Paralegal - Housing Practice Group

Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio (LASCO)’s mission is to provide civil legal aid and advocacy to overcome unfairness and injustice, reduce poverty, and increase opportunity. LASCO has a long-standing history of being committed to searching out the patterns, causes of, and solutions to the repetitive and fundamental legal problems facing low-income Ohioans and pursuing the legal recourse needed to address those problems. Since 1966, our organizations have helped thousands of Ohio’s poor obtain and keep housing, secure public benefits, worked with families to gain and maintain economic stability, and helped domestic violence survivors to live free of fear and abuse and to obtain the resources needed to sustain themselves and their children.

LASCO is actively seeking a professional, reliable and dedicated paralegal to join our team. This position will initially support the Housing Law Practice Group to provide comprehensive legal services for civil issues in pursuit of LASCO’s mission and priorities in Central Ohio.

In this multifaceted role, responsibilities include collecting and organizing information and documents from clients, intake evaluations to help with case determinations, completing forms for clients, file maintenance, routine correspondence with clients and others, and some general administrative tasks.

Are You Someone Who:

• Has interest in and sensitivity to the legal needs of low-income individuals?
• Is motivated, professional and customer service focused?
• Can communicate verbally with a wide range of people?
• Takes pride in excellent attention to detail when producing documents and other work?
• Is agile and able to respond effectively to the changing needs of a growing organization
• Creates processes to increase work efficiencies and systems to work smarter not harder?
• Is open to participating in community events?
• Works well within in a fast paced, collaborative, team-driven, and goal-based environment?

You Will:

• Serve as primary support for the daily work needs of attorneys in the Housing Law Practice Group
• Support all functions related to legal advocacy, including but not limited to drafting and filing pleadings, conducting research, discovery, cite-checking and editing and formatting motions and briefing, drafting procedural motions, trial preparation
• Assist in the daily work needs of attorneys in person at court, including intake, representation of clients facing eviction, client advice, negotiations and trial representation
• Build relationships with clients and usher them through the intake and case acceptance process, working respectfully and effectively with clients who are dealing with high levels of stress
• Collect, organize and manage information and documents from clients
• Support translation of necessary documentation such as identification documents, written statements or similar
• Intake evaluations to help with case determinations
• Conduct client call backs and follow up with clients as needed
• Assist attorneys in assessing client financial situation
• Draft correspondence to clients including routine communications, closing letters and no contact letters among others
• Draft forms for clients among other necessary documentation
• Perform administrative tasks including opening hard files, opening electronic cases, sending intake packets, completing reporting paperwork and other related duties
• Support and collaborate with staff, partners and other related parties to help achieve goals
• Provides other assistance to attorneys as requested by the Managing Attorney or Executive Director
• Be responsible for some general office work including incoming/outgoing mail, making copies, sending client information and other similar tasks

You Have:

• A positive attitude, go-getter mindset and drive to do things well
• Demonstrated relevant experience of at least 3 years
• Ability to anticipate needs and navigate problems with a creative, practical approach toward reaching successful resolution
• The ability to prioritize workload to manage time and tasks in a dynamic environment
• Proficient skills across the Microsoft Office Suite (Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint)
• Demonstrated ability to communicate, verbally and in writing, effectively with diverse audiences
• Strong work ethic with an eye for detail
• High ability to exercise sound judgement and discretion
• English language proficiency is essential and Spanish/English or Somali/English bilingual skills are a plus. Additional languages – even better
• Legal authorization to work in the United States
• Paralegal degree or certificate, Bachelor’s degree
• Prior Legal Aid or related work experience a plus, but not required

Other Details:

• It is the policy of LASCO not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, national origin, disability, age, ancestry, and military status or any other characteristic protected by law.
• This position reports to the Managing Attorney, is based in Columbus, Ohio and requires some travel throughout the service area.
• Salary begins at $52,000 and is dependent upon level of experience.
• LASCO offers an excellent comprehensive benefits package, currently including an employer funded HRA (up to $12,000), employer-paid employee dental and vision insurance, a language skills differential ($2,500-$3,500 annually), paid vacation, sick and holiday time, and ongoing training and development opportunities.

To Apply:

Submit resume, references, and letter of interest.