Paralegal - Disability Rights

About UPLC

Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC) is a Chicago-based legal nonprofit that works with communities impacted by the systemic oppression of the criminal legal system to restore human and civil rights to people in prison, and advance housing, disability, and economic justice that supports family stability and community reunification. UPLC is committed to systems change advocacy through high impact litigation, legal support, policy reform, education and outreach, administrative advocacy, and strategic partnerships.

UPLC offers a collaborative and supportive work environment with a small staff of dedicated people who are passionate about their work. Staff are given meaningful responsibility alongside consistent guidance and opportunities to grow and contribute new ideas. The dress code is casual (except for court appearances and certain meetings/events) and we are conveniently located a short walk from the Wilson Red/Purple Line stop.

UPLC is committed to building a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace and to embed those principles in our office culture and legal practice. We value the range of perspectives and experiences our staff bring to the table and expect this position to contribute meaningfully to that ongoing work.

Position Purpose

Uptown People’s Law Center (UPLC) is hiring a disability rights paralegal to work primarily in the Social Security disability rights program. UPLC has a long history of assisting individuals who were wrongfully denied Social Security disability benefits. Recently, UPLC has implemented a new program - InReach- which focuses on assisting individuals incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections obtain disability benefits prior to their release from prison.

As outlined below, the majority of the paralegal’s time will be spent supporting the Social Security program, but they may assist as needed with administrative-like tasks.

Position Responsibilities

Social Security Disability

The paralegal is responsible for the management of all medical record requests for every Social Security case. This includes carefully documenting record requests, following up with treatment facilities, keeping track of payment details, and submitting records to Social Security.

Once medical records are retrieved, the paralegal and the attorney managing the case share the responsibility of summarizing the records. Additionally, the paralegal may assist in preparing briefs based on summarized records. The paralegal may be asked to perform medical and/or legal research to support the arguments made in a brief.

The paralegal is the primary contact person for many of UPLC’s Social Security clients. The paralegal will independently conduct intakes, assist with signing up new clients, and will assist the attorneys in maintaining regular contact with UPLC’s Social Security clients. This includes regular telephone contact with clients and periodically meeting with them in person to follow up on paperwork, update their records regarding medical treatment, etc.

The paralegal is also responsible for maintaining contact with the Social Security Administration regarding the status of our clients’ claims. This requires frequent contact with adjudicators and field office representatives via phone, and careful note-taking about client contact.

Office Administration

The paralegal is responsible for assisting the office coordinator with walk-ins and phone calls. This includes screening prospective clients for eligibility, scheduling eligible prospectives for intakes and making referrals. The paralegal will be tasked with assisting the attorneys in tracking case expenses, and other miscellaneous duties as needed. The paralegal may also be recruited to assist with the training of legal interns. When the office coordinator is not in the office due to vacation or illness, the paralegal fills in as the primary contact for phone calls and walk-in inquiries.

Qualifications

UPLC is looking for someone entry-level to 3 years of experience for this position. A bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience is required. Formal paralegal training is a plus, but not required.

UPLC is a law office. The paralegal must have strong reading comprehension, writing ability, interpersonal skills, communication skills, and attention to detail and deadlines. The paralegal must also have the ability to understand and adhere to professional standards (e.g., client confidentiality).

UPLC is a small office. Therefore, flexibility in the functions that employees perform on a day-to-day basis is crucial. Familiarity with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Adobe is required.

Much of UPLC’s work involves interaction with individuals who have suffered a significant amount of trauma, so it is imperative for all staff to have the ability to respond with compassion and professionalism to our clients. At the same time, UPLC acknowledges that our work can be emotionally draining on the employees, and places a high value on all staff’s emotional labor. The paralegal will have regular client interaction and thus their ability to respond appropriately, while maintaining productivity, will be important to success in the position.

Fluency in Spanish is a plus, but not required.

Travel Requirements

Occasional travel to area social service providers, typically but not exclusively in the Uptown neighborhood, is required. Most locations can be reached via Chicago public transit.

Required Hours

Office hours are Monday through Thursday, 9:00am to 5:00pm, and Friday 9:00 - 2:00. Flex time and limited remote work options are available, but this position often requires in person attendance due to the nature of the work.

This is a full-time position. Non-traditional hours—weekends and evenings—may be required on occasion, including when presenting trainings or attending community meetings, which are often held in the evenings.

Salary and benefits

Salary depends on experience an d will be in the range of $57,000 - $70,000/year. UPLC provides individual health, dental and vision, plus a retirement contribution, generous paid vacation, holidays and sick time.

UPLC is proud to be a unionized workplace. This position is represented by Office and Professional Employees International Union, Local 39. We believe that supporting workers’ rights and collective bargaining strengthens our advocacy for our clients and our community. Wages, hours, and working conditions for this role will be governed by our collective bargaining agreement, which is still in progress.