Legal Secretary, Stay Housed Program

Join Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA) and become part of an energetic team of advocates that provide a wide range of services to address legal issues that disproportionately impact the poor.  These services include litigation, providing litigation, training, policy advocacy, technical assistance, and community education.

 

NLSLA is currently seeking a Legal Secretary for its Stay Housed Program, which is aimed at addressing the housing crisis (and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on tenants) by providing legal assistance to low-income tenants facing eviction and/or termination of housing subsidies.  The Legal Secretary will provide administrative support to attorneys and paralegals by performing a full range of clerical and administrative duties.  Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English is required.

 

 

Position:

 

Legal Secretary, Temporary

 

Availability:

 

Open Immediately

 

Salary:

Salary $35,000+ commensurate with experience. Excellent Benefits which include: choice of medical, dental, vision; life and disability insurance plans; 125 plan; 403(b), bilingual pay supplement, sick and vacation pay, and 13 employer-paid holidays.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Perform a full range of legal secretarial duties for 5-7 attorneys and 2 paralegals. Responsibilities include assisting attorneys in all aspects of litigation, preparing and maintaining case files, drafting and editing correspondence, court forms, pleadings, discovery and other documents, maintaining legal files and detailed records in the electronic case management system, filing pleadings, briefs and other court documents, arranging service of process, and maintaining calendar, filing and tickler systems.  Responsibilities also include assisting with client communications, answering telephones, making appointments, managing calendars, and coordinating community outreach/education events, legal clinics, trainings and other special projects and events. 

Develop a working knowledge of housing law, court filings and rules, as needed to provide litigation support and communicate with clients.  Gain knowledge of available resources and referral procedures to help clients with access services.  Work directly with clients in English and Spanish. 

Comply with contractual requirements and ensure proper documentation and tracking of case files in accordance with program and grant requirements.  Assist with reports, basic graphics and other program needs.

 

 

Qualifications:

 

Must have excellent computer skills with a solid knowledge of Windows environments and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, and Excel).  Good organizational and writing skills.  Ability to work with minimal supervision and cooperatively; commitment to working with and on behalf of low-income persons.  Bilingual proficiency in Spanish and English (verbal and written) is required. 

 

 

About NLSLA:

 

Founded in 1965 as part of our nation’s War on Poverty, NLSLA is now one of the largest and most prominent public interest law firms in California. NLSLA provides free assistance to more than 150,000 low-income residents of Los Angeles County each year. Its operating budget for 2020 will reach $22 million, with a staff of more than 160, including 80 attorneys.

 

NLSLA serves all of Los Angeles County with a special emphasis on the poverty communities of the San Fernando, San Gabriel, Pomona and Antelope Valleys, as well as the central county cities of Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena.  NLSLA staff members are housed in four regional offices located in Pacoima, El Monte, Boyle Heights, and Glendale - where the program’s administrative offices are also located.  In addition, NLSLA advocates are co-located in courthouses in Van Nuys, Lancaster, Chatsworth, Pomona and Downtown LA; Hospitals and health centers in Sylmar, Van Nuys, North Hollywood and El Monte; and with social services providers in the Antelope Valley.

 

Advocates specialize in areas of the law that disproportionately impact the poor, including affordable housing and eviction defense, access to public benefits, support for domestic violence victims, access to healthcare, worker and consumer rights, as well as employment and training. NLSLA is particularly known for its innovative programs and collaborative models for delivering services across the County. Among those are the NLSLA Health Consumer Center (HCC) and Medical Legal Community Partnership projects ensuring that everyone receives the health care they need; Shriver Housing - LA providing right to counsel for evictions; Self-Help Legal Access Centers assisting the un-represented with domestic violence, family law and eviction cases in nine courthouses; Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project (PEHP) providing legal help to the homeless in Antelope, San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys; Stay Housed defending against evictions and housing subsidy terminations in Antelope, San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys; and Disaster Legal Assistance providing support and help to low-income disaster survivors.