Legal Specialist - Paralegal

Responsibilities

• Assists in processing and tracking various legal matters, ensuring compliance with statutory deadlines and providing regular updates to the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee and Associate Legal Counsel.
• Draft summaries of interviews and prepare documentation related to intakes or reports filed with the office.
• Ensures all relevant information is accurately recorded and promptly communicated to the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee and Associate Legal Counsel.
• Assists the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee in responding to Freedom of Information Law ("FOIL") requests by analyzing, compiling, and organizing responsive records, ensuring accuracy and compliance with legal requirements.
• Ensure that FOIL responses are appropriately identified, redacted, disclosed in a timely manner, and do not violate any applicable statutes, confidentiality laws or restrictions; Save responsive records in an online accessible filing system for internal review and external production within the appropriate deadlines for FOIL.
• Assists in preparing arbitrations, litigation, hearings, and other proceedings; Conducts legal research and drafts opinions, reports, and summaries, utilizing such tools as Lexis Nexis Uni, Westlaw, and the internet.
• Research findings and drafts will be reviewed by the Chief Campus Counsel & Labor Designee or Associate Legal Counsel.
• Maintain the security of highly confidential information per College and University policies and ensure that information is securely handled.
• Affords assistance with processing contracts, affiliation agreements, litigation records and subpoena files, employee and student disciplinary actions, human rights complaints, and other matters.
• Compile and analyze legal data pertinent to cases; prepare summaries and assist Legal Counsel in the development, refinement, and daily operations of file management systems;
• Organize and maintain case or matter files and related documentation.
• Research, gather, and compile case data; study provisions and nuances of contracts, collective bargaining agreements, CUNY policies, and laws or regulations;
• Provide outreach on behalf of the Office of Legal Counsel to faculty staff and students;
• Conduct initial intake screening of matters related to discrimination, harassment, and sex-based misconduct.
• Manage schedule and calendar for the Executive General Counsel;
• Prepare monthly/quarterly/annual statistical and narrative reports and provide support with training, investigations, and legal programming.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree and four years' related experience required.
• PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS: Graduate degree or J.D. and five years’ of experience in a law firm or in-house legal department as an officially designated paralegal.
• Experience in conducting investigations.
• Knowledge of trauma-informed best practices.
• Demonstrated ability with a high level of effectiveness in the following: Writing, accuracy, and attention to detail; Interpersonal communication and collaboration; Personal organization and work habits; Technology, including legal software (Westlaw, Lexis, Workshare Compare, Clearwell) and administrative tools (Zoom, MS Teams, Microsoft 365).
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously for different stakeholders and meet project deadlines.
• Ability to work well both independently and collaboratively in a diverse and rapid-paced academic medical environment.
• Strong understanding of the culture of academic medicine and the ability to address faculty concerns.
• Experience working with underrepresented, low-income, and marginalized students working in health-related or STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Medicine) fields or other health professional pipeline programs is highly desirable.
• Experience with quality curriculum development and assessment principles as they relate to health care disparities to improve the quality of care and health professional decision-making.
• Advanced understanding of the importance of diversity in academic medicine and the impact of educational and healthcare disparities on medicine.