Legal Assistant - Housing and Consumer Law Unit

The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY•City of Rochester, NY

3d•$45,000 - $51,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Legal Aid Society of Rochester, NY is seeking a Legal Assistant to support the Tenant Defense Project by providing legal support to LASROC’s attorneys in the Housing & Consumer Law Unit. This position will primarily assist in eviction prevention, but will also assist in bankruptcy, foreclosure prevention, and other housing and consumer law related matters.

Requirements

Associates degree in Paralegal Studies or High School Diploma with equivalent experience.
Notary Public License (If not currently licensed, must be able to pass the notary exam).
Strong attention to detail and organization.
Ability to prioritize and multi-task.
High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office.
Demonstrates strong oral and written communication skills.
Must be a team player and have a positive and cooperative work attitude.

Nice To Haves

5% language differential for being proficient in a program-relevant language

Responsibilities

Assisting attorneys at least twice a week at an intake session of the Rochester City Court Landlord Tenant Part, in which legal assistants will assist tenants sign up for services, fill out an intake packet, sign up for outside funding sources, and work with the attorney to assist with legal information and settling of cases.
Ongoing client contact through telephone and email for case updates and management
Database management-working with an attorney to update notes for client appearances, keeping a record of what happens in court and helping to identify outside funding sources on behalf of clients
Bankruptcies-calling clients to get more information on their applications, manually entering information into our bankruptcy software Next Chapter to assist the attorney in filing the case
Deed Transfer-preparing transfer tax paperwork
Home closings-opportunity to work with lawyer to prepare all documents generated for real estate closings
Archival management of live case materials for pending landlord tenant cases in order to prepare attorney for appearances, tracking adjournments, etc.
Executing landlord tenant assignments through the Tenant Defense Project interagency case referral system to create new cases and organize materials for those cases.
Intake and issue spotting for illegal lockout/constructive eviction cases.
Intake and issue spotting for various consumer debt issues such as collections on protected income and reversal filings for illegitimate judgments.
Assist with basic administrative tasks, such as copying, filing, and scheduling.
Perform additional duties as assigned.
Accompanying a contingent to outlying area courts for staffing an intake or for one-off cases.