Systemic Impact Litigation Legal Assistant

Interested in honing your litigation skills while navigating complex and nuanced legal issues that impact thousands of folks in Riverside and San Bernardino counties? Do you have a passion for activating and educating potential community leaders so that they may navigate bureaucracy and make impactful changes in their communities? Wonderful! Join ICLS’ systemic impact litigation team and truly make a difference that benefits thousands of folks residing in our communities.

Advocating for Justice on behalf of ICLS clients is done in community and the approach is multi-faceted. As a legal administrative assistant, you will work with experienced attorneys on the Systemic Practice Group (and truly all of ICLS attorneys) to provide litigation support in negotiations, litigation strategy, and have the opportunity for mentorship. Additionally, you will work with incredible paralegals throughout ICLS that carry their own caseload and advocate zealously on behalf of clients with administrative law issues such as public benefits. The community is rounded out by talented legal administrative support staff to help further your client management and case files, as well as preparation of simple legal pleadings.

Legal administrative assistants will be responsible for conducting at least two community legal education presentation (preferably on-site within ICLS’ service area) and attending at least one community resource event each year You’ll also get the opportunity to expand your legal network by working collaboratively with Pro Bono volunteers, participate in professional development trainings, and learn about the amazing civil legal aid community – local, statewide, and national.

Legal work expectations: Under the supervision of a licensed attorney in good standing, legal administrative assistants will:

• Become familiar with ICLS’ grantor eligibility criteria and screen applicants to determine eligibility.
• Provide litigation support to attorneys on counsel and advice, brief services, or representation cases in a variety of civil legal issues, such as public benefits, education, housing, and other areas of ICLS practice.
• Contact clients and prepare letters to clients and opposing parties;
• Assist in conducting legal research, drafting legal memos, and drafting various documents throughout the life of a case. Assist with formatting all pleadings and other documents for advocates.
• Become familiar with and follow Legal Services Corporation regulations and other funder requirements as appropriate.
• Prepare initial draft of pleadings, court forms, fee waivers, responses to discovery requests, requests for discovery, subpoenas, and other pleadings. Proofread pleadings and other documents.
• Assist with preparing spreadsheets, charts, flyers, power point presentations, and other materials for the Systemic Impact Litigation Practice Group.
• Once trained and experienced in this work, provide support to attorneys (and your fellow legal administrative assistants when necessary) on a minimum of 115 cases/year. NOTE: A lower volume of cases would be expected for more complex and time-consuming legal representation.
• Participate in the Compliance Task Force and review closed cases for the Systemic Impact Litigation Practice Group (as well as other practice groups) for funder compliance issues.
• Provide verbal and written translation for clients as requested. Note, staff must take and pass a language exam to be able to translate. An additional pay increase is available for employees that successfully pass the language exam.
• Communicate with clients, court officials and opposing counsel on behalf of the advocate, including phone calls, emails, and letters.
• Prepare, serve, sign, and file proofs of service.
• Maintain and protect highly sensitive and confidential case information.
• Operate case file managing system; organize case files.
• Organize the team’s calendar and appointments; meet with clients to complete intake applications; prepare files and case records; upload and review mail; to assume delegated duties from the Practice Group Director, or other duties as assigned or may be required by attorneys or paralegals.
• Provide advocates with direct assistance, such as helping with research for case information online, gathering necessary documents for trials and submitting paperwork to courthouses.
• Personally deliver/file pleading and correspondence at the courthouse or file via email or electronic filing.
• Deliver mail to the nearest US Post Office.
• Maintain organized physical and electronic files, including copies of documents and correspondence.
• Comply with MCLE requirements for legal administrative assistants in accordance with California Business and Professions Code §6450(d).

Qualities:

To be successful, the staff Legal administrative assistant should have the following qualities:

• Willingness to learn from and work with others.
• Patience with clients and self.
• Easy to talk to and approachable for both staff, clients, and the community ICLS’ serves;
• An openness to communicate both challenges and an intentional practice to express gratitude to their colleagues;
• Determination to get the best outcome for clients.
• Curiosity and desire to learn about client’s experiences that led to legal issue including systemic injustices that have historically disadvantaged persons of color and folks with low income;
• Passion and dedication to access to justice via civil legal aid;
• Hard-working but appreciates a work-life balance; has boundaries and respects others’ boundaries
• Has a healthy and sustainable practice to manage stress and vicarious trauma or is willing to learn practices that may be helpful in these regards;
• Community Centered; Inquisitive
• Passion for learning and personal/professional growth
• Interested in mentorship for self and mentoring others as experience is gained;

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Active listening skills
• Civil Litigation skills
• Trauma-informed interviewing skills
• Legal writing and research skills
• Analytical skills
• Willingness to learn and be mentored
• Legal case management including calendaring deadlines in accordance with California Civil Procedure
• Excellent communications skills
• Bilingual a plus, but not required

$23.00 – $35.00 Hourly (Depending on experience)

Apply here.

The recognition of our common humanity is the first step in fostering a diverse environment. The sum of our unique differences is greater than our individual parts. Our unique stories and experiences allow us to better solve the challenges that our community faces. Staff approach professional relationships with humility across the spectrum of diversity, including race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, immigrant status, religious identity, physical and mental disabilities, and/or limited English proficiency with a willingness to consider unique perspectives. Inland Counties Legal Services provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.