Legal Assistant

ACLU of Nevada•North Las Vegas, NV

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Legal Department Assistant provides administrative support to the ACLUNV Legal Department and helps identify, investigate, and respond to alleged civil liberties and civil rights violations. The role includes investigating complaints in Nevada and often serving as the first point of contact for potential clients. This is a part-time, in-person position, scheduled Monday through Thursday, for up to 32 hours per week. The hourly rate is $18–$20, depending on experience. No benefits are provided. The ACLUNV is Nevada’s largest and most active organization devoted to protecting and advancing civil rights and civil liberties, and a public interest nonprofit working across issues including free speech, mass surveillance, election protection, education reform, drug law reform, women’s issues, prisoners’ rights, immigrants’ rights, homelessness, criminal legal reform, and LGBTQIA+ rights.

Requirements

Demonstrated commitment to civil liberties and civil rights, and strong support for the goals of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Ability to self-start and work independently under pressure.
Ability to manage a workload and complete competing tasks.
Ability to work professionally, cooperatively, and collegially on varied projects with staff and diverse individuals, organizations, and coalitions.
Ability to maintain professionalism when interacting with prospective, former, and current clients.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Strong organizational skills and ability to maintain orderly records.
Commitment to diversity and to valuing all individuals and respecting differences, including those related to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, involvement with the criminal legal system, or disability.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in Spanish.
Knowledge or understanding of Nevada’s landscape and culture.
Prior experience as legal support staff.
Working knowledge of the Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure and the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Experience with state and federal court filings and systems such as Odyssey, PACER, and ECF.
Familiarity with legal research.

Responsibilities

Greet office visitors and explain intake procedures when necessary; scan, document, and distribute legal mail, including intake materials.
Answer calls, take messages, and correspond with prospective clients on behalf of the legal department.
Review and analyze special reports, summarize information, and identify trends to keep the Legal Department informed.
Read, research, review, verify, and route legal correspondence, reports, and documents.
Schedule couriers, court reporters, expert witnesses, and other special functions.
Submit payments to legal vendors and monitor office supplies, placing orders as needed.
Prepare, submit, and maintain attorneys’ expense reports under the Legal Department Coordinator’s supervision.
Organize case files; monitor calendars and deadlines; document actions; enter information into databases and case-management software; and confirm case status with attorneys.
Support case development by maintaining contact with people involved in cases, scheduling depositions, forwarding summonses and subpoenas, mailing discovery requests, filing documents in state and federal courts, and generating status reports.
Keep clients informed about case progress and liaise with parties, court personnel, and other neutrals to schedule and share information.
Summarize or transcribe meetings, court proceedings, and other recordings.
Support trial proceedings by organizing evidence, preparing exhibits, scheduling witnesses, ensuring witnesses are ready, and taking courtroom and meeting notes.
Assist with preparing, filing, and serving court papers and pleadings.
Upload digital files and data; organize and archive records and documents; and check, update, or correct paperwork, forms, and files.
Update filing systems and devise new systems for organizing and storing data and documents as needed.
Transcribe audio and video content, type, and perform data entry.
Improve filing systems and design forms and templates for data entry.
Coordinate with outside storage vendors to ensure documents are safely archived.
Check and correct documentation and the placement of previously filed documents.
Perform other administrative, legal, and records-management duties as assigned.