SAVE YOUR HOME PHILLY HOTLINE PARALEGAL

Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) provides free civil legal assistance to low-income individuals and families in Philadelphia. For residents who are low-income, elderly, or disabled, our legal assistance is often crucial to protecting their homes, their children, their safety, and their livelihood.

Join a tight-knit and committed team of paralegals who operate the “Save Your Home Philly” Hotline, a central point of contact for Philadelphia homeowners at risk of losing their homes. Supervised by an experienced homeownership attorney, the Hotline paralegals respond to calls and inquiries from homeowners facing issues such as mortgage or real estate tax delinquencies, tangled titles, probate or quiet title actions, imminent sheriff sales, and mortgage payment assistance programs. The Hotline staff collaborate closely with attorneys and paralegals in PLA’s Consumer Housing Unit, as well as Community Legal Services, Philadelphia VIP, and a network of housing counselors to help homeowners navigate the legal system, safeguard their rights, and avoid homelessness.

Responsibilities

• Interviewing and advising clients faced with mortgage and tax problems
• Interviewing and advising clients with “tangled titles” (claims to homeownership without a recorded deed)
• Interviewing and advising clients about wills and estate planning
• Evaluating a client’s situation and making appropriate referrals
• Advocating for clients with mortgage companies and taxing authorities in writing and over the phone
• Helping clients navigate City assistance programs
• Researching, understanding, and utilizing statutes, regulations, and city ordinances
• Coordinating and managing case referrals
• Tracking policy developments and disseminating new information to other paralegals on the team
• Conducting outreach with other community organizations on housing issues

Qualifications

• Two- or four-year college degree
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Commitment to improving the well-being of low-income communities
• Compassion, understanding, patience, and ability to work cooperatively with a broad spectrum of people
• Ability to work effectively under stress with clients in high-stress states
• Maturity, self-motivation, and ability to adapt quickly
• Strong time management and organization skills, and ability to manage a client caseload
• A sincere and strong commitment to helping others
• Prior work or volunteer experience at a non-profit serving low-income clients is preferred
• Spanish or other language fluency a plus
• Computer literacy, including the ability to learn and navigate between online databases

Benefits

• Union position
• Health insurance premiums paid in full for employee and family
• Cash incentives for health insurance opt-out
• Vacation, personal, and sick leave
• Thirteen (13) paid holidays
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer contribution
• Life insurance
• Short- and long-term disability benefits

Pay

Salary is dependent upon experience, starting at $48,350.

Schedule

Staff may request to work from home up to 3 days per week. PLA’s office is located at 718 Arch Street in Philadelphia.