Paralegal Client Advocate, LGBTQ+ Unit - New York, NY

2024-12-11T17:00:00Z

The Legal Aid Society's LGBTQ+ Law and Policy Unit addresses systemic issues faced by Legal Aid's LGBTQ+ clients across all three Legal Aid practice areas, Criminal Defense, Civil, and Juvenile Rights, through legislative advocacy, litigation, community-based organizing, and individual client advocacy. The Unit is also responsible for training all of Legal Aid's staff on working with and affirming LGBTQ+ clients and their legal rights.

The Unit seeks a client advocate to assist in several aspects of the Unit's work, specifically:

• Organizing, in partnership with our pro bono partner, the Unit's monthly name change clinic at the Ali Forney Center. This role involves coordinating with the Ali Forney Center and the pro bono law firm to ensure the monthly clinic is staffed, providing guidance on the name change process to our pro bono partner and Ali Forney Center staff, and filing name change petitions for clients.

• Providing support to Legal Aid Society attorneys seeking advice on how to affirm and support LGBTQ+ clients and developing and maintaining relationships with organizations that provide resources and support to the LGBTQ+ community in New York City.

• Assist with advocacy on behalf of the Unit's clients, including corresponding with clients via legal mail and legal calls, advocating with agencies for affirming and respectful treatment of clients, and ordering and collecting relevant client records. For instance, this work will include advocating for transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary, and intersex clients to access safer housing and transition-related care in the New York City Department of Correction and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.

• In coordination with the Unit's Learning and Community Engagement Specialist, organize and deliver know-your-rights and training sessions designed to assist people in advocating for themselves and participating in the Unit's systemic reform efforts.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

Client Advocacy and Support

• Connect Legal Aid clients, including Unit clients, with affirming LGBTQ+ organizations and resources
• Assist with client intake and correspondence and communication
• Collect medical and other records to conduct advocacy on behalf of the client. For instance, the Unit routinely advocates on behalf of clients seeking safer housing and affirming medical care in the state prison system and City jails
• Draft correspondence to agencies advocating on behalf of Unit clients
• Maintain a robust set of referrals for Legal Aid attorneys and social workers seeking to connect their clients with affirming LGBTQ+ organizations and resources
• Develop connections with affirming LGBTQ+ organizations and resources to strengthen ties with The Legal Aid Society and its clients

Ali Forney Center Name Change Clinic

• Organize the Unit's monthly name change clinic with the Ali Forney Center, including ensuring the clinic is sufficiently staffed and providing guidance on the name change process to the Ali Forney Center staff and to our pro bono law firm partner
• Interview Ali Forney Center clients and file name change petitions under the supervision of the Unit's Director

Community Engagement

• In collaboration with the Unit's Community Engagement Specialist, assist with developing and executing creative strategies to foster the Unit's policy goals through community engagement and organizing
• Organize, develop, and deliver know-your-rights and other information and training sessions designed to assist people in advocating for themselves and participating in the Unit's law reform efforts

Professional Development

• Participate in continuous professional development, including relevant trainings on working with LGBTQ+ client populations that may experience physical illnesses and physical disabilities, mental illness, intellectual and developmental delays, and clients with histories of substance use/abuse
• Demonstrate affirmative behaviors that support an inclusive work environment
• Other duties as assigned

TRAINING AND QUALIFICATIONS

Required qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree or paralegal certificate from an ABA-accredited paralegal program; or 4+ years of relevant education and/or experience working directly with and advocating on behalf of justice system involved people or low-income people
• Familiarity with the New York State criminal law system, civil court system, or family court system
• Demonstrated dedication to the provision of holistic and supportive client services
• Demonstrated commitment to racial justice and justice for LGBTQ+ people and understanding of intersectionality

Preferred qualifications:

• Familiarity with the name change process in New York State
• Proficiency in languages other than English
• Familiarity with New York State Freedom of Information Law
• Experience with social justice advocacy and coalition-based work, preferably in New York City or New York State

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Please submit these documents as a single combined PDF when you apply via the LAS (Legal Aid Society) Recruitment Portal.

• Resume
• Cover Letter

SALARY TRANSPARENCY

The posting reflects the range of potential salaries for the role. The specific salary offers will be dependent on candidate qualifications, including collectively bargained salary steps for unionized roles.

Salary Range/ Salary: $60,033- $91,932

SALARY AND BENEFITS

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society believes in attracting and retaining exceptional talent committed to serving our clients. We offer a generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance, and more. Salaries for our unionized jobs are governed by our Collective Bargaining Agreement. Please visit our Careers page for additional information. Salary and benefits information will be available to applicants, when and if, an offer is made.

Click here to read more about the benefits of working at The Legal Aid Society

HIGHER EDUCATION AND LOAN FORGIVENESS

The Legal Aid Society is a qualified employer for the purposes of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness. This position allows an employee to take advantage of PSLF and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.

Additionally, employees who are New York residents may be eligible for assistance from New York State to assist with loan repayments, depending on years of practice. To learn more, click the links below.

studentaid.gov

hesc.ny.gov/find-aid-you-need/new-york-state-loan-forgiveness-programs

OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

The leadership of The Legal Aid Society is committed to a work culture of zealous advocacy, respect, diversity and inclusion, client-oriented defense, access to justice and excellent representation. We are dedicated to building a strong professional relationship with each of our clients, to understanding their diverse circumstances, and to meeting their needs. Our ability to achieve these goals depends on the efforts of all of us.

WORK AUTHORIZATION

All applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States for any employer without sponsorship for a work visa or permit. We are currently unable to sponsor employment visas or permits. (However, for citizens of Canada and Mexico, LAS will provide a letter documenting employment status that is needed to obtain a TN visa.)

HOW TO APPLY

All applications must be completed online. We do not accept paper submissions. Please visit our Careers Page to review all current job postings, and instructions on the application process. For technical difficulties or questions regarding this posting, please email jobpostquestions@legal-aid.org.

As an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer, The Legal Aid Society prohibits discriminatory employment actions against and treatment of its employees and applicants for employment based on actual or perceived race or color, size (including bone structure, body size, height, shape, and weight), religion or creed, alienage or citizenship status, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity (one's internal deeply-held sense of one's gender which may be the same or different from one's sex assigned at birth); gender expression (the representation of gender as expressed through, for example, one's name, choice of pronouns, clothing, haircut, behavior, voice, or body characteristics; gender expression may not conform to traditional gender-based stereotypes assigned to specific gender identities), disability, marital status, relationship and family structure (including domestic partnerships, polyamorous families and individuals, chosen family, platonic co-parents, and multigenerational families), genetic information or predisposing genetic characteristics, military status, domestic violence victim status, arrest or pre-employment conviction record, credit history, unemployment status, caregiver status, salary history, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Manhattan - Criminal Defense Practice Office