Paralegal - Homelessness Prevention Law Project

ABOUT PUBLIC COUNSEL

Public Counsel is a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to advancing civil rights and racial and economic justice, as well as to amplifying the power of our clients through comprehensive legal advocacy. Founded on and strengthened by a pro bono legal service model, our staff and volunteers seek justice through direct legal services, promote healthy and resilient communities through education and outreach, and support community-led efforts to transform unjust systems through litigation and policy advocacy in and beyond Los Angeles.

Public Counsel operates eight legal projects: Children’s Rights, Community Development, Consumer Rights & Economic Justice, Homelessness Prevention, Immigrants’ Rights, Veterans’ Advancement, Gender Justice, and our impact litigation project, Opportunity Under Law. 

Public Counsel has a full-time staff of approximately 160. We are committed to building a diverse staff and encourage applications from people of color, people with disabilities, and people of all gender identities, gender expressions, and sexualities. We recognize the essential role of staff in achieving our goals, and we have set a long-term intention to provide competitive compensation, benefits, training, mentorship, and overall workplace wellness, making Public Counsel a leader among nonprofit law firms.

ABOUT HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION LAW PROJECT

Public Counsel’s Homelessness Prevention Law Project (HPLP) serves individuals who are at high risk of becoming homeless or are currently unhoused. HPLP assists unrepresented low-income litigants in unlawful detainer (eviction) actions, and provides pre-litigation counsel and advice to tenants who are involved in a landlord-tenant dispute. HPLP also provides pro bono representation to homeless individuals and families to help remove legal barriers to obtaining permanent housing. In addition, we run several community clinics to connect low-income Angelenos with free legal advice, and provide educational workshops in collaboration with community-based organizations. 

In addition to our homelessness prevention and anti-displacement efforts, our recent work includes: 

• Supporting local tenants in their successful efforts to obtain and preserve COVID-related eviction protections;
• Working with community-based organizations to provide Know Your Rights presentations and workshops to tenants on new and constantly-changing housing laws; and
• Teaming up with other non-profit legal services providers, tenant organizers and community-based organizations throughout Los Angeles County to push forward the implementation of a Right to Counsel for all tenants in eviction proceedings.

HPLP’s StayHousedLA program  provides eviction defense and pre-litigation counseling to low-income tenants in LA City and County. In response to the COVID-19 Crisis, various federal, state and local funds have been dedicated to funding eviction defense efforts; the StayHousedLA program at Public Counsel is funded by county government, and is a partnership with nine other legal services organizations and over twenty community-based organizations. The StayHousedLA program seeks to prevent homelessness by providing legal services to tenants who are at risk of eviction and displacement. 

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Supervising Attorney, the Paralegal will work in Public Counsel’s StayHousedLA Project team within the Homelessness Prevention Law Project. Public Counsel’s StayHousedLA team provides full-scope eviction defense representation to tenants, primarily with cases filed at the Compton Courthouse but also served some other LA County courthouses. The team also provides some limited counsel and advice to tenants with other housing issues. The Paralegal will support the work of the StayHousedLA team attorneys in collaboration with the Supervising Attorney and other members of the team. 

This position will involve the full breadth of civil litigation activities, administrative work, grant reporting, meeting with clients, and assisting with trial preparation. 

The position has the following responsibilities:

• Serve as supporting Paralegal on StayHousedLA eviction cases, which includes:
• Preparing electronic case files and setting up intake appointments
• Conducting and/or assisting during intake appointments
• Preparing draft pleadings and discovery requests
• Assisting with document preparation and e-filing
• Client communications
• Collecting and organizing evidence 
• Maintaining the digital file
• Assisting with client meetings in the office
• Occasionally accompanying attorneys on site visits   to client homes
• Occasionally accompanying attorneys to court
• Assist with gathering data required by StayHousedLA for annual grant reporting obligations;
• Administrative work related to litigation, including document management, consistent keeping of case notes in the internal case management system and case tracking on the team’s litigation calendar and in the online Attorney Portal; and
• Other duties as assigned.

 ESSENTIAL JOB SKILLS AND   ABILITIES

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university and either: 1) Paralegal certificate/degree in paralegal studies from an ABA-approved institution OR 2) at least 1 year of experience in litigation support under the supervision of a California attorney required;
• Demonstrated commitment to serving the needs of low-income people;
• Excellent verbal, written, and phone skills;
• Ability to carry a high-volume caseload and work in a fast-paced environment;
• Experience with data collection and creating reports;
• Attention to detail, outstanding organizational skills, ability to multitask;
• Ability to be a self-starter;
• Ability to prepare and edit legal documents under attorney supervision;
• Ability to work with people of diverse backgrounds;
• Desire to learn as well as share knowledge with other team members;
• Work well as part of a team, but also be able to work independently with minimal to moderate supervision;
• Comfort with trauma-informed legal advocacy: empathy, responsive listening, restraint from judgment, and demonstration of authentic care and concern;
• Ability to commute throughout Los Angeles County if needed; and
• Ability to read, write, and speak fluently in Spanish strongly preferred.

JOB TYPE AND BENEFITS

• Full-time/non-exempt 
• Salary range /Hourly rate: $55,000 - $63,961.62 ($28.21 per hour - $32.80 per hour) 
• Bargaining
• Probationary period: 9 Months
• Fixed-duration position funded until June 30, 2025. This position is created with designated funds through June 30, 2025. Continued employment past this date is contingent on additional funding for the position.

Public Counsel offers a competitive benefits package including:

• Medical coverage with an option for 100% employer-paid employee and dependent child(ren)’s premiums; buy-up options are available for other HMO and PPO coverage 
• Dental and vision coverage 
• Option to enroll in a Flexible Spending Account
• Employer-paid life insurance and disability plans

Generous paid time off (per year):

• 15 accrued vacation days that increase to 20 days after 3 years of employment
• 12 accrued sick days that may be used for physical and mental health needs
• 2 personal observance days 
• 11 paid holidays plus 2 one-week office closures (during the summer and winter)
• Up to 60 hours of compensatory time per calendar year (for exempt staff only)

Additional benefits:

• 37.5 hour work week for all full-time employees 
• 403(b) retirement plan with an elective employee contribution, and after a year of employment a discretionary employer contribution 
• Free on-site parking or public transportation reimbursement 
• $45 per pay period for employees who use non-English language skills to perform work duties
• Up to 6 months of parental leave 
• Organizational and team wellness activities to build team cohesion and camaraderie
• Professional development support and opportunities

HOW TO APPLY
We value lived experiences and experiences working with clients across a range of settings. Please consider discussing such experiences in your cover letter, especially if they are not reflected in your resume. 

PUBLIC COUNSEL VACCINATION POLICY AND COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

Public Counsel requires vaccination against COVID-19 for all employees, including new hires. Pursuant to federal and state laws, Public Counsel will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified employees with disabilities or sincerely held religious beliefs,   unless doing so would pose an undue hardship.

Public Counsel is generally office-based, but remote work has been permitted during the pandemic. All employees with Public Counsel are required to work in the office at least one day per week, at the discretion of the head of department. Some positions require additional in-office days. This policy is subject to redesign by leadership. Public Counsel will work in a manner consistent with public health and local and state emergency orders.  

PUBLIC COUNSEL EEO POLICY

Public Counsel is an Equal Opportunity Employer that does not discriminate against employees or prospective employees on the basis of union membership or activity, race, religious creed, religious observance, ethnicity, color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information or predisposition, military service, military and veteran status, pregnancy,   child birth and related medical conditions, marital and family status, national origin, ancestry, age, medical conditions as defined by state or federal law, or disability, or any other basis prohibited by law.

All qualified applicants with criminal histories will be considered in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.

Our leadership team is dedicated to this policy with respect to recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, transfer, training, compensation, benefits, employee activities discipline, discharge and general treatment during employment.