If you require an accommodation due to a disability to complete this application OR you are experiencing issues submitting your application and accompanying materials, please e-mail: talent@disabilityrightsca.org . Please note resume and cover letter are required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Make a difference! We fight for the rights of people that have disabilities.... JOIN US!

We encourage those who are d/Deaf or Disabled to apply.

LOCATION:

(Hybrid): Los Angeles, Ontario, San Diego, Bay Area, Sacramento or Fresno.

EMPLOYMENT STATUS:

Non-exempt; Regular; Full time (37.5 hrs).

SALARY RANGE:

Legal Support 1: $25.64/hr. - $33.23/hr.

Legal Support 2: $25.64/hr. - $36.59/hr.

We base salary and position offers on experience and an internal equity analysis.

EXCELLENT BENEFITS

Including 8% 401k Match, a language differential up to $250/mo. Health (HMO and PPO options), dental, vision, basic life insurance, short-term and long-term disability insurance and flexible spending accounts (medical, dependent care and commuter). Additionally, we offer ample vacation, sick/self care leave and eighteen paid holidays (including the last week in December) and more….. We are a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) - eligible employer. 

APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Open until filled. Applications should be received by May 3rd, 2024 to be considered for the first round of interviews. Resume and cover letter are required. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

WHO WE ARE

Disability Rights California (DRC) defends, advances, and strengthens the rights and opportunities of people with disabilities.

DRC works for a world where all disabled people have power and are treated with dignity and respect. In this world, people with disabilities are supported, valued, included in their communities, afforded the same opportunities as people without disabilities, and make their own decisions.

DRC values all forms of human diversity. We are committed to a culture of belonging where all people are welcome. In order to be effective advocates for all people with disabilities, we must address discrimination in all its forms, including the unique challenges faced by people who experience the intersection of multiple systems of discrimination.

CIVIL RIGHTS PRACTICE GROUP

The Civil Rights Practice Group is a diverse, statewide team of passionate attorneys developing and implementing impactful strategies – litigation, policy, and community support – to stop discrimination against people with disabilities. Our current priorities include:

• Challenging discrimination in private and public programs.
• Confronting the criminalization of people experiencing homelessness.
• Protecting and increasing affordable, accessible housing.
• Ensuring access to transit.
• Access to higher education.
• Access to websites and other electronic information.
• Access to courts.
• Addressing the intersectional needs of people with disabilities.

We are committed to progressive social change for diverse people with disabilities and strive to build a culture of cooperation and mutual support.

PURPOSE OF THE JOB  

The Legal Support 1/2 enhances the effectiveness of the team by providing litigation, project, and administrative support to a team of attorneys.

A Legal Support 1/2 assists attorneys in preparing cases from onset through post-trial; assists with production or creation of legal forms and pleadings, correspondence, and other case related documents; manages projects as assigned by attorneys (including regulatory, legislative, and community advocacy); and does administrative tasks.

This position requires flexibility, as it sometimes requires working in the office to complete tasks. 

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

DRC provides reasonable disability accommodations to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions, which include:

Technical –90%

• Coordinate, assemble, and serve multi-document filings in administrative agencies, Federal and State courts. Familiarity with e-filing is a must.
• Prepare shells/template for complaints, motions, subpoenas, summonses, and written discovery.
• Cite check, proofread, and format briefs and other legal documents in accordance with appropriate court rules. 
• Maintain electronic advocacy files following DRC and case management protocols.
• Coordinate scheduling and conference calls, monitor correspondence, and maintain legal and personal calendars for staff.
• Prepare binders for court or other special purposes, as needed.
• Assists with trial preparation, including creating trial notebooks/binders, identifying, and organizing exhibits, coordinating witness schedules, maintaining trial calendars, and communicating effectively with opposing counsel and courtroom staff.
• Perform online legal research for legal advocacy staff.
• Generate and prepare attorney’s fees and expense reports.
• Make documents accessible for individuals with disabilities, including the use of headings and plain language, and being mindful of color and formatting techniques to ensure documents are easy to read and understand. Accessible documents should be scannable, searchable, legible and readable.
• Must track time contemporaneously and accurately. 
• As needed, assist with office operations, tasks and coverage.
• Other duties as assigned.

Customer Service –10%

• Trauma informed communication with clients, both in person and virtually.
• Communicate with other Practice Groups, Departments, and Units.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position has no supervisory responsibilities. 

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

(Applicants MUST meet EACH of the minimum qualifications to be considered for an interview.)

• High school diploma or general education degree (GED).
• Legal Support 1: At least one-year of legal support experience (or two-years) of other administrative experience using Microsoft Office.
• Legal Support 2: Five (5) years of law office litigation support experience working on state and federal case matters and two years of experience successfully leading, developing, mentoring and training other legal support staff.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Work independently and as part of a team to achieve project goals.
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Proficient in complying with the rules of court for lodging, filing, and serving court documents.
• Competency in the creation and drafting of a variety of legal court documents.
• Knowledge and familiarity in both existing and emerging software applications.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, communication skills, and the ability to collaborate well in a team. 
• Strong ability to maintain high standards, use good judgment and seek out ways to contribute and anticipate needs.
• Strong attention to detail, organizational skills, and ability to manage time effectively. 
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and turn to another assignment quickly.

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS

(Applicants DO NOT have to meet any of the Desirable Qualifications to be considered for an interview.)

• Experience using Microsoft Office Suite, Office 365 (Teams, Word, Excel, SharePoint, Outlook).
• Knowledge using case management and calendaring software and applications.
• Experience using Westlaw and other tools in researching local court rules. 
• Experience using Everlaw or other ediscovery platforms to provide litigation support and document review.
• Experience working in a virtual environment.
• Experience working with nonprofit and/or social service agencies.
• Contacts with, and/or lived experience within, disability organizations and/or within disability communities.
• Contacts with, and/or lived experience within, multi-ethnic organizations and/or within multi-ethnic communities.
• Contacts with and/or lived experience within low-income communities.
• Experience working with and/or sensitivity to persons with disabilities and/or experience working with and/or sensitivity to persons from multi-ethnic communities.
• Life experience as a person with a disability and/or direct experience as a caregiver of a family member with a disability.

BILINGUAL ABILITY:

No additional language is required.

LICENSES / CERTIFICATES

Paralegal Certificate (preferred for Legal Support 2).

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

Ability to travel infrequently for activities such as practice group and support staff meetings, training, court, or outreach activities up to 10% of the time.

WORKING CONDITIONS

The following describes general working conditions and requirements of the job, which can be performed with or without disability related reasonable accommodations. Duties will be performed in an office environment and remotely/virtually. Duties require regular communications over online platforms.