Description & Job Requirements

Our legal practice is seeking to hire Junior Paralegals and Experience Litigation Paralegals to join our boutique special education law firm at our lower Manhattan law office. Paralegals must possess a Bachelor’s degree, Associate’s degree, or Paralegal Certificate as well as at least 1-2 years of relevant paralegal experience. Depending on experience Paralegals will provide essential litigation support to attorneys. This is a very hands-on role and Paralegal will have many opportunities for working closely with clients, speaking with witnesses, and preparing for litigation. Candidate should have excellent organization, writing, and communication skills with strong attention to details. Candidate must be a motivated self-starter. Candidate must be highly organized and deadline oriented with ability to organize multiple deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

Compensation:

· Salary ranging from $50,000-65,000 commensurate with skills and experience
· Generous benefits provided

About Our Firm:

We are also seeking candidates who are the right fit for our office culture. Candidates must be passionate about helping children with special needs, about collaborating with team members to fulfill a mission that is bigger than ourselves, about achieving professional and personal growth, and about building our law firm so that we can help as many families as possible. Our team members care about getting to know each other, learning about each other’s interests, celebrating happy occasions, growing together professionally and personally, and helping each other feel supported through difficult times. We are willing to pitch in and help when others need it, and to do what is best for our Firm. Team members interact with each other in a collegial and caring manner and demonstrate helpfulness, resourcefulness, and positive attitudes in the office. We care deeply about what our clients are going through and we go overboard to keep clients informed. Our Firm is a place where everyone’s ideas are heard. We are constantly looking to improve the way we operate and suggestions for innovations and improvements are always welcome. Our Firm encourages a warm, pleasant, and sociable atmosphere, and values open and honest interpersonal communication, differences of opinion, creativity, respect for others, and trust and support.

Specific assignments may include, but are not limited to:

· Assisting attorneys in pre-hearing drafting assignments including drafting witness affidavits, due process complaints, and direct examination questions, all subject to attorney review and feedback.

· Gathering all necessary documents from clients and schools in preparation for settlement negotiations and/or impartial hearings.

· Drafting settlement agreements for attorney review/feedback.

· Preparing witnesses for their testimony in due process proceedings.

· Marking and redacting documents to serve as exhibits for impartial hearings, and drafting exhibit lists for impartial hearings.

· Reviewing transcripts, preparing witness summaries, and assisting attorneys in drafting closing statements and closing briefs.

· Assisting attorneys with legal research assignments.

· Managing client files, including reviewing and uploading documents/client files to law firm’s electronic database.

· Interfacing with the Department of Education’s (DOE’s) Bureau of Nonpublic Schools Payables (BNPSP) in ensuring that all settlements are properly implemented, with necessary disbursements made to parents/schools.

· Assisting in various aspects of post-litigation tasks, including:

. Drafting Fee Claims for Federal Court

. Managing administrative support staff in serving necessary paperwork for fee claims

. Interacting with ECF and PACER to perform above tasks

· Interfacing with the DOE’s Impartial Hearing Office’s Implementation Unit to implement interim pendency orders and Findings of Fact and Decisions from Impartial Hearing Officers.

· Interfacing with clients both by phone and email to ensure successful completion of necessary forms and to ensure they are providing our firm with necessary documents needed for litigation, implementation, settlements, etc.

· Creating and maintaining various databases designed to improve efficiency and overall health of the law firm, including but not limited to creating and maintaining legal fees analytics spreadsheet, implementation status spreadsheet, and ten-day notice inventory spreadsheet.

Essential job functions

· Punctuality and ability to abide by office hours (9am-6pm)

· Appropriate and professional email and phone etiquette with clients, colleagues, third parties, and opposing counsel

· Consistent attention to detail

· Meeting deadlines consistently

· Recording case time and expenses contemporaneously and meeting minimum billing requirements

· Proficiency with technical and computer skills (training provided for utilizing law firm software and applications)

· Proposing ideas for innovations, improvements, and efficiencies

· Complying with Employee Handbook at all times