Paralegal

Summary Description

The New York Civil Liberties Union is seeking a full-time paralegal to assist its attorneys involved in civil rights and civil liberties litigation. The paralegal will be based in the NYCLU’s New York City office, but travel within New York State may be required.

Roles & Responsibilities

• Prepare and execute filings of a variety of legal documents, including briefs, motions, court forms, petitions, subpoenas, and discovery documents.
• Maintain electronic and paper case files, including pleadings, correspondence, discovery, and other materials.
• Communicate/coordinate with clients, court personnel, co-counsel, partner organizations, etc.
• Track and conduct interviews with potential clients through intake.
• Draft and mail correspondence, declarations, notices, and various court/legal documents.
• Manage logistics for depositions, oral arguments, court hearings, and other events.
• Assist attorneys with legal and other research, including cite-checking, factual research and Internet searches.
• Support various investigatory, research, advocacy, and case-related projects as needed.
• Take notes, assist with scheduling, help with word processing, and carry out other general clerical and administrative duties.
• Attend court conferences, hearings or public meetings as necessary.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent with 1-2 years of related experience in a legal setting.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Excellent word-processing, proofreading, verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well with others in a collegial and diverse environment.
• Ability to work well under pressure, including some evenings and weekends.
• Ability to manage time and tasks independently, problem-solve, and manage multiple projects and cases simultaneously.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Knowledge of legal terminology and legal principles.
• Familiarity with legal case management software.
• Familiarity with legal citation conventions.
• Experience with electronic court filing systems.
• Experience with electronic legal research tools (i.e., Westlaw, Lexis).
• Experience with handling data and using data-analysis software (such as Excel).
• Fluency in Spanish or in other languages commonly spoken in New York is a plus.