Paralegal
Paralegal
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Job Description
Paralegal
The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) seeks experienced applicants for a full-time position of Paralegal. The Paralegal will help advance civil liberties and civil rights in New Jersey by providing litigation and administrative support as part of the ACLU-NJs legal team. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication writing and editing and organizational skills as well as some case management experience.
This is a full-time position and is based in Newark NJ with a hybrid work schedule where we work in the office on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The paralegal will be supervised by the Legal Department Manager.
Organizational Overview
For more than 60 years the ACLU of New Jersey (ACLU-NJ) has defended liberty and justice guided by the vision of a fair and equitable New Jersey for all. Our mission is to preserve advance and extend the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to every New Jerseyan by the state and federal constitutions in courts in the legislature and in our communities. We are committed to repairing and transforming spaces where constitutional promises have not been delivered.
In every facet of our work we strive to be anti-racist and are actively committed to advancing racial justice in the institutions of New Jersey for the people of New Jersey. We aim to center the voices and lived experiences of those who historically have not been fully protected by government systems or laws.
Founded in 1960 and based in Newark we are a non-partisan organization that operates on several fronts political legal cultural to bring about systemic change and build a more equitable society.
As part of an organization that uses an integrated inter-departmental approach to advocacy the Paralegal will join a 12 person legal team that engages in litigation and a wide range of advocacy tools to protect and expand civil rights and civil liberties and that works collaboratively with policy and communications colleagues to maximize the ACLU-NJs impact.
Responsibilities
The paralegal with other legal administrative staff members provides support for a wide range of federal state and administrative litigation including impact litigation complex class-action litigation appeals and amicus briefs.
- Responsible for case management and preparing formatting filing and serving legal documents assisting with finalizing pleadings and exhibits including proofreading and cite checking creating table of authorities and gathering and preparing materials for depositions client meetings and court hearings.
- Coordinate all logistics for meetings hearings service of process courtesy copy delivery and other litigation support.
- Maintain and organize electronic case files and legal docket.
- Support and manage the administrative logistics of working with cooperating attorneys and out-of-state attorneys including preparing court admission paperwork and payments.
- Engage in factual investigative work and research to support the development of cases or advocacy including drafting public records requests.
- Contribute to a collaborative culture that centers racial justice inclusion participation and collaboration.
- Collaborate with colleagues by providing input on and assisting in the implementation of legal program policies procedures and systems such as the case management process; paper and electronic filing systems; and legal docket.
- Participate in the development of the legal departments vision plans and priorities.
- Provide administrative and organizational support as needed including scheduling meetings and preparing agendas and notes.
The job responsibilities listed are not exhaustive and the paralegal may be required to perform other duties to support the work of the Legal Department.
Preferred Qualifications & Skills
The ACLU-NJ anticipates hiring a paralegal with at least three years of experience in state or federal courts (preferably NJ State Courts and 3d. Cir. Courts) but will consider all applicants with similar experience.
- Excellent writing editing and cite-checking skills.
- Proven project and time management skills including a high level of organization the ability to solve problems and meet deadlines and excellent attention to detail.
- Highly skilled in Microsoft Office applications and familiarity with Teams.
- Excellent at working collaboratively on a variety of projects and building strong relationships with colleagues and the ability to take and give feedback constructively.
- A strong understanding of and demonstrated commitment to racial justice; a commitment to implementing the ACLU-NJs Strategic Framework.
- Ability to manage a demanding workload and the flexibility to adapt to changing priorities.
- Ability to work occasional weekend and evening hours when needed.
- Working knowledge of New Jersey and federal court websites and procedures for the filing of pleadings and briefs
- Knowledge of Spanish or other languages likely to be spoken by clients with limited English proficiency in New Jersey is a plus.
Compensation
The salary for this position starts at $68000. The ACLU-NJ supports and plans for staff member professional growth and skill development through internal and external opportunities. We offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package which currently includes 30 days paid time off plus 12 office holidays and 18 health care leave days; medical vision and dental insurance; 100 days paid family leave; life and long-term disability insurance; pre-tax transit benefits; and a 401(k) plan with employer match. This position is full-time salaried and exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
About our Culture
We are a diverse workforce and take pride in our ability to attract and retain employees with a huge array of backgrounds and experiences. We work hard but also like to celebrate our successes. We strive to bring humility empathy kindness and generosity to our work internally within the organization and externally with our partners and those whom we are serving. We seek to build a work culture with a sense of respect and collegiality and a willingness to be generous with our expertise and resources.
TO APPLY
If you are excited about bringing your experience to the ACLU-NJ complete the application by uploading a cover letter and resume here. We invite applicants to include in their cover letter information about how their background and/or experiences could contribute to the diversity cultural vitality and perspective of our staff and advocacy work.
Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled; at which time the job announcement will be removed from our website.
The ACLU-NJ is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture of belonging. It is our policy to employ qualified people without regard to race; color; gender gender identity or expression; religion; sex; national origin or ancestry; age; disability; sexual orientation; veterans status; marital status; civil union status; arrest or court record; citizenship; credit history; genetic information; status as a victim of domestic violence sexual violence or stalking; or any other characteristic protected under federal or state law. Black people Indigenous people people of color lesbian gay bisexual transgender queer and intersex people women people with disabilities protected veterans and formerly incarcerated individuals are all strongly encouraged to apply.
The ACLU-NJ makes every effort to assure that its recruitment and employment provide all qualified persons including persons with disabilities with full opportunities for employment in all ACLU-NJ is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need assistance applying online please email . If you are selected for an interview you will receive additional information regarding how to request accommodations for the interview process.
Employment Type
Full Time
