Atlanta Legal Aid Society (“Legal Aid”) seeks a Paralegal/Administrative Assistant to work in its Health Law Unit located in downtown Atlanta. Our nonprofit represents low-income persons in a variety of civil legal matters including family, housing, consumer, public benefits, education and health law. The Health Law Unit aims to improve the health and well-being of low-income people living with or affected by life-threatening illnesses by coordinating services to address legal, social, and economic conditions threatening their health. The unit began in 1990 as the AIDS Legal Project and expanded to work with people with cancer and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease). The staff consists of a managing attorney and two staff attorneys.
Responsibilities: The Paralegal/Administrative Assistant is responsible for screening clients and completing questionnaires for Social Security, housing, employment, domestic relations, and estate planning; conducting off-site outreach at various locations; handling internal referrals to the Health Law Unit; preparing for weekly case acceptance meeting by uploading cases to conference room computer; creating and maintaining the monthly intake and outreach schedule; case handling, including providing clients with information and advice under attorney supervision; preparing closing letters; drafting conflict letters; assisting attorneys during estate planning execution and with document preparation, organization, trial binders, notarization, and medical records requests; making home, hospital, or hospice visits when clients are unable to come into the office; data management, including accurately entering new case information into Legal Aid’s client database and other databases for grant compliance purposes; tracking cases to ensure proper documentation is gathered and updating proper funding codes; preparing reports for funders and attending scheduled site visits; file management, including scanning documents into client database, filing and archiving closed cases; training new employees and interns on case management systems and establishing their account login; requesting computer access and key cards for new employee and interns; and other paralegal/legal assistant work as needed.
Qualifications: An undergraduate degree or paralegal certificate is preferred but not required. Applicants must possess strong organizational skills, meticulous attention to detail, excellent computer skills including a high level of proficiency with word processing and accurate data entry, and experience with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. Excellent writing, communication and listening skills; ability to communicate effectively with clients, families, doctors, social workers, and hospital staff; ability to work on a team and alone; adaptability; appreciation of diversity; a demonstrated interest in or experience working with low-income persons; and ready access to a working car are required. Previous work with persons who have serious health conditions, and knowledge of health and poverty law are preferred. Experience with law office management software, and proficiency in Spanish and willingness to improve language skills are highly valued.
Salary and Benefits: The salary is $34,500+ depending upon experience. Salaries are increased annually based on a salary scale. The program provides generous fringe benefits including 13 paid holidays, 6 weeks paid time off, 6 weeks parental leave; health, life, and long and short-term disability insurance; partial payment for dependent health insurance; a salary reduction option for a flexible spending account; educational loan reimbursement up to $600 per month (after a $65 per month deductible and set off of other loan reimbursement amounts); and voluntary tax-sheltered annuity with 3% match. Legal Aid offers a hybrid work schedule that allows staff to work 2 days remotely subject to management approval and a probationary employment period.
Application Requirements: Submit a letter of interest; resume; recent writing sample; school transcript (a copy is acceptable pending your order of an official transcript); and the names, phone numbers and e-mail addresses of three professional references as one (1) PDF using our online application system at the following link:
Atlantalegalaid.org/jobs
For technical difficulties in submitting your application, please email [email protected].
Your application will be acknowledged. No phone calls please.
Out of concern for the health and safety of our staff, clients and their families, the Atlanta Legal Aid Society requires that all new hires be vaccinated for COVID 19.
ALAS considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or any other legally protected status.