to work both independently and in a team environment
- Proficient with MS Office required
- Ability to provide information in a fair and impartial manner which is culturally and linguistically appropriate.
- Passion for helping people navigate difficult situations and legal challenges
- Strong written and verbal communication skills required
- Experience conducting outreach, trainings, and presentations preferred
- Experience conducting and managing client intakes preferred
- Experience with project coordination and implementation preferred
- Experience with debt and loan/borrower issues preferred
- Knowledge of personal finance issue preferred
- Knowledge of or interest in student loans preferred
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
Timeline: Immediate start date
Salary Range:
NYLAG is a unionized workplace, and salaries are set pursuant to a collective bargaining agreement. The current salary range for this position is between $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.
Application Instructions: Please save resume and cover letter on one pdf.
Covid Vaccination Policy: Please note, to safeguard the health and well-being of our employees and clients, NYLAG requires all employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19, unless a medical or religious exemption is approved.
NYLAG is committed to a hybrid work policy for staff whose work does not require their full-time presence in the office. NYLAG’s current policy is that most staff are required to work in NYLAG’s offices or do other in-person work at least two days each week. This policy is subject to change.