Community Law Paralegal (Employment Law/Public Benefits)

Community Law Paralegal (Employment Law/Public Benefits) - San Francisco, CA

Full-Time, Exempt

Hybrid (3-4 days in-office)

About Us:

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.” - Nelson Mandela

We believe that even the biggest problems can be broken down into small, achievable steps. Poverty and access to justice are part of the same problem. And to solve this, we just need to discover what the steps are. At Open Door Legal (ODL), we’re pioneering the country’s first system of universal access to civil legal representation to dramatically reduce poverty and prove that the law really can belong to all of us. To achieve this ambitious goal, we’ve created an award-winning and best-in-class legal aid organization full of passionate, motivated, gritty, thoughtful, and team-oriented people.

We believe that injustice is the heart of poverty, and we're looking for someone to join us in having a systemic impact on how we, as a society, ensure justice for all.

Overview of Position:

We are hiring an Employment Law/Public Benefits Paralegal to provide support for our Employment Law and Public Benefits team on tasks and case management and empower guests and clients to know their rights. This will be a full-time position designed to expand the capacity of our employment and public benefits team. You would report directly to our Senior Employment Litigation Attorney. The Employment Law and Public Benefits practice group is part of the Litigation and Economic Justice Team.

Since the coronavirus pandemic struck the Bay Area and the United States, one thing has become eminently clear: that low-income individuals, families, and workers are disproportionately affected in times of crisis. Our employment team works hard to ensure that businesses and organizations are held accountable to their workers, that the benefits workers were promised come to them, and that power and agency are not taken from our low-income communities. The work is fast-paced, is high-volume, and requires you to be organized, think critically and dynamically, and demonstrate empathy and awareness in understanding the needs of our community. If you want to make a difference in clients’ lives with us, we encourage you to apply! Overall, this position is intended to be a challenging and rewarding experience for someone who is interested in using that knowledge to impact the lives of local low-income community members.

Responsibilities:

• Embody our mission of universal access to civil legal aid and make sure that the needs of clients in our service area are met.
• Own a full paralegal caseload (as per team needs) and communicate with clients regarding case status, documentation needs, and next steps under attorney supervision. Draft routine client correspondence including follow-ups and case closure letters.
• Support employment law and public benefit intakes in-person and virtually across multiple physical Open Door Legal locations.
• Request, track, and organize medical, employment and agency records for SSI/SSDI and related public benefits cases. Prepare and submit records and forms to SSA and other agencies.
• Execute timely and error-free filings and mailings, ensuring they are high-quality and within the deadline. If needed, physically go to SF Superior Court to file, deliver courtesy copies and/or pick up orders, and E-file any filings as required.
• Assist with filing, preparing, and readying clients for small claims hearings. Be the case manager in Salesforce and People Clerk for small claims cases and other cases under the supervision of the attorneys.
• Work with the attorney and client to assist with fact-gathering for the client’s case using information technologies, calling possible witnesses, or business or government agencies.
• With attorney supervision, draft pleadings, propound and respond to discovery, and assist attorneys in drafting motions.
• Assist in providing trauma-informed legal services and help clients stay updated on their case, helping to maintain consistently positive client feedback scores. Meet clients where they are, factoring in their cultural and socio-economic backgrounds and any barriers to service.
• Efficiently utilize Salesforce, our client management system (CMS), to document case activities, maintain detailed and accurate client records, and ensure timely record updates.
• Commit to leading the office in representing our mission and values externally to potential clients, clients, and others, as well as internally to all teammates and volunteers. Our values are passion, grit, teamwork, caring, and dynamism.

Requirements:

• At least an associate’s degree or equivalent (a paralegal certificate is fine).
• Strong time management skills and the ability to organize time, manage diverse activities, and meet critical deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Dogged perseverance in the face of bureaucratic barriers.
• Have a high level of comfort learning and using technology and cloud-based case management systems. We use Salesforce, Dropbox, and Google Suite.
• Must genuinely enjoy and be motivated by working with low-income clients and be able to work competently with clients impacted by trauma (emotional, mental, and physical).
• Must actively demonstrate cultural humility and sensitivity to barriers low-income residents face when attempting to access the justice system.
• Willingness to make a minimum two-year commitment to the organization.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the U.S.

Bonus Points:

• Previous experience as a paralegal, legal assistant, legal secretary, or client advocate.
• A paralegal certificate.
• Basic knowledge of employment law and/or public benefits
• Have a high level of comfort translating and interpreting from English to Spanish or Cantonese and vice versa legal information without assistance. Also comfortable performing client support and paralegal/legal assistant tasks in Spanish.
• Experience with filing and interacting within the San Francisco Superior Court.
• Experience working with low-income and vulnerable populations.
• Experience working in direct services legal aid or similar environment.
• Knowledge of other local non-profit organizations and tools for assisting low-income, underserved communities.
• Having lived a significant period of your life in San Francisco proper.

Starting compensation for a legal assistant is $70,500-$86,500; for a paralegal, it's $72,500-$88,500.

Benefits:

• Loan Repayment Assistance - for staff pursuing 10-year public interest debt forgiveness, we will pay the minimum payment on all qualifying loans so that you don’t need to worry about student loan debt (this is a conditional benefit).
• Medical/Dental/Vision Plan offerings at 100% coverage
• Generous paid time off (four weeks vacation and two weeks sick/care)
• Flexible work hours
• Generous paid parental leave
• 401K/Retirement Account
• We believe everyone is always learning. We financially invest in individual professional development for each staff member and provide many internal and external mentorships, coaching, and learning opportunities (conferences, workshops, etc.).
• We are a fun and hard-working office with best-in-class technology solutions for anyone who is passionate about making a meaningful and measurable difference.

Ideal starting date: April 2026

Applications received before March 6, 2026 will receive priority consideration.

To apply, submit your cover letter and resume. You may type your cover letter into the text box or combine your cover letter and resume into one PDF document for upload.

Open Door Legal is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, sexual stereotypes, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or any other applicable legally protected characteristics. We also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local law, including the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities in our recruiting process. If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, please let us know at whitney [at] opendoorlegal [dot] org.