Senior Paralegal

Description:

POSITION OVERVIEW

ACLU SoCal is seeking to hire a Senior Paralegal to support ACLU SoCal’s Advocacy Department. The Senior Paralegal is responsible for providing primary litigation support for all cases; training to junior Advocacy staff on filings and other office procedures; in some cases, providing oversight of Paralegals and Advocacy Assistants’ work product. This position will require demonstrated mastery of all aspects of litigation support, demonstrated leadership skills, good communication and people skills, flexibility, and a high level of organization. This role will require occasional evening and weekend work.

The Senior Paralegal will report to the Director of Advocacy Support or a Senior Supervising Paralegal.

The Senior Paralegal, like all staff within the ACLU of Southern California, is expected to model professional workplace behavior and standards, and clearly and enthusiastically demonstrate our core values of accountability, collaboration, diversity, excellence, honesty, integrity, humility, and open communication.

CLASSIFICATION:

This is a full-time, non-exempt bargaining unit position in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers union.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Assist the Senior Supervising Paralegal by mentoring and serving as a lead for junior and new staff.
• Prepare and execute filings of a variety of legal documents, including memoranda, pleadings, briefs, motions, court forms, petitions, subpoenas, bill of costs, and discovery documents
• Research court rules and procedures and communicate these to attorneys to ensure accuracy of filings and non-rejection by courts
• Maintain primarily electronic case files including pleadings, correspondence, discovery and other materials
• Liaise with co-counsel, opposing counsel, clients, court personnel, and various committees and community groups/members
• Draft correspondence, declarations, and various court/legal documents
• Assist attorneys with legal research, including citation checking, internet searches, using off-site libraries, copying abstracts, cases, etc.
• Conduct factual and policy research
• Conduct and/or assist in client interviews
• Attend community meetings
• Draft requests for public records/information, as well as analyzing and organizing responses to such requests
• Maintain a calendar of attorneys' litigation schedules

Qualifications:

Required

• Bachelor’s degree or Paralegal Certificate plus seven years of full-time litigation support experience
• Knowledge of filing procedures and requirements for trial and appellate courts in state and federal systems, and experience researching all courts’ rules
• Experience with ECF filing and case management system
• In-depth knowledge of legal terminology and principles Advanced proficiency in Word, Outlook, Excel, WordPerfect, Westlaw, Timeslips, and Compulaw
• Excellent typing and proofing skills; WordPerfect for Windows, Microsoft Word, and Adobe
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral
• Ability to work well under pressure, including some evenings and weekends

Desired

• A deep and demonstrated commitment to the cause of civil liberties and civil rights
• Experience working in coalitions and with impacted communities

RACIAL EQUITY COMPETENCIES

Understanding and Applying Racial Equity

Demonstrate commitment to building or deepening understanding of racial equity:

• Core terms and concepts such as structural racism, white privilege, and anti-Blackness.
• The role that racial inequity has played and continues to play in our society.
• How race impacts supervisory relationships, team dynamics, and organizational culture.
• Personal/implicit/unconscious bias.

Working for Racial Equity

• Consistently assess structural implications and racially disproportionate impacts of policies, activities, and decisions within the context of their job responsibilities; race/ethnicity, intersection of race/ethnicity, gender, identity, and/or sexual orientation.
• Consistently adhere to organization’s racial equity policies and procedures, including those that relate to hiring, retention, and promotion.
• Consistently identify and disrupt ways in which bias plays out in work and/or team.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The salary range for this position starts $44.24 per hour, which is approximately $86,260 annually for senior paralegals without a certificate, $45.26 per hour, which is approximately $88,260 annually, for senior paralegals with a certificate. This compensation is annual and is based on number of years of experience.

Benefits include medical, vision, and dental insurance for staff members and their eligible dependents; life and long-term, short-term disability insurance; 401(k) plan with employer match; ample vacation and sick leave and twenty-two paid holidays.

TO APPLY

Please upload a cover letter and resume in order to be considered. This role will remain open until filled.

The ACLU of Southern California is committed to developing a culture of diversity, equity, respect, and inclusion and to strive to maintain a workforce that reflects the communities that we serve.