Paralegal Pro Bono Re-entry Coordinator I

FULL-TIME PARALEGAL REENTRY COORDINATOR I

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc.® (LawNY) has an immediate opening for a Paralegal Reentry Coordinator I to support our team. This position can be located in any one of LawNY’s seven offices (Ithaca, Elmira, Rochester, Geneva, Bath, Olean or Jamestown) although our preference is to locate the position in one of our six rural offices (Ithaca, Elmira, Geneva, Bath, Olean or Jamestown). 

The Reentry unit assists clients with criminal records who encounter barriers to employment. The Paralegal Reentry Coordinator I position will handle logistics throughout our service area including outreach, client intake, and placement of cases with pro bono attorneys and volunteers. The paralegal will also provide support to clients, volunteers, pro bono attorneys, and with grant administration. The paralegal will be part of the Pro Bono unit and report to the Director of Pro Bono Affairs, and will also attend pro bono team meetings. The focus of the project is to conduct outreach and handle logistics of reentry project expansion. We encourage applicants with a wide range of substantive legal experience to apply. 

QUALIFICATIONS: These are the basic requirements for the position.

• High School Diploma, GED or equivalent work experience.
• Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to helping poor and disadvantaged people overcome institutional barriers to legal access.

COMPENSATION PACKAGE

The beginning salary for a Paralegal Reentry Coordinator I at LawNY with no experience is $33,670 and the salary for a Paralegal Reentry Coordinator I with thirty years of experience is $64,620.  Salary will be based on experience. LawNY is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program(PSLF).

LawNY® provides an excellent package of fringe benefits including:

•  94% Employer paid Medical Premium with 100% Employer paid in-network deductible 
• 100% Employer paid Dental Insurance
• 100% Employer paid Life Insurance
• 100% Employer paid Enhanced Short-term Disability
• 100% Employer paid Long-term Disability
• Vision Insurance
• 20 Paid Vacation days per year
• 12 Sick days per year
• 5 Personal days per year
• 13.5 Holidays plus 2 floating Holidays per year
• 35-Hour Work Week

Responsibilities
These are the most significant responsibilities and primary functions of the position.

• Client screening and intake on-site at partner agencies, courts, and community locations, including obtaining documentation and determining eligibility for services.
• Client interviews and investigation.
• Assisting attorneys in the preparation of cases, including conducting legal research and preparing drafts of legal documents and memorandum, as permitted by law and ethical considerations.

• Data collection, data entry and file maintenance.
• Outreach activities including developing programmatic promotional materials, presentations, and developing community education programs and resources related to legal protections to the general public.
• Relationship-building with court staff, community groups and other stakeholders.
• Recruiting and coordinating pro bono attorneys and other volunteers to connect with clients needing legal assistance.

• Assist in the scheduling, preparation, and planning of pro bono legal clinics.
• Attend clinics and assist clients and volunteers.
• Surveying clients and community members and identifying possible needs for expansion using pro bono assistance.

ADDITIONAL TRAITS AND SKILLS
These are the traits, attributes, attitudes, and skills that speak to the candidate’s ability to succeed in the position. While no one candidate will possess all of the qualities listed, the ideal candidate will have many of these qualities. LawNY® encourages each candidate to think about their own personal knowledge, skills, and experience, as well as professional skills and experience in relation to this list.

• Prior experience with low-income and other oppressed communities and clients.
• Applicants must be organized and have excellent interpersonal and writing skills.
• Strong problem-solving abilities, time management, and organizational skills and ability to work under deadlines and manage multiple tasks.
• Ability to empathize and sensitively respond to people in crisis situations.
• Ability to think creatively, be strategic, exercise good judgment, and self-motivate.
• Lived experience with our client communities is highly desired.
• Experience with the use of trauma-informed care practices is highly preferred.
• Excellent use of Google Drive/GSuite, Word, and Excel; database programs a plus.
• True fluency in a language other than English that is spoken by our clients.

ORGANIZATION INFORMATION

LawNY is a not-for-profit law firm that provides free civil legal services to low-income clients in a 14 county area of Western New York, the Finger Lakes, and the Southern Tier. LawNY has seven fully staffed field offices in Bath, Elmira, Geneva, Ithaca, Jamestown, Olean and Rochester, satellite offices in Lakeville and Lyons, and a business office in Rochester.

LawNY has been providing high quality legal representation for over 54 years, and today has over 180 employees, including attorneys, paralegals, and a legal support team who work closely across areas of specialization to bring a holistic approach to addressing legal issues affecting our clients and community.

LawNY is committed to equitable inclusion across race, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, sex, religion, economic circumstances, ethnicity, national origin, and culture. We are increasingly committed to creating a law firm where race equity, diversity and cultural competency are integral components of our work, from client advocacy to internal operations.

Research shows that women and people from under-represented groups often apply to jobs only if they meet 100% of the desired competencies. We encourage you to apply even if you do not believe you meet all the desired competencies.

APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply, submit your cover letter, resume, and three professional references - with current email address and phone number, through LawNY’s BambooHR platform, found here and at www.lawny.org/Employment.When outlining work experience on a resume, candidates are requested to label each position as full-time or part-time and describe unpaid volunteer/internships as such. 

To promote social justice and achieve our mission, LawNY is committed to maintaining a diverse staff and creating an inclusive and respectful workplace. In your cover letter, please also include an explanation of how you think that your lived and/or professional experience or background has prepared you to contribute to support a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion at LawNY.

We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require any accommodations to support you in your role - whether for the onboarding, or your day-to-day work, please let us know by sending an email to: accommodationrequest@lawny.org. Any information shared will remain confidential and only be used to ensure the appropriate support is in place before your first day. As part of your employment, LawNY will provide the necessary hardware to support your role.

Questions? Contact Michelle Grillone at mgrillone@lawny.org

Legal Assistance of Western New York, Inc. (LawNY®) is an equal opportunity employer. LawNY® strongly encourages applications from Black, Indigenous and People of Color, women, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and persons from other underrepresented groups whose background may contribute to working in and sustaining an environment that enables staff and clients to feel empowered, valued, respected, and safe. LawNY® welcomes applications regardless of race, color, religion, veteran status, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other consideration protected by law.

This position is considered Exempt pursuant to the Fair Labor Standards Act.