Litigation Assistant

Litigation Assistant

The litigation assistant is an essential part of a client's interdisciplinary team and will work closely with attorneys, social workers, and client advocates during the pendency of Article 10 and related family court and administrative cases. This is a temporary, full-time position for 12 months.

Responsibilities

Provide excellent assistance to the legal defense team with energy, enthusiasm and a commitment to striving for client-centered holistic advocacy throughout the case; Assist with all aspects of Article 10, Statewide Central Register, and related custody, visitation, guardianship, paternity, termination of parental rights and other cases; Staff intake in court regularly, as assigned, and assist the legal team with emergency hearings; Work under high pressure in an atmosphere of frequent emergencies and tight deadlines; Engage with clients through telephone contact, in person meetings, and court appearances; Maintain thorough and accurate records and client files by timely saving documents in NDS's cloud server and entering notes and other data into NDS's case management system; Prepare, file and serve legal papers and subpoenas and draft legal correspondence in collaboration with attorneys; Catalogue, organize and review discovery, i.e., medical records, investigation notes, videos, photographs, etc.; Prepare trial binders and organize exhibits for hearings and trials; Participate in limited investigative work such as identifying and interviewing witnesses, taking photographs and videos, and obtaining documents and other reports; Communicate with court staff, treatment providers, records departments; Attend in person mitigation and cross-practice team conferences, staff meetings, trainings, and select community intake days, with the expectation of in-person work at least two days per week; Assist practice and cross-practice committees to promote NDS' holistic representation model; Assist Early Defense team with intake as needed. Provide logistical and administrative support to attorneys and non-attorney advocates.

Qualifications

Required: A demonstrated commitment to criminal justice, indigent defense, racial equity, and social justice issues, and a substantive understanding of the biases impacting our clients. An ability to quickly build relationships with people of varying identities, income levels, races and ethnicities. A high level of organization and administrative skills to handle a high caseload and multi-task in a very fast-paced environment. Clear and effective communication skills, both orally and in writing. Energy, enthusiasm, and ingenuity to gather and develop information from a broad spectrum of sources, ranging from community residents to county, state, and federal agencies. Ability to work cooperatively in a team. Must possess the ability and readiness to quickly learn and use relevant computer software. Knowledge and experience with Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, and a basic knowledge of computer usage in a network environment. Bachelor's or associate degree or two years related administrative experience. Must be willing to work in-person in Harlem and/or family court satellite offices in Lower Manhattan or the South Bronx. Must be willing to work shifts before or after court holidays. Preferred: Spanish language fluency is preferred. Lived experience with family court, the family policing system, and/or other systems impacting NDS' clients strongly preferred. Experience using Westlaw or other legal research tools preferred. Experience using a case or data management system preferred. Experience with Egnyte, NYS Criminal Inquiry System, UCMS, E-Courts/WebFamily, defenderDATA a plus.

Compensation is commensurate with experience. The current salary range for this position is $68,500 - $80,650. Full medical and dental benefits provided as well as 403b retirement contributions and PTO.

SALARY RANGE BASED ON RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

1 – 5 Years $68,500 – 73,900

6 – 10 Years $75,250 – 80,650

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample in a single PDF through NDS's website at neighborhooddefender.org/careers. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis. Candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.

The Neighborhood Defender Service is committed to creating a diverse environment that reflects the community we serve. NDS is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status. NDS encourages people with incarcerated loved ones, formerly incarcerated people, people of color, women, queer, transgender, gender non-confirming, and gender fluid people to apply.