Bilingual Intake Paralegal
Philadelphia Legal Assistance (PLA) is a non-profit legal services program primarily funded by the Legal Services Corporation that serves low income residents of Philadelphia County and farmworkers throughout Pennsylvania. For Philadelphia residents who are low-income, elderly, or disabled, our legal assistance is often crucial to protecting their homes, their children, their safety, and their livelihood PLA seeks to immediately hire a bilingual full time paralegal for its General Intake Unit. The unit consists of three paralegals who are currently supervised by the Director of Intake & Service Delivery. The primary focus of the position is to conduct face to face and telephone interviews with prospective clients during which a determination of financial eligibility and the identification of the legal problem(s) are made. Paralegals complete referrals to pro bono agencies and provide advice and brief services under the supervision of an attorney. The ideal candidate will possess excellent knowledge of PLA practice areas and knowledge of other community resources for appropriate referrals. There is intensive in-house training and close supervision will be provided.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
Salary is commensurate with years of experience and is comparable to other public interest paralegal salaries. Full health coverage and generous holiday and leave benefits.
PLA values a diverse work environment and strongly encourages women, people of color, people who identify as LGBTQ, people with disabilities, people who have experienced poverty or homelessness, and people who have had prior contact with the juvenile, criminal, or child welfare systems to apply. PLA invites all applicants to include in their cover letter a statement about how your unique background and/or experiences might contribute to the diversity, cultural vitality, and perspective of our staff and legal services practice.”
QUALIFICATIONS
- A college degree is preferred.
- Ability to speak, read, and write Spanish is required.
- Strong communication and interviewing skills.
- Ability to interact and communicate calmly with people.
- Ability to analyze complex factual scenarios and, after training, identify the legal problem.
- A commitment to improving the well-being of low-income communities.
- Maturity, self-motivation, and ability to adapt quickly.
- Prior work or volunteer experience at a non-profit serving low-income clients is preferred.
- Strong writing and problem solving skills.
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply. Interested applicants should forward a resume and cover letter addressed to the Hiring Committee by email at: work@philalegal.org.
Application deadline is November 30, 2018, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. The position will remain open until filled and applications will be accepted until that time.