LEGAL AID SOCIETY OF NORTHEASTERN NEW YORK
Homelessness Prevention Paralegals – Albany Office
Located in New York, must live in NYS
Full-time, Min 35hr/ week
Salary: $38,789 to 46,131, DOE, plus generous benefits
Overview
The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York, a nonprofit civil legal services program, is seeking a Paralegal for our Homelessness Prevention program. Legal Aid’s mission is to fight for fairness, dignity, and justice for those living in poverty and for a society that is inclusive and equitable for all. We transform lives, build community, and empower people by using the law to address individual and systemic wrongs and inequities. Our service area spans sixteen counties, in upstate New York, encompassing six regional offices. This position can be based out of the Albany office. For more information about our work, our staff, and our clients, visit www.lasnny.org.
Homelessness Prevention Program: The Homelessness Prevention Paralegal will be working alongside our attorneys in the Homelessness Prevention Program and the Right to Counsel initiative in the city of Albany.
Minimum Requirements
- Associate degree, 4 to 10 years of experience in serving the low-income community, or equivalent experience.
- Applicants must demonstrate a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion and to housing justice.
- Must be intelligent, hardworking, careful, reliable, have good judgment, attention to detail, and a demonstrated commitment and sensitivity to the low-income community.
- Must be able to communicate effectively with clients and staff, work independently and efficiently and be able to problem solve and work collaboratively with community partner agency staff.
- Demonstrated strong listening and relationship-building skills, empathy, creativity, and ability to conduct, outreach education and marketing campaigns.
- Must be willing to travel, attend court, hearings, and community events, and have a car and driver’s license.
- Strong computer, administrative, reporting, and data entry skills are required.
Preferred requirements
- Lived experience, case management, and social work training and experience.
- A bachelor’s degree for the paralegal providing intensive case management.
- Ability to speak Spanish.
Staff Attorney Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- The attorneys and paralegals will provide legal assistance to households who are at risk of homelessness by preventing evictions, securing mainstream benefits, and making referrals to services that will enhance the household’s ability to maintain permanent housing.
- The paralegals will conduct outreach, education, marketing, and initial screening of program clients.
- In Albany, a paralegal with both a legal and social work background will provide intensive case management services to high-need families.
- The paralegals will assist the attorneys in providing eviction representation and will provide direct legal representation in administrative matters such as public assistance or other cases under the supervision of an attorney.
- They will also be responsible for making necessary referrals to relevant social services, financial assistance, and income maintenance programs.
- As needed, they will provide follow-up referrals to help to stabilize other aspects of a client’s household, including educational advancement, medical care, and better alternative housing.
- The paralegals will participate in the communities’ Coordinated Entry and other referral and services networks and work collaboratively with government and nonprofit agencies, which provide supportive services, income, shelter, permanent supportive housing, homelessness prevention, and rapid rehousing services, and financial assistance to homeless and at-risk households.
- They will also participate in the implementation of LASNNY’s race equity priority and their professional development plan.
Work Environment
This position operates in a professional law office environment and occasionally may require the carrying of items of up to 20 pounds. This role requires the use of standard office equipment and software and remote videoconferencing platforms. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
We are a unionized program with excellent benefits, offering generous time off, excellent health insurance coverage with premiums primarily paid by LASNNY, health and long-term disability insurance, retirement contributions, tuition reimbursement, qualifying moving expenses, and flexible hybrid -remote and alternative work schedules.
Application Deadline: Until Filled
To apply, please go to www.lasnny.org OR
Complete the Application linked here, or
the mobile-friendly application linked here
Complete the Demographic Survey linked here
At LASNNY we value a diverse, inclusive workforce and we provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees. All qualified applicants for employment will be considered without regard to an individual’s race, color, sex, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition, family care status, marital status, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local laws. We strongly encourage applications from women, BIPOC, LGBTQI+ persons, protected veterans, applicants and recipients of public assistance, older adults, and people with disabilities.
If you are unable to submit your application because of incompatible assistive technology or a disability, please contact us at LASNNY and we will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities to the extent required by applicable law.
