Employment

Virginia Legal Aid Society, Inc. (VLAS) seeks an energetic, creative, and organized paralegal for Housing Clinics and support for attorneys in our Suffolk regional office. The right candidate will be friendly, hard-working, detail oriented, highly organized, and must be comfortable working in a variety of settings and with a wide range of people and the public. This is a one-year grant funded full-time position with a possibility of renewal. VLAS offers a competitive salary and great benefits. The position starts immediately.

General Responsibilities:

Under the direction of the Managing Attorney and staff attorneys, a Virginia Legal Aid Society (VLAS) Litigation Paralegal provides a variety of services to VLAS clients who present problems with housing issues- evictions, foreclosures, and housing conditions cases. Evictions are a major focus at this time due the many problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The work performed will include interviews, investigation, document management, case management, legal analysis, and legal advice. The paralegal will do community outreach and have extensive interaction with the public and in the local courts. The position will involve work in the office and in the courthouse.

Duties:

The Paralegal will, under the supervision of an attorney:

1. Interview clients to establish facts, concerns and requests for services (may be performed in person or by telephone contact);

2. Complete client intake paperwork and gather necessary documents;

3. Conduct investigations to establish facts of the case;

4. Locate and interview witnesses;

5. Locate, obtain, catalog, and manage documents and physical evidence;

6. Interact with partner agencies to obtain information, services and referrals;

6. Discussions with clients about solutions and/or courses of action to solve problems;

7. Respond to client requests for information;

8. Provide information where applicable on other agency services and benefits;

9. Draft written documents;

10. Research governmental and agency regulations applicable to the case;

11. Provide assistance to staff attorneys on case preparation;

12. Complete time and activity reports for funding sources;

13. Follow VLAS case-handling procedures, including VLAS Standards for Legal Work, file maintenance procedures, and maintenance of client confidentiality;

14. Attend and actively participate in training events and task force meetings;

15. Develop and perform community outreach and education;

16. Interact with the public and court personnel;

17. Make referrals to other appropriate service providers;

18. Provide support at weekly court eviction dockets across our service area

19. Perform other duties as assigned by the Managing Attorney or attorneys in the local office where she or he works.

Required Skills and/or Experience

Associates Degree, Paralegal Certificate, or 2-3 years of relevant experience

To apply, send cover letter, resume, and reference list to applicationssuff@vlas.org. VLAS offers a competitive salary and benefits package. For more information on VLAS, please visit our website at www.vlas.org. Position will remain open until filled. VLAS is an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions including lactation, or any other consideration prohibited by law.