PARALEGAL | Housing Affordability and Land Use Unit

Commonwealth of Massachusetts•Boston, MA

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Attorney General’s Office is seeking a motivated Paralegal to provide paralegal and administrative support to the Housing Affordability and Land Use Unit. The Unit litigates to break down barriers to creating and preserving affordable housing, including compelling compliance with Massachusetts laws that promote new housing production and preserve existing housing and affordability restrictions. It also protects Commonwealth land and the public’s interest in private lands. The Unit is part of the Neighborhoods, Housing, and Land Division, which addresses critical housing issues and works with municipalities to renew severely distressed properties and create safe, habitable homes. This full-time, non-exempt position supports Assistant Attorneys General in all aspects of case requirements. The role involves fact gathering, legal research, drafting and organizing litigation documents, supporting case preparation, communicating with clients and other parties, managing calendars and deadlines, preparing court filings, maintaining case-management records, and performing administrative and clerical duties. The current hybrid model includes some remote workdays for most positions; on in-office days, employees must report to a designated office in Boston or a regional office. Travel may be required to courts, client and opposing-party locations, and law offices.

Requirements

Strong written and verbal communication skills.
Strong organizational and time-management skills.
Ability to work independently as a self-starter in a fast-paced environment.
Familiarity with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
Valid Massachusetts driver’s license; travel may be required to courts, client and opposing-party locations, and law offices.
Ability to demonstrate a connection to the people and communities served and an interest in supporting a respectful, diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment.

Nice To Haves

Prior civil litigation experience.
Ability to identify, search, and analyze land records relating to real-property title and incorporate searches of relevant building and zoning departments, municipal records, probate and land courts, and tax departments.
Working knowledge of Westlaw.

Responsibilities

Provide day-to-day paralegal and administrative support to Assistant Attorneys General in all aspects of their case requirements.
Assist with fact gathering and conduct legal research to support case development.
Attend client meetings, depositions, court hearings, and trials, both in and outside the office.
Draft discovery documents and other pleadings.
Organize and maintain files, including reviewing documents and exhibits.
Support attorneys in preparing for hearings, depositions, meetings, and trials.
Communicate with clients, attorneys, witnesses, court clerk’s offices, and members of the public.
Manage calendars, including scheduling critical dates, deadlines, and case-related appointments.
Complete forms, prepare court documents for filing, and maintain the case management system.
Perform administrative and clerical duties, including processing new cases and third-party contracts, typing, filing, screening mail, and coordinating service of process.
Provide support to the Neighborhoods, Housing, and Land Division as needed.
Perform other duties as necessary.