Paralegal

Summary:              The Paralegal will be expected to work closely with tenants, lawyers, the court, and community partners. The Paralegal will be involved in many aspects of the work of the CCCS Preserving Housing programs, including providing litigation support in eviction defense and affirmative cases, conducting client interviews, staffing court calendars, assisting tenants in advocacy with housing-related benefits and programs, researching and investigating tenant claims and defenses, and conducting community education and outreach at off-site locations. The Paralegal will also assist in the administrative work which includes screening tenants for eligibility for our services, coordinating follow-up services including appointments, referrals, drafting client correspondence, and ensuring grant/data compliance. Incumbents in this classification are expected to possess considerable expertise in legal terminology, procedures, time limits, and alternative dispute resolution techniques as they relate to Housing Court proceedings and landlord-tenant relations in general.

Salary: $70,000 - $75,000 annually

Location: 34 West 134th Street, New York, NY, 10037

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Works with the Supervising Attorney and Department Director in providing assistance in matters related to housing court and landlord/tenant law.

• Accompanies clients to Housing Court as the agency’s representative for the purpose of providing guidance and support to clients.

• Provides guidance to clients in Housing Court.

• Provides mediation services to clients who are having problems with their landlords.

• Provides guidance to clients who are pursuing Housing Part actions (HP) in Housing Court, or administrative proceedings in the administrative proceedings conducted by an Administrative Law Judge (DHCR).

• Handle special projects as assigned by the supervisor.

• Attend Department and Program meetings as directed.

Qualifications:

Education and/or experience required:

Bachelor’s degree required with relevant experience in the field, bi-lingual English-Spanish  a plus

Skills, Licenses, and/or competencies required:

• Experience working with diverse low-income communities.
• Bachelors Degree required. Paralegal experience preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills; strong organizational skills and computer literate in Microsoft Word and Excel.
• Excellent interviewing, writing, and communication skills;
• College degree or equivalent experience preferred;
• Experience entering and tracking information in electronic formats and running reports;
• Experience with housing law or landlord/tenant issues is a plus; and
• Fluency or proficiency in Spanish or another language commonly spoken by Bronx residents is preferred.