Paralegal II, Criminal Appeals Bureau

The Legal Aid Society•New York, NY

3h•$57,174 - $87,568

About The Position

The Criminal Appeals Bureau (CAB) of The Legal Aid Society is the largest post-conviction public defender in New York City, annually providing holistic, client-centered representation to over 1,000 people with misdemeanor, felony, and homicide convictions. We represent low-income people in all five boroughs who are challenging their criminal convictions on appeal or in other post-conviction proceedings. Our practice includes direct appeals as well as collateral litigation including 440 motions, Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act resentencing applications, and Sex Offender Registration Act hearings and appeals. CAB has an opening for a Paralegal II to work primarily on electronic appellate court filings. The successful candidate should be highly organized, detail-oriented, able to interact effectively with court personnel, and willing to work closely with a team of attorneys, paralegals, and other support staff to assist CAB in preparing appellate and post-conviction documents for electronic filing. Expected start date will be July 2026.

Requirements

An associate degree (or additional higher education)
A paralegal certificate from an ABA accredited paralegal program
A high school diploma / GED and 4+ years of related work experience, at least 2 of which are as a paralegal
High proficiency with Microsoft Office programs, particularly Excel and a PDF program (including ability to bookmark and paginate PDFs)
Excellent organizational skills with ability to multi-task and manage a large workload
Ability to track multiple court deadlines and organize workload to ensure timely filings
Excellent attention to detail
Strong written and oral communication skills
Ability to work both independently and collaboratively
Ability to interact effectively and independently with court personnel and with Legal Aid attorneys, paralegals, and other support staff
Ability to make a minimum two-year commitment to The Legal Aid Society

Nice To Haves

A bachelor’s degree
Experience with New York State Courts Electronic Filing (NYSCEF) system or other e-filing system a plus
Some knowledge of New York criminal law and criminal procedure a plus

Responsibilities

Work closely with attorneys to format, finalize, and prepare hard-copy and electronic versions of appellate briefs, motions, and other post-conviction advocacy documents for court filing in accordance with specific court procedures
Employ working knowledge of court filing procedures and rules to prepare and maintain filing resources, including samples, templates and guides
Update attorney and paralegal staff regarding court filing changes and upcoming deadlines
Develop relationships and communicate with court clerks and other personnel regarding filing rejections or issues.
Flag problematic workflows and filing issues for Managing Attorney’s Office and solve issues in real-time, as needed
Serve as a point-person for the latest court changes to filing requirements
Collaborate closely with CAB management and staff to increase CAB’s efficiency and effectiveness.
Other duties as assigned