Legal Staff Paralegal in Denver, CO

Public Interest

Denver, CO

Legal Staff Paralegal in Denver, CO

Legal Staff

Min 1 yrs required

No

Job Title: Paralegal - Denver Housing Unit (two-year term)

Job Responsibilities:
The Paralegal in the Denver Housing Unit (DHU) is responsible for providing assistance and legal representation to Colorado tenants. The role primarily focuses on eviction defense and involves the following key duties:

- Collaborating with DHU attorneys to manage case details, potential strategies, and client goals.
- Managing fast-paced housing intakes and ensuring timely communication with applicants, clients, attorneys, and staff.
- Investigating cases, contacting case workers, conducting client and witness interviews, and reviewing documents with clients, which may occasionally require home visits or other in-person meetings.
- Conducting independent legal research for attorney review.
- Drafting written communications to clients, opposing counsel, and other organizations, ensuring timely contact within deadlines.
- Facilitating referrals to and applications for rental assistance, including the compilation of required documents.
- Supporting litigation and trial preparation by reviewing discovery, drafting subpoenas for attorney review, creating trial binders, and more.
- Staffing the Arapahoe County housing legal clinic two to three days a week, offering direct support to tenants facing eviction. Duties include interviewing applicants, gathering relevant facts, identifying legal issues, referring applicants and clients to partner organizations, and providing detailed administrative support to the clinic.
- Researching potential defenses and assisting attorneys in drafting pleadings.
- Providing tenants with general housing legal information.
- Assisting in the timely closure of cases and other administrative tasks.
- Conducting community education and outreach by participating in events, meeting with partner organizations, and delivering Know Your Rights presentations.
- Frequently collaborating with social workers in the Client Support Services unit to identify and address clients’ non-legal needs.
- Providing assistance with special projects, which may include developing community resources, designing trainings, or planning outreach events.
- Performing additional tasks or responsibilities as needed to meet the needs of the organization or as assigned by supervisors, including providing coverage to fellow staff.

Education and Experience Information:
Required Qualifications:
- At least one year of customer service experience or volunteer work with low-income or other vulnerable communities.
- Ability to independently manage multiple tasks while meeting deadlines.
- Ability to collaborate with team members and partner organizations (., rental assistance administrators, housing authorities).
- Competence in drafting accurate, detailed written communications.
- Dedication to housing justice for low-income and vulnerable populations.
- Ability to travel to and from the courthouse clinic assigned (Adams, Arapahoe, Broomfield, or Denver) two to three days a week.

Preferred Qualifications:
- Fluency in Spanish or another language other than English and willingness to use language fluency to support clients and applicants.
- Associate’s degree, bachelor's degree, and/or paralegal certification from an ABA accredited program.
- At least one year of experience in legal support, paralegal work, intake specialist roles, or other relevant positions.
- Knowledge of Colorado court procedure, federal or state housing law, or housing subsidy programs.
- Previous experience working with people with mental health issues.
- Understanding of community resources such as mutual aid groups, food banks, and government programs.

Salary Information:
Compensation for the Paralegal position in the Denver Housing Unit ranges from $66,050 to $87,030, depending on experience.

The organization offers a generous benefits plan that includes 100% employer-paid premiums for employee health, dental, vision, life, and long-term disability insurance, as well as partial employer-paid premiums for spouses/dependents based on a sliding scale. Additional benefits include Dependent Care and Medical Flexible spending accounts, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and contributions to a 403(b) retirement account with a matching program. Employees enjoy generous paid time-off and 13 paid holidays per year. The organization values work/life balance and strives to create a culture of belonging and a psychologically safe work environment.