Full time paralegal for General Intake Unit
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
General Intake Paralegal
ORGANIZATION
Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is a non-profit legal services program primarily funded by the Legal Services Corporation that serves low income residents of Philadelphia County and farmworkers throughout Pennsylvania. For Philadelphia 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.
POSITION
PLA seeks to immediately hire a full time paralegal for its General Intake Unit. The unit consists of three paralegals and a part time paralegal fellow who are currently supervised by one of PLA’s Managing Attorneys. The primary focus of the position is to conduct telephone interviews with prospective clients during which a determination of financial eligibility and the identification of the legal problem(s) are made. Paralegals complete referrals to pro bono agencies and provide advice and brief services under the supervision of an attorney. The ideal candidate will possess excellent knowledge of PLA practice areas and knowledge of other community resources for appropriate referrals. There is intensive in-house training and close supervision will be provided. Paralegals may be asked to conduct face to face interviews with applicants when PLA returns to the office environment.
QUALIFICATIONS
- A college degree is preferred.
- Strong communication and interviewing skills.
- Ability to interact and communicate calmly with people.
- Ability to analyze complex factual scenarios and, after training, identify the legal problem.
- A commitment to improving the well-being of low-income communities.
- Maturity, self-motivation, and ability to adapt quickly.
- Prior work or volunteer experience at a non-profit serving low-income clients is preferred.
- Strong writing and problem solving skills.
- Ability to speak, read, and write a second language preferred, but not required.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is commensurate with years of experience and is comparable to other public interest paralegal salaries. Full health coverage and generous holiday and leave benefits.
WORK LOCATION
So long as the pandemic continues, the successful candidate may be working from home in this position until further notice. When normal business operations resume, the position will be located at the offices of Philadelphia Legal Assistance. Until the end of the pandemic, all training will be done through video conferencing. Applicants will need to have their own phone with a google voice account, a secure laptop or desktop computer and a robust internet connection.
APPLICATION PROCESS
Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is an equal opportunity employer. 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.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should forward a resume and cover letter addressed to the Hiring Committee, preferably in one PDF document, by email to: work@philalegal.org.
Application deadline is April 15, 2021, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The position will remain open until filled and applications will be accepted until that time.