Paralegal, Women’s Defense Project, CDP

Brooklyn Defender Services•Brooklyn, NY

2d•Onsite

About The Position

Brooklyn Defender Services (BDS) seeks a Paralegal to join the Women’s Defense Project (WDP) within its Criminal Defense Practice. BDS represents low-income New Yorkers in criminal, family, immigration, and civil legal matters. Its interdisciplinary teams provide legal defense and advocacy services to clients with diverse and complex needs, collaborating across disciplines to serve clients, families, and communities. The Criminal Defense Practice represents people who are arrested and includes attorneys, social workers, investigators, paralegals, and administrative professionals. The WDP represents female-identifying clients whose histories of trauma have led to involvement in the criminal legal system. This Paralegal will help clients seek relief under New York’s START Act, which allows victims of trafficking to ask a court to vacate prior convictions related to their trafficking victimization. Working closely with an attorney, the Paralegal will identify and conduct outreach to current and former clients who may be eligible for relief. This is a full-time, non-exempt, salaried position in the collective bargaining unit. The normal schedule is Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The position is based at Brooklyn Defenders’ offices and in courts located in Brooklyn. The annual salary range is $73,000–$78,000, determined according to education and experience. BDS offers health insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan, and generous vacation, sick, holiday, family, and medical leave policies.

Requirements

College degree or four years of paralegal/legal assistant experience.
Strong organizational skills.
Good written and oral communication skills.
Ability to work independently and in a team setting.
Ability to manage multiple assignments at once and ensure tasks are completed fully and on time.
Proficiency in Adobe Pro and Microsoft 365 applications, including Outlook, Word, and Excel, or ability to learn these applications.
Ability to learn BDS’s digital case management and document management systems.
Willingness to learn about post-conviction and vacatur relief.

Nice To Haves

Experience preparing legal documents.
Experience working with criminalized survivors of gender-based violence and individuals experiencing crisis.

Responsibilities

Work with WDP attorneys to identify past and current clients who may be eligible for START relief.
Assist in interviewing clients and collateral contacts.
Gather supporting documentation and information for START motions.
Assist in drafting and submitting START motions to the appropriate prosecutor’s office and court.
Maintain accurate digital and paper files and enter information into the digital Case Management System.
Draft and submit requests for documents and information from entities such as law enforcement agencies, hospitals, and correctional facilities.
Obtain copies of court files and certificates of disposition from in-state and out-of-state courts.
Follow BDS confidentiality policies to safeguard client information.
Request transcripts from court proceedings.
Perform additional responsibilities as assigned.