Paralegal

American Oversight•Washington, DC

2d•$28 - $31•Hybrid

About The Position

American Oversight is seeking a Paralegal to support its legal team. The Paralegal will be responsible for issuing and tracking public records requests, processing and organizing agency correspondence and documents, and providing litigation support. This role involves preparing and submitting FOIA and state open records requests, managing incoming responses, and ensuring document productions are accessible. The Paralegal will also assist with litigation tasks, maintain legal operations, and contribute to the organization's mission of government accountability and transparency.

Requirements

2+ years of full-time experience working in a legal, administrative, operations, or other professional office environment.
Interest in American Oversight’s mission of government accountability and transparency.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
Strong skills in Time Management: Able to independently and effectively prioritize tasks and projects, tackling day-to-day responsibilities with speed, efficiency, and accuracy.
Strong skills in Collaboration: Is an inclusive, highly engaged team player, who proactively seeks and provides thought partnership, assistance, and/or resources with/to colleagues; can seamlessly jump in to support teammates when there is a large volume of work, as needed.
Strong skills in Problem Solving: Uses critical thinking to proactively identify issues, troubleshoot problems, and surface creative solutions to achieve desired outcomes; takes initiative to provide solutions and knows when to ask for support.
Strong skills in Judgment and Decision Making: Practices sound judgment and the ability to apply existing protocols to a variety of situations while properly identifying when situations do not fit within preexisting processes; escalates and addresses concerns/challenges appropriately and in a timely manner.
Strong skills in Communication (Oral): Conveys information and ideas in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
Strong skills in Communication (Written): Conveys information and ideas in a clear, concise, and professional manner; appropriately adapts language to different audiences and contexts; ensures communications are free from errors, typos, or inconsistencies.
Demonstrated proficiency in standard office software and/or document/file management systems and tools; ability to ramp up quickly on and learn new software programs and systems.
High degree of professional ethics and integrity.
Experience working in and/or desire to contribute to workplaces with a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in a law firm or other legal setting.
Familiarity with litigation processes, court filings, records management, or document production workflows.
Experience using Airtable, Dropbox, Logikcull, Westlaw, Adobe, Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and Google Drive.
An interest in pro-democracy issues, including but not limited to voting rights, election administration, civil rights and civil liberties, or threats like abuse of power, corruption, or undue influence.

Responsibilities

Manage the end-to-end lifecycle of FOIA and state open records requests, coordinating intake, tracking, agency correspondence, document productions, status updates, escalations, and closure across federal and state request workflows.
Communicate with FOIA and state agency open records personnel regarding the status of requests or other procedural matters, or notify American Oversight attorneys of correspondence requiring their review.
Finalize and file FOIA and state open records requests, administrative appeals, demand letters, and privacy requests with government agencies. Prioritize critical requests as assigned or instructed.
Create and organize folders and database entries within American Oversight’s document management systems. Track and manage deadlines related to pending FOIA and state open records requests.
Process incoming document productions, including by entering production information in American Oversight’s internal database, saving documents to their proper locations, converting the documents to make them text searchable, and applying pagination and American Oversight’s logo. Troubleshoot production processing issues using relevant software tools and platforms.
Provide litigation case support to attorneys, including service of process, organizing and maintaining litigation files and calendars, and assist with other litigation support projects such as preparing tables of contents and authorities for briefs, exhibits, and/or case binders.
Manage the public records request fee payment process, including reviewing detailed invoices and preparing necessary payment materials such as fee cover letters, check drafts, and mailing labels.
Perform continuous database management and data maintenance, as well as special projects, as needed, to contribute to operational organization and streamlining.
Manage and sort incoming physical mail from agencies, including letters, USB drives, and disks; follow detailed mail processing procedures, including updating mail log, filing documents in appropriate folders, and updating relevant database entries.
Identify new or propose refined processes, practices, systems, or norms to promote collaboration, knowledge sharing, and functional and cross-functional effectiveness. Provide ad hoc administrative support for discrete projects and initiatives impacting organization-wide workflows as assigned.
Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

Hybrid work environment
Generous employer contribution toward medical, dental and vision insurance coverage
Generous paid time off
Paid office closure from Christmas Eve to New Years’ Day
403(b) with up to 4% employer match
Flexible scheduling practices that support collaboration during core business hours
Summer Fridays
Up to $100/month reimbursement for internet services and personal device usage
Professional development stipend
Generous home office allowance
Commuter benefits