ABOUT THE WASHINGTON LAWYERS’ COMMITTEE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND URBAN AFFAIRS

The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs works to create legal, economic, and social equity through litigation, client and public education, and public advocacy. While the Committee fights discrimination against all people, it recognizes the central role that current and historic race discrimination plays in sustaining inequity, and the critical importance of identifying, exposing, combating, and dismantling the systems that sustain racial oppression. For the last 50 years, the Committee has been on the cutting edge of civil rights advocacy in the region bringing precedent-setting litigation to address discrimination. Our work focuses on injustices in housing, employment, the criminal legal system, education, and public accommodations. We partner with individuals and communities facing discrimination and with the legal community to achieve justice. The Committee’s staff is unionized with the National Organization of Legal Service Workers Local #2320, UAW. This position is within the bargaining unit. For more information on the Washington Lawyers’ Committee and the work of our teams, please go to www.washlaw.org.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

This position is part of a team of paralegals who provide support to the Committee’s civil rights and racial justice advocacy. Paralegals work under the direct supervision of Committee attorneys and are not engaged in the practice of law. Job responsibilities will vary by practice area and by case, but for this position will be comprised primarily of administrative duties, including:

  • Managing the prisoner advice and referral program, a project which provides substantive responses to each letter received by the Committee from an incarcerated individual. This will include scanning and uploading each letter to the case management system, reviewing the letter, identifying legal issues and drafting responses for attorney review.
  • Drafting and updating relevant informational guides for both the individual teams and the Committee as a whole.
  • Providing administrative support in arranging client and witness calls and meetings.
  • Facilitating the Committee’s document retention and return policy with respect to closed matters, pending matters and matters not accepted by the Committee.
  • Ensuring case accessibility for clients (securing interpretation, translation, Optical Character Recognition compatibility, and any transportation or related issues).
  • Updating the Committee’s client management system and be responsible for organizing closed case files.
  • Participating in the coordination of the Committee’s undergraduate interns.
  • Other administrative duties as assigned to support the Committee’s advocacy work.

Preferred Experience and Skills:

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and qualifications:

  • Deep passion for civil rights and racial justice advocacy.
  • Demonstrated awareness and sensitivity to the needs and concerns of individuals from diverse cultures, backgrounds and orientations.
  • Ability to manage competing priorities and to communicate effectively regarding the progress of various projects.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Familiarity with, or willingness and ability to learn, various case management, communication, and software systems (for example, Excel, Outlook, Legal Server).
  • Ability to contribute to the creation of a diverse, equitable and inclusive culture that encourages and celebrates differences.
  • Experience working with communities from a diverse set of socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds strongly preferred.

Applicants with lived experience in communities historically under-resourced and marginalized due to race, class, gender, disability, etc. are encouraged to apply.

COMPENSATION

Based upon Washington Lawyers’ Committee pay scale, attached. Credit given for prior relevant experience. Generous leave and employer-funded benefits provided.

Attached is the job posting that includes the full description and salary scale. See here.

HOW TO APPLY

Please email a letter detailing your interest, a resume, and a brief writing sample to: wlcjobs@washlaw.org. Please place “[your name] – Paralegal” in the subject line.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis and the position will remain open until filled. The Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs is an equal opportunity employer. Diversity is an essential component of the Committee, and we encourage all qualified persons to apply. Applicants are accorded an equal opportunity for selection without regard to actual or perceived race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity or expression.

This position is a hybrid position with a three core days required to physically be in the office located in Washington, DC and up to two days of telework. We will be participating in-person when it is necessary to provide the highest quality legal services to our clients and the most effective advocacy.

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