Intake Paralegal, Pro Bono Services

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. 

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT 

Intake Paralegal, Pro Bono Services 

LSNYC’s Pro Bono Program  

LSNYC’s pro bono program engages a range of private partners on behalf of thousands of low-income New Yorkers across multiple practice areas. Managed by a director and staffed by two deputy directors, three immigration coordinating attorneys, a bankruptcy attorney, three housing/public benefits coordinating attorneys, a LGBTQ+ advocacy coordinating attorney, and five paralegals, the Pro Bono Services Department (“Department”) works with LSNYC staff and pro bono partners to create and manage pro bono projects, place cases, run clinics, train and mentor volunteers, access in-kind resources, and match individual volunteers with appropriate LSNYC offices. LSNYC’s private partners include more than 125 law firms and corporations, along with law schools, bar associations, and individual volunteers. 

Our pro bono program offers more than a dozen initiatives focused on housing, immigration, benefits, name change, education, family, and more. LSNYC conducts more than 100 pro bono clinics and study groups each year for tenants, immigrants, and transgender clients, among others. Immigration makes up more than half of our pro bono work, with a focus on asylum, VAWA self-petitions, battered spouse waivers, removal defense, habeas corpus petitions, and naturalizations. We operate a high-volume practice, with more than 5,000 pro bono cases annually. 

Opportunity 

The Paralegal for the Pro Bono Department will work to expand and operate our benefits, housing, immigration, and name change clinics and case placement, and to support additional pro bono efforts with corporations and law firms. Collectively, these initiatives will help thousands of New Yorkers who need legal representation to secure safe housing, improved immigration status, and other forms of relief.  

Under the supervision of the deputy director, the Paralegal will: prepare clients for pro bono placement, including processing intakes, scheduling clients for clinics, gathering relevant documents and other information for case assessment, and offering relevant referrals; coordinate with onsite volunteers; track relevant data in our case management system; secure relevant compliance documents; open and close cases; provide additional support on pro bono cases as needed; attend and execute clinics; serve as a point of contact for clients who are participating in clinics, help manage communication between clients and coordinating attorneys, and more. 

Applicants must have the following qualifications: 

• Demonstrated excellent, consistent client interviewing, writing, and communication skills 

• Demonstrated excellent, consistent computer skills – including case management software, Excel, Word, and email – and comfort with learning new programs 

• Ability to work with people from a range of backgrounds—including low-income clients, other LSNYC staff, and pro bono attorneys from law firms and corporations 

• Demonstrated communication habits that are consistently prompt and responsive 

• Collaborative orientation, capacity to work in a team, and solution-oriented approach 

• Demonstrated excellent organizational skills, particularly with scheduling, referring, tracking, and gathering documents for significant volumes of clients and volunteers 

• Demonstrated consistent ability to pay close attention to details 

• Commitment to legal services for low-income people 
• A second language regularly spoken by LSNYC clients 

How to Apply 

Interested applicants should send a cover letter and resume. Only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted. No telephone calls.

LSNYC is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. People of color, women, people with disabilities, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender persons, and persons over 40 are welcome and encouraged to apply.

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.