Litigation Assistant / Paralegal

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Job location
2001 Center Street, 4th Floor
Berkeley, CA 94704
United States
Organization information
Organization name: 
Disability Rights Advocates
Street address: 
2001 Center Street, 4th Floor
City: 
Berkeley
State: 
California
ZIP: 
94704
Job type: 
Other
Position Description: 

Disability Rights Advocates (DRA), one of the leading nonprofit disability rights legal centers in the nation, is setting precedents and challenging norms. With offices in California and New York, we provide free legal representation in complex, system changing, class-action cases—achieving dramatic improvements for people with disabilities seeking access to government services and businesses, health care, employment, transportation, education, disaster preparedness planning, voting, and housing.

Recently DRA has worked on lawsuits against Uber to ensure service animal access and sufficient wheelchair accessible vehicles, against California county juvenile halls to end the use of solitary confinement for youth with disabilities, and against the United States Army for failure to provide diabetes-related accommodations at its childcare facilities.

For more information on DRA’s mission and impact, visit www.dralegal.org.

Position Overview
DRA is seeking a trustworthy, self-motivated individual to join our dynamic, results-oriented team. You have the opportunity to assist in all aspects of work supporting DRA’s high-impact civil rights lawsuits. You will work closely with attorneys and other staff on investigations, client outreach, communication, factual research, finalizing and filing court pleadings, trial, and settlement negotiations, among other things.

This is a full time position in DRA’s Berkeley, CA office.

Primary Responsibilities
 Conduct factual research using a variety of internet and hard-copy resources, and compile that research into written memos and reports
 File/serve legal documents with court and on opposing parties
 Review transcripts and documentary evidence, and organize, track, and extract information from these materials
 Maintain client contact to gather evidence for cases, direct questions to appropriate attorneys, and provide updates on status of cases, etc.
 Proofread, format, and create tables of authorities/contents for legal documents
 Create and maintain accessible documents in various formats including Word, PDF, and Excel (accessibility training will be provided)
 Provide administrative support to attorneys in all aspects of their work as needed including scheduling, reviewing and organizing documents, and emailing/calling clients

Compensation
DRA offers comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance with 100% paid employee premiums, 401(k) with company contribution, generous holiday and paid time off benefits, and additional health and commuter benefits.

This is an hourly, non-exempt position with compensation increases on a six month schedule for the first two years. If you are not already a Paralegal, after one year as a Litigation Assistant, Paralegal certification will be granted.

Requirements: 

 Desire to work in a progressive setting focused on making society more just, fair, and accessible to all
 College graduate with an excellent academic record
 Excellent project management skills, the ability to track and meet deadlines, take ownership of your work, work independently, and to work well under pressure
 Strong written and oral communication skills, for effective communication with DRA staff, clients, co-counsel, opposing counsel, judges, and court staff
 A team player willing to take on a variety of tasks as needed
 Experience using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat, and Excel

Preference given to applicants with prior paralegal experience in any of the following:
 Completing ECF filings
 Assisting attorneys with discovery requests and production
 Westlaw research and cite checking
 Conducting client intakes and drafting declarations

To apply: 

Please send the following to [email protected] with “Paralegal CA” as the subject:

1. Cover letter noting earliest available start date
2. Resume
3. Three professional references (at least one a direct supervisor)

*The ideal applicant will begin in early August 2017.

Notes: 
DRA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE) and values diversity. Applicants are considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression, disability, veteran status, or any other category protected under the law.
Submission deadline: 
Thursday, July 20, 2017