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Paralegal (Elder Rights)

Description: 

Prairie State Legal Services is a not-for-profit legal aid organization that provides civil legal aid services to the poor, elderly, and people with disabilities. Prairie State has 11 offices serving 36 counties throughout northern and central Illinois. Prairie State focuses services on legal problems that impact the ability of our clients to meet their basic human needs, including physical safety, access to healthcare, adequate housing, and similar needs. It is the only legal aid organization in the majority of its service area. Annually, PSLS handles over 22,000 applications for legal help and serves over 16,000 clients. We pride ourselves on fostering a work environment that is motivating, collaborative, and fun, with plenty of opportunities for professional growth. More information is available on our website at www.pslegal.org

Under this project, PSLS provides comprehensive legal assistance to vulnerable older adults, including those requiring long term care via nursing home, supportive living, assisted housing or in-home care and those who are victims of elder abuse. The Paralegal will be based in our office in West Chicago, and will work with experienced staff attorneys in multiple PSLS offices throughout the collar county region.

Responsibilities

Among other duties as assigned, the Paralegal will:

  • Interview applicants for legal services and assess their legal issues, with a focus on assisting older adults with issues related to long term care medical assistance
  • Collect and develop financial documentation and other evidence to support Medicaid long term care applications and related matters
  • Under the supervision of a licensed attorney, provide services including legal research, factual investigation, and document preparation
  • Develop tools to further PSLS’ goal of serving older adults in long term care cases, including documents to guide best practices for PSLS staff and client family members, and other educational materials for older adults and their family members
  • Engage with nursing home ombudsmen and local, state, and federal governments and community agencies that serve older adults to coordinate service delivery
  • Travel to other PSLS offices and long term care facilities is required.
  • Provide accurate and complete information for grant reporting to grant funders including documenting services in the case record
  • Exhibit a high level of personal energy, organization, and commitment to the position and the PSLS mission

Salary and Benefits

The Paralegal position is a full-time position at 37.5 hours per week. PSLS offers a salary competitive with similar organizations. Our Paralegal salary scale starts at $35,000 per year for candidates who meet the minimum qualifications, and increases with each year of relevant experience. PSLS is committed to providing an excellent, comprehensive benefits package to its full-time employees that includes: 

  • Health insurance, including the opportunity to qualify for a wellness credit 
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • 403b retirement plan including employer contributions
  • Extensive training and education program 
  • PTO that starts at 3 weeks/year and increases with additional years worked at PSLS
  • Paid sick leave
  • 6 weeks of paid parental leave after one year of employment
  • 12 paid holidays

The Organization

Prairie State Legal Services is a not for profit civil legal aid organization that has served northern and central Illinois for more than 40 years, and has a staff of over 200 employees including training and litigation staff with extensive experience. Our service area includes rural communities, suburban areas, and mid-size urban cities which necessitates the development of diverse strategies and we encourage our staff to cultivate and utilize creative approaches to reach and serve our client population. Employees of PSLS benefit from the expertise and community connections of their local office staff along with robust program-wide resources. We strive to provide an array of services responsive to the needs of our clients and therefore have developed several specialized projects and maintain one of the most productive pro bono programs in the nation. PSLS has excellent fiscal controls and upholds the highest rating from Charity Navigator and Guidestar. For more information regarding PSLS services and operations, please visit our website at www.pslegal.org.

 

Requirements: 
  • 2-year associate degree, 4-year bachelor’s degree, and/or a paralegal certificate
  • Excellent time management, organizational, oral/written communication, and research skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills
  • Proficient with computers and online tools
  • Previous legal experience preferred
  • Local travel is necessary; valid driver’s license and/or reliable transportation is required
  • We will give preference to candidates who have experience working with older adults and/or working with financial institutions

 

To Apply: 

Please indicate “Elder Rights Paralegal-West Suburban” in the subject line and email a letter explaining your interest and experience, resume and three references to careers@pslegal.org.

Resumes accepted until position is filled.

Prairie State Legal Services is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive working environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We recruit, employ, pay, and promote qualified applicants and employees without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity, expression, or presentation, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or any other legally protected status.

 

Information

Submission Deadline: 
June 15, 2022
Organization Information: 
Prairie State Legal Services
31W001 East North Avenue, Suite 200
West Chicago, IL 60185
United States