Legal Assistant (Lansing)

Michigan Advocacy Program•Lansing, MI

13d•Onsite

About The Position

Legal Services of South Central Michigan (LSSCM), a nonprofit law firm that provides civil legal assistance to low income residents, is seeking a full-time Legal Assistant for its Lansing office, which serves Ingham, Eaton, Clinton, Shiawassee and Livingston Counties. Primary responsibilities of the legal assistant include interviewing clients, reception, client database management, general clerical work, and administrative support of the legal work of the office. Reception duties include greeting visitors and covering all incoming calls to the main office line. LSSCM has served low-income residents of 13 counties in south central Michigan for more than 50 years. LSSCM helps individuals and families achieve safety, stability, and economic security by providing free civil legal services with an emphasis on homelessness prevention, domestic violence and elder abuse prevention, and assistance in accessing health care, food, and needs-based income programs. LSSCM is a program of Michigan Advocacy Program (MAP). In addition to LSSCM, MAP manages six statewide programs serving immigrant communities (Michigan Immigrant Rights Center), vulnerable older adults (Michigan Elder Justice Initiative), victims of domestic violence and elder abuse (Crime Victims Legal Assistance Program), and providing access to legal information to self-represented litigants (Michigan Legal Help Program), and providing case support and training for all the legal services providers in Michigan (Michigan Poverty Law Program). MAP has a staff of about 250 people in offices in Battle Creek, Detroit, Jackson, Kalamazoo, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Monroe, and Ypsilanti.

Requirements

Comfortable with and skilled at communicating with people from a wide range of backgrounds
Detail-oriented
Strong organizational skills
Strong time-management skills
Strong computer skills

Nice To Haves

Some college
Equivalent professional and/or life experience
Demonstrated commitment to serving low-income and underserved communities
Patience, empathy, and sensitivity necessary for this work

Responsibilities

Interviewing clients
Reception
Client database management
General clerical work
Administrative support of the legal work of the office
Greeting visitors
Covering all incoming calls to the main office line

Benefits

Life insurance
Short and long term disability insurance
Health insurance
Vision insurance
Dental insurance
Flexible spending accounts
Annual $1,500 payout if applicant does not require health benefits
3 weeks paid vacation the first year
15 paid holidays
401K retirement plan including employer match for eligible staff after 6 months of employment
Qualifying employer for Public Service Loan Forgiveness