Intake Paralegal/Executive Secretary II, HCRP, Queens

Legal Services NYC (LSNYC) fights poverty and seeks racial, social and economic justice for low-income New Yorkers. For over 50 years, we have challenged systemic injustices that trap people in poverty and provided legal services that help our clients meet basic needs for housing, income and economic security, family and immigration stability, education, and health care. LSNYC is the largest civil legal services provider in the country; our staff of more than 600 people in neighborhood-based offices and outreach sites across all five boroughs helps hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers annually. We partner with scores of community-based and client-run organizations, elected officials, public agencies, pro bono lawyers, and the courts to maximize our effectiveness. Our work fights discrimination and helps to achieve equity for all low-income New Yorkers.

LSNYC employees have numerous opportunities for growth and professional development, including access to our internal Justice Learning Center, which provides opportunities to earn free CLEs and gain experience as a trainer. 

All non-managerial staff at LSNYC are part of one union and enjoy a generous benefits and compensation package, including excellent healthcare, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, and a Loan Repayment Assistance Program. LSNYC staff may work remotely up to 50% of the time, consistent with job duties.

Queens Legal Services is seeking an Intake Paralegal / Executive Secretary II to join our Homeowner & Consumer Rights Project (HCRP).

Program Description
Queens Legal Services (QLS) is part of Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), the largest provider of free civil legal services for low-income people in the country. We provide high-quality, innovative representation to address the pressing legal needs of Queens’ diverse low-income populations. We focus on the problems that have the greatest impact on our clients — preserving affordable housing, preventing foreclosure, addressing consumer debt, supporting estate-related matters, and ensuring economic stability for families and communities.

The Homeowner & Consumer Rights Project (HCRP) engages in creative strategies and zealous advocacy in the pursuit of justice for Queens residents. The unit assists homeowners facing foreclosure and other threats to homeownership through litigation and non-litigation advocacy, and works to challenge abusive lending practices throughout New York. HCRP also supports clients with estate-related matters, including estate planning and assisting estates in addressing issues that may place properties at risk of foreclosure. In addition to its focus on preserving homeownership, HCRP also assists a limited number of clients facing consumer debt issues, including matters involving credit cards, student loans, and nursing home debt.

The Opportunity and Responsibilities
The Intake Paralegal / Executive Secretary II will serve as an important first point of contact for prospective clients while also providing essential administrative support to HCRP and office leadership. This position combines intake responsibilities with office administration, client services support, and document management.

Responsibilities include:

• Conducting screenings of applicants for service, including obtaining demographic information, making eligibility determinations, and ascertaining the scope of the client’s request for assistance
• Coordinating follow-up services, including appointments, referrals, client correspondence, and gathering documents and other information
• Opening and closing files and ensuring compliance with program protocols
• Providing applicants and clients with information and referrals, and providing legal information under attorney supervision
• Maintaining familiarity with internal and external referral resources
• Assisting case handlers on client-related matters, including making phone calls, sending basic correspondence, and obtaining information
• Providing administrative support for litigation and advocacy, including document preparation, file maintenance, and coordination of case-related materials
• Entering and tracking information in electronic systems, including case management systems, databases, and grant-related reporting systems, and assisting with reports and audit preparation
• Maintaining client-related files, including copying, scanning, uploading, organizing, and distributing documents
• Scheduling appointments, maintaining calendars, and supporting coordination of meetings and office operations
• Ordering and maintaining office supplies and assisting with office-wide administrative needs
• Reviewing, sorting, distributing, stamping, collecting, and posting mail
• Assisting with petty cash, reimbursements, bills, and other routine administrative or fiscal support tasks, as appropriate
• Assisting management with monitoring office needs, document organization, and file maintenance
• Using available language-access resources, including translation and interpretation services, to assist clients and community members with a non-English language preference

Experience and Qualifications

• Strong interest in public interest advocacy and serving low-income communities
• Demonstrated commitment to social justice
• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
• Strong interviewing and client-service skills
• Strong administrative and clerical skills, with careful attention to detail
• Ability to manage multiple responsibilities and prioritize effectively in a fast-paced office
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, and ability to learn new systems
• Experience with client intake, legal services, office administration, or executive/administrative support preferred
• Experience working with vulnerable or diverse populations preferred
• Fluency in Spanish or another language spoken by our client communities strongly preferred

All employees are strongly encouraged to continue to receive and maintain up-to-date COVID vaccinations unless they are unable to for medical or religious reasons.

Legal Services NYC is an equal opportunity employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, people over 40, and gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people are strongly encouraged to apply.