Litigation Assistant

Min 5 yrs required

Full-time

No

Litigation Assistant - Join the Nation's Oldest and Largest Social Justice Legal Services Organization!

Organization: The Legal Aid Society (LAS) - New York City's primary public defender, providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 200,000 people facing misdemeanor, felony, and homicide charges.

Location: New York, NY (Citywide)

Salary Range: $60,000 to $86,577

Job Title: Litigation Assistant (LA)

Experience Level: Bachelor's degree preferred. Will also consider applicants with paralegal certificates from an ABA accredited school, or applicants with 5+ years of applicable legal experience and satisfactory completion of a comprehensive in-house training course.

Job Description:

The Legal Aid Society is seeking dedicated and passionate Litigation Assistants to join our Criminal Defense Practice as part of a newly organized Paralegal Services Unit. As a member of the defense team, the Litigation Assistant provides critical support to attorneys and clients. The Litigation Assistant will gather, organize, and analyze discovery, investigations, and other pertinent materials to prepare for mitigation and/or litigation. This is an exciting opportunity to make a difference in the lives of low-income individuals and advocate for social justice.

Essential Duties/Responsibilities:

- Manage and organize discovery, investigation, and other case materials into case files using applicable data management platforms.
- Create spreadsheets or other logs to aid in managing and organizing digital files and case information.
- Organize and analyze discovery from prosecutors and provide in-depth analysis of the evidence to assigned attorneys.
- Review discovery to locate potential sources of other evidence that needs to be gathered and preserved.
- Understand New York State discovery laws and developing case law to assist attorneys in filing challenges to prosecutors’ certificates of compliance and in defense compliance.
- Provide insight, analysis, and assistance in litigation and/or mitigation strategy.
- Assist attorneys and team in accessing case materials.
- Assist attorneys in conducting legal research and drafting documents.
- Liaison between attorneys, clients, and other parties to provide updates and address questions.
- Ensure that cases are trial ready by coordinating witnesses and assisting counsel in preparing witnesses for mitigation or litigation.
- Oversee the retaining and payment of expert witnesses and coordinate travel and other logistics for in-person testimony at hearings or trials.
- Assist attorneys in hearing and trial preparation, including trial or case notebooks and gathering trial evidence.
- Accompany attorneys to court and provide litigation support during hearings and trials.
- Update case management system as needed.
- Perform functions in the Paralegal 2 title, only as necessary and on a temporary basis.
- Other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

- Bachelor’s degree preferred. Will also consider applicants with paralegal certificates from an ABA accredited school, or applicants with 5+ years of applicable legal experience and satisfactory completion of a comprehensive in-house training course.
- Experience in and/or commitment to advocacy on behalf of low-income people is strongly desired.
- Excellent writing, verbal, and organizational skills.
- Advanced user of Outlook, OneDrive, Teams, PowerPoint, and SharePoint for document management, collaboration, and workflow automation.
- Proficiency in legal research and developing legal arguments with counsel supervision.
- Proficiency in computer, electronic data management and file sharing platforms, e-discovery platforms, and Microsoft Suite.
- E-filing and e-discovery experience desirable.
- Ability to work independently and in a team setting.
- Ability to multi-task.
- Some knowledge of New York criminal law and criminal procedures is desirable.
- Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required.

Benefits:

- Generous benefits package including health insurance, paid vacation, disability, and life insurance.
- Salaries for unionized jobs are governed by the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
- Opportunity to take advantage of Public Service Loan Forgiveness and other State and Federal loan forgiveness programs.
- Assistance from New York state to assist with loan repayments for New York residents, depending on years of practice.
- Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.

How to Apply:

All applications must be completed online through the LAS Recruitment Portal. Please submit a cover letter and resume as a single combined PDF. The deadline for applications is 3:00 PM EST on the date listed.

Legal Aid Society is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer and prohibits discriminatory employment actions and treatment based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.

Join the Legal Aid Society and make a difference in the lives of those facing criminal charges in New York City. Apply now!

Not specified

Health insurance, paid vacation, disability, life insurance, and more

Proficiency in languages other than English is desirable, but not required

Legal research, document management, e-filing, e-discovery, trial preparation, case management, legal writing, legal arguments, advocacy, client communication, multitasking, Microsoft Suite proficiency, organizational skills, basic knowledge of New York criminal law and procedure, proficiency in languages other than English

Bachelor's degree preferred, paralegal certificate from ABA accredited school or 5+ years of applicable legal experience

Apply via the LAS Recruitment Portal and submit a cover letter and resume as a single combined PDF

Qualification and Experience Bachelor's degree or paralegal certificate from ABA accredited school or 5+ years of applicable legal experience

Legal