The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice has an opening for a full time Paralegal II to provide client services in the Brooklyn office.
In this position, you will: research, digest/outline case records (e.g. medical, criminal history, schools, etc.); draft legal memoranda, pre-trial motions, subpoenas, and orders to produce; interview and assess client requests for services; second seat trials; assist with case preparation; prepare written reports summarizing information compiled; obtain and copy court files; serve subpoenas and other legal documents; assemble court files and materials for trials/appeals/stays/writs; obtain and review client records and determine course of action; handle client and agency correspondence in connection with cases; assist clients in preparing legal documents; serve as a liaison between attorneys and their clients; interact with clients and assist clients in completing forms and releases; refer clients to outside agencies; and handle basic correspondence with clients; perform functions of Paralegal I title unrelated to the Paralegal II title, as necessary and on a temporary basis; and other duties as assigned.
The ideal candidate must have: a paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited school, Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field, or satisfactory completion of a comprehensive in-house training course appropriate to practice area; experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people is strongly desired; excellent writing, verbal, and organizational skills; proficiency in legal research; proficiency in computer and word processing skills; the ability to work independently and multi task; the ability to work in a team setting. Some knowledge of New York criminal law and criminal procedures; proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required.
How to apply
To Apply: The Legal Aid Society is reducing its carbon footprint and therefore paper applications are not accepted. All applicants must submit a cover letter, resume, references and the Applicant Information Form (http://www.legal-aid.org/info_form.html) electronically in a single PDF document by 2/4/16 to: Jobs-crm@legal-aid.org and include the Job Reference Code: CDP-2016-001 in all correspondence and in the subject line of your email. If one or more of the required items are missing or if the application is not in a single PDF, your application will not be processed.
The Legal Aid Society is an Equal Opportunity Employer – Women, People of Color, Gays and Lesbians, Transgender People, Veterans and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.