Legal Assistance to the Elderly (LAE) seeks an enthusiastic and compassionate paralegal to join the eviction defense team at Legal Assistance the Elderly! We provide a vital service, aggressively representing elderly tenants and tenants with disabilities who are threatened with losing their homes. The work is intense, fast-paced and demanding but very rewarding. You will work with a very experienced team supporting attorneys as they represent clients throughout their case, beginning with pre-trial motions, through discovery and at trial.
For almost 40 years, LAE has provided free legal advice and representation to San Francisco’s seniors and adults living with disabilities. Our mission is to keep this vulnerable community safe, financially secure and housed. Our primary practice areas are Eviction Defense/Housing (tenants only), Income Support, Elder Abuse Prevention, Health Law, Debt Collection Defense and End of Life Planning. LAE is a friendly and collaborative work environment.
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree and/or paralegal certificate ideal, minimum associate degree required
- Administrative experience, including proficient to intermediate skills with Microsoft Office and other common computer programs.
- Excellent written, verbal and interviewing skills
- Well-organized, highly motivated, and creative problem-solver
- Able to work independently and in a team-oriented environment
- Able to work on several projects simultaneously, and handle high volume of activity
- Patient, flexible & kind
- Demonstrated commitment to social justice
- Must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (including all recommended boosters) unless the applicant has a valid medical reason for not being fully vaccinated or a sincerely held religious belief preventing vaccination
Highly Desirable
- Two or more years of experience working as a paralegal
- Bilingual in English and Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Tagalog and/or Russian
- Knowledge of landlord-tenant law
- Knowledge of legal issues related to poverty and/or aging
- Experience working with elderly, disabled or homeless individuals or those experiencing a crisis
- Experience working in a non-profit legal service organization, or other non-profit
- Experience with Salesforce
General Purpose: To provide litigation and programmatic support to the Housing Team
Litigation Support
- Draft correspondence and other documents
- Conduct legal research and factual investigations
- File documents via e-filing and in person at SF Superior Court where necessary
- Ensure service of legal documents and correspondence
- Assist in responding to and propounding discovery
- Under attorney supervision, prepare responsive pleadings, stay of execution requests, other ex parte applications, noticed motions, and other necessary pleadings
- Provide deposition and trial support
- Work with attorneys and other LAE staff to train and supervise volunteers and interns
- Participate in regular skills-based training sessions
- Attend weekly program meetings, staff meetings, and relevant supervision meetings
- Perform other duties as assigned
Client Services
- Conducts intake interviews with new clients and obtain necessary documentation
- As needed, visit clients in their homes, in skilled nursing facilities and in hospital
- Follow-up with clients
- Record and update client demographic information in database
- Maintain accurate computerized client files and other documentation
- Enter data on time/correctly to support program evaluation and outcomes tracking
The position requires working with individuals during moments of extreme stress and instability. The position also requires the provision of culturally-sensitive and empathetic services. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required. Furthermore, because of the nature of the intake work, the employee is expected to be in the office during normal business hours and to communicate with staff regarding whereabouts when out of office during work hours.
Physical Requirements
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- Prolonged sitting/standing
- Extensive typing/data entry
- Close visual acuity to prepare and analyze data, text, and figures
- Prolonged computer use
Salary based on experience according to our union scale. The estimated annual salary range is $55,000-$65,000 (placement in range determined union scale primarily based on years of related experience).
Union Membership: After successful completion of a probationary period (90 days), membership in the National Organization of Legal Services Workers becomes a condition of employment.
Email resume and cover letter to [email protected]
Attention Hiring Committee
Subject line: HOUSING PARALEGAL
Or click the Apply Now button on this page to submit your resume and cover letter through our website.
Applications will be considered until the position is filled. Those selected for an interview will be notified by phone.
If you find that you meet many of the qualifications in the job description, we encourage you to apply and explain in your cover letter why your experience would make you a good fit for the position. We recognize that organizations may miss out on strong applicants who screen themselves out of the process because they do not meet every qualification and that disproportionately impacts people from historically marginalized backgrounds. We know that our greatest strengths come from the people who make up our team and a welcoming, inclusive and culturally diverse staff allows us to best serve our community. We look forward to your application.
LAE seeks to fill all positions with people who share our values, including our organizational commitment to diversity. We encourage all interested individuals to apply—especially people of color; women; people from low-income backgrounds; people with disabilities; people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, non-binary; or anyone belonging to any other federal or state protected category. We believe that all persons are entitled to equal employment opportunity, and do not discriminate on any basis prohibited by applicable law.
