Job Title: Housing and Family Law Paralegal
Reports to: CWLA Staff Attorneys
Location: Yakima, Washington
About Central WA Legal Aid (CWLA)
CWLA is a non-profit organization that serves the most vulnerable of our community by providing expedited and intensive legal advocacy and problem-solving strategies. We strive to change the culture of the legal field by prioritizing and understanding the populations we serve.
We exist to bring passionate and unencumbered legal advocacy to the most vulnerable populations in our community.
Job Description
CWLA is looking for a highly motivated, outgoing, detail-oriented, and organized person to join our team. The key to success in this role is having a high level of responsibility and a desire to help with an expedited sense of urgency. This person needs to be able to work well with clients, have flexibility and communication skills to work well with three staff attorneys, have an interest in access to justice, speak Spanish, and handle housing and family law matters.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
Clerical/administrative/office tasks as assigned.
Preparing and editing correspondence and legal documents independently and consistent with attorney instructions.
Completing intakes with clients and maintaining legal files and records using CWLA's case management system.
Managing filing and notice deadlines and important hearing and appointment dates and office calendars.
Assisting the Family Support Staff Attorney in preparing legal documents for family law cases.
Assisting the Landlord-Tenant Attorneys in preparing legal documents for landlord-tenant cases.
Assisting in client communication often in the Spanish language, document gathering, limited computer-assisted legal research
Coordinating client/interpreter/attorney scheduling, communicating regularly with clients, opposing counsel, and community partners
Performing investigative work (researching facts, gathering client evidence and declarations, access databases, etc.) as requested.
Maintaining a professional working relationship with clients and the community. Maintain a professional working relationship with our community partners.
Being present in the office to greet CWLA clients, both scheduled and "walk in" clients.
Maintaining a safe, open, and accepting workplace.
Participating in and implementing practices from ongoing race equity education and trauma informed advocacy trainings.
Conduct client intakes for Housing Justice Project and Family Support Program.
Creating and maintaining legal files and records using Legal Server.
Maintain regular client contact through phone, email, and mail. Remind clients of upcoming appointments and deadlines. Gather new facts, documents, and updates.
Conduct timely client intakes on all referrals to determine eligibility. Schedule and re-schedule appointments as needed.
Maintain client filed in all case and document management platforms.
Update shared calendar system for all team members.
Review and prepare case documents, file with Court, serve opposing parties, and provide proof of service to attorney and Court
Assist team members in communication with opposing counsel, court clerks, and judicial assistants.
Attend and take notes of all meetings with partner organizations where attorneys are present.
Secretarial duties such as copying, scanning, filing, editing, and maintaining physical office.
Develop and maintain a fruitful collaboration with program staff and other volunteer lawyer programs across the state.
Attorneys may work in the office or remotely, so this position requires the ability to work well without direct supervision and must have the communication skills to be able to work with two different lawyers remotely.
Capturing data accurately and noting special client stories for grant reporting.
Must be flexible to work outside of these duties as assigned.
Essential Qualifications
Associate degree, paralegal certificate or an equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient to perform the essential elements of the job
Experience working in non-profit or legal organizations
Ability to maintain confidentiality
Ability to work with attorneys
Excellent organizational skills with ability to coordinate and prioritize multiple projects
Ability to learn quickly, pay exceptional attention to detail, and engage in critical thinking and problem solving while maintaining a high level of quality and productivity
Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills (both telephone and in person)
Ability to work with a diverse population and maintain composure in stressful situations
Fluent in spoken and written Spanish.
Experience working with migrant communities, communities of color and Spanish speaking individuals
Strong desire to serve the public and reduce barriers for low income individuals in our community
Experience in internet navigation and in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook (proficiency in Legal Server a plus)
Valid driver’s license and insurance
Day/Hours and Benefits
Hours: 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday (some nights and weekends on occasion).
Pay: $18.00 - $22.00 an hour DOE, this is a nonexempt position.
Benefits: Health insurance stipend and paid vacation.
Send resume and cover letter describing experience and interest in the position to:
Quinn Dalan, director @ cwlegalaid.org.
Application Deadline: rolling deadline, interviews to start as soon as applications are submitted
CWLA complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws prohibiting employment discrimination. Yakima VAS promotes mutual respect, acceptance, teamwork and productivity in the workplace. People of color, immigrants, women, LGBTQ, those with disabilities, mature workers, and other underrepresented and historically marginalized groups are strongly encouraged to apply.
Job Type: Full-time
