Atlanta Legal Aid Society (“Legal Aid”) seeks a Paralegal/Administrative Assistant to work in its Veterans Law Project 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. The project assists homeless and at-risk Veterans who have legal needs that create barriers to housing stability. Project staff support Veterans through holistic legal services, as well as collaborations for supportive services with local law schools and courts, the VA hospital, and veteran services organizations. Founded in 2022, the Veterans Law Project is Legal Aid’s newest project. The project started with a part-time attorney and a part-time paralegal. Currently, the staff consists of a managing attorney, a staff attorney, and a paralegal.
Responsibilities: The Paralegal/Administrative Assistant is responsible for screening clients and completing questionnaires for a variety of civil legal matters affecting a client’s housing stability including eviction defense, VA benefits, public benefits and health insurance, access to appropriate support services, disability rights, poor housing conditions, end of life planning, family, and consumer. The Paralegal/Administrative Assistant duties also include performing regular outreach for clients and community service partners; handling internal referrals to the Veterans Law Project; creating and maintaining the monthly intake 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 palliative care 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; file management including scanning documents into client database and filing and archiving closed cases; 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 data entry, and experience with Microsoft Office and Google Workspace. Excellent writing, communication and listening skills; ability to communicate effectively with clients, families, doctors, social workers, and project partners; 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 veterans and knowledge of 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 increase 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 remotely 2 days a week 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.