Paralegal II
Homeless Persons Representation Project
Location
Silver Spring, MD
Category
Paralegal
Posted
December 27, 2022
Type
Full-Time
Description/Duties
The Homeless Persons Representation Project (HPRP) seeks a passionate and motivated individual to serve as the Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Paralegal II, supporting programs that provide civil legal aid to persons struggling with homelessness in the Montgomery/Prince George’s County region,
Who We Are: HPRP works to end homelessness in Maryland by providing free legal services, including advice, counsel, education, representation, and advocacy, to people who are experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness. HPRP’s staff and volunteers pursue this mission by offering legal services in shelters, soup kitchens, welfare offices, community centers, and on the street. HPRP’s direct representation informs broader-based systemic advocacy and impact litigation to address the root causes of homelessness.
The Position: HPRP’s Montgomery and Prince George Counties Paralegal II assists the Director of the Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Office and two Staff Attorneys by coordinating and conducting intakes with clients, tracking volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students, and providing daily administrative support to the Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Office.
Coordination and Collaboration
• Maintain and track volunteer and client information, including entering case information into a database
• Assist with the operation of legal clinics, including booking off-site locations; scheduling volunteer attorneys, paralegals, and law students to staff clinic sites; and arranging for HPRP clients to meet with volunteers
• Attend court on average twice a week and assist attorneys with the same-day representation project in landlord-tenant court
• Communicate with volunteers regarding case placement, timekeeping, and case management
• Maintain effective oral and written communication with clients and manage client expectations from intake through the end of the case
• Conduct community outreach, including conducting educational presentations; creating outreach materials, and tabling at events
Monitoring and Tracking
• Organize and maintain case files related to the programs offered at the Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Office, including copying, scanning, and disseminating files to Volunteers.
• Track expungement cases for deadlines and key paperwork
• Assist the Director with the management and supervision of cases assigned
• Enter cases, case events, and client communications into HPRP’s case-management database
Administrative Support
• Screen case mail and distribute it accordingly.
• Communicate with clients by mail, email, and telephone on case matters as assigned by Director
• Assist Director with grant reporting relating to tracking and managing case-related information.
Full description: https://www.hprplaw.org/employment
PDF of description: https://www.hprplaw.org/_files/ugd/22b589_555a67a470be43b4b22c3af55c78301d.pdf
Skills/Qualifications
• Education: H.S. Diploma or GED
• 2+ years of full-time experience in an office environment as an administrative assistant or paralegal
• Experience with working with persons experiencing homelessness and/or extreme poverty
• 1+ years of experience working with Microsoft Office for Windows, including comfort with working with Excel, Outlook, and Word
• 1+ years of experience working with large data sets (1000+)
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing with clients, service providers, volunteers, and community partners
• Aptitude to work well under pressure, meet frequent deadlines and remain calm and patient in a very fast-paced environment
• Attention to detail
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and social justice by using a personal approach that values all individuals and respects differences
Compensation
The hourly rate for this position is approximately $23.52 (higher if found to have related experience (beyond 7+ years), relevant second language fluency, and/or relevant lived experience). HPRP works on a 35-hour workweek has flexible scheduling when not scheduled for clinics and offers a comprehensive package of benefits.
How To Apply
Please email a resume and cover letter (addressed to Javaneh Pourkarim, Director of the Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties Office) to jobs@hprplaw.org. Specify “Pro Bono Paralegal” in the subject line of the email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.