Family Law Paralegal
BACKGROUND:
Philadelphia Legal Assistance (“PLA”) is the federally funded civil legal aid provider for Philadelphia’s indigent community. We provide high-volume, high-quality, and innovative legal representation in administrative and court proceedings, including all levels of state and federal courts. We also provide community education, advice, referral, and support of pro se representation. Our focus is on legal matters addressing basic human needs: family safety, health, income maintenance, and home preservation.
Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) seeks to immediately hire a full-time paralegal to assist lawyers representing victim-survivors of sexual assault in civil matters in Family Court.
The successful candidate will have a variety of responsibilities as part of a team of attorneys and paralegals, including:
- Interviewing and advising clients who have suffered trauma;
- Drafting civil pleadings to be filed in Philadelphia Family Court;
- Communicating with clients about issues related to their family court matters and making referrals to partner organizations when appropriate;
- Maintaining relationships with key partner organizations;
- Coordinating and managing case referrals;
- Assisting with case management across the Family Law Unit;
- Providing litigation support.
The position will provide opportunities for participation in community outreach and education, and City-wide coalitions focused on advancing the rights of victim-survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
- Two- or Four-Year Degree;
- Strong organizational skills;
- Ability to communicate effectively in writing and verbally;
- An interest in the law and in lawyering;
- Strong analytic and reasoning ability;
- Exceptional attention to detail;
- A sincere and strong commitment to helping others;
- A strong commitment to racial justice;
- The ability to manage conflicting demands;
- Compassion, understanding, patience and a talent for working cooperatively with a broad spectrum of people;
- Ability to work independently and as part of a team
Prior work or volunteer experience at a non-profit serving low-income clients strongly preferred but not required. Ability to speak and write Spanish preferred. Fluency in any language in addition to English is also a plus.
SALARY AND BENEFITS:
Salary is dependent upon experience, starting at $40,000. PLA offers a generous benefit package in addition to salary: 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 based on years of service, life insurance and short and long term disability benefits.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Philadelphia Legal Assistance is an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. PLA values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. PLA invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.
Send cover letter, resume, references, and five-page writing sample, preferably in one PDF document, to work@philalegal.org. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis, and the position will remain open until filled. We encourage applicants to submit applications early.