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Position Summary:
The Paralegal provides administrative and paralegal support to the entire organization, including client-based programs and administration. This position prepares and files legal documents, conducts legal research, maintains case files, and assists with case preparation. The incumbent in this position is also expected to assist with other duties, including answering phones and email, filing, creating, and maintaining schedules for lawyers as well as copying, scanning, and faxing of documents, completing intake duties including responding to calls, online inquiries, and online chats from the low-income population in need of legal services.
The incumbent in this position is expected to:
Maintain the highest level of professionalism when working with other TLSC staff, other Legal Aid programs, court staff, governmental and funding entities, and the public; and embrace and support TLSC’s overall mission, standards, policies, and confidentiality requirements.
This is a grant funded position.
Essential Functions:
· Conduct issue-spotting intake processes and pre-acceptance screening assessments, while ensuring appropriate information is collected and entered in the case management system, and client confidentiality requirements are maintained.
· Perform research, needed factual investigations and analysis, communicate with third parties, and assist in drafting, revising, and filing legal documents.
· Correspond with clients, court administrative staff, and other interested parties.
· Ensure that all appointments and deadlines are calendared and timely executed with sufficient time dedicated to management approval of legal documents.
· Travel to courts, meetings, and outreach events.
· Keep informed of community resources currently available to ensure clients are referred to the appropriate source.
· Serve as backup for the front desk receptionist duties including answer incoming telephone calls, determine purpose of calls, and forward calls to appropriate parties as well as welcome on-site visitors, determine nature of their visit, and announce visitors to appropriate personnel while ensuring all safety procedures and protocols are followed.
· Follow all confidentiality requirements when working with clients and employees, and/or handling correspondence, files, and documents and/or when participating in confidential discussions.
· Perform other duties as assigned.
Competencies:
· Bi-lingual in Spanish and English, written and oral.
· Experience working with Adobe, Microsoft Planner, SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive.
· High level organizational skills.
· Excellent listening, verbal, and written communications skills.
· Strong time management and attention to detail skills.
· Proficient with Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, Teams, Outlook).
· Outstanding interpersonal and collaboration skills.
· Proficiency in or ability to learn LegalServer (TLSC’s case management system).
· Ability to work with clients in a patient, trauma-informed, and non-judgmental manner.
· Ability to travel within the Austin area.
Supervisor Responsibilities: Not applicable to this position.
Minimum Education and Experience:
· High school graduation or equivalent.
· Paralegal certificate from an accredited institution or minimum 1 year of experience as a Paralegal/Legal Assistant.
Licensure and/or Certification (Preferred): Paralegal certificate from an accredited paralegal training program.
Physical Requirements:
· Sedentary work that involves sitting most of the time.
· Occasional bending, squatting, and kneeling.
· Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, and a negligible amount of force as needed, at times to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects.
