Paralegal
Job Title: Paralegal
Reports to: Staff Attorney
Schedule Type: Full-time
Location: Newark, NJ. Hybrid schedule: four days in-person and one day remote. Requires some travel throughout New Jersey (vehicle and driver’s license required).
CAIR-NJ is recruiting a full-time Paralegal to provide administrative and substantive support to
our civil rights legal team. The Paralegal will be an integral part of our growing civil rights team
and will be responsible for a wide range of programmatic and administrative tasks to support and
advance our litigation, advocacy, and public education efforts.
Practice Areas: Civil Rights/Civil Liberties (Religious Freedom), Employment Discrimination,
Immigration, Government Surveillance, National Security & Law Enforcement Practices, Public
Accommodations, Prisoners’ Rights, School Bullying, Hate Crimes/Incidents, Zoning Issues
Duties/Responsibilities:
• Performing legal research using computerized data base, online resources, and legal
materials and drafting memoranda regarding the legal research
• Providing legal administrative support to attorneys including case data analysis and input,
legal filings, document filings, mailing, scanning, copying, and other related tasks
• Conducting legal intakes, interviews, follow-ups, and responses; summarizing intake
substance, and presenting recommendations for future action or referral
• Preparing retainers, FOIAs, DHS TRIP, and affirmative applications for clients, under
attorney supervision
• Assisting on assigned litigation efforts, including preparing pleadings, motions, and
briefs before federal, state, and other courts.
• Creating tables of content and authorities; indexing pleadings; organizing electronic and
paper files; monitoring and docketing deadlines; and coordinating court filings.
• Acting as liaison with the Operations Coordinator to ensure accurate bookkeeping of case related expenses, payments/reimbursements are handled in a timely fashion, and
coordinating settlement disbursements to clients.
• Communicating with clients and their families regarding upcoming hearings, in-office
meetings, and scheduled phone calls
• Maintaining the organization of the case management system of the legal services
department
• Acting as liaison with other team members/departments within the organization,
including acting as key point of contact for questions, scheduling meetings, coordinating
and providing logistical and administrative support for joint projects and collaborative
efforts.
• Maintaining calendar system for deadlines and timely filing of extensions, pleadings,
petitions, and applications
• Perform administrative duties within the legal services department including answering
phones, setting up appointments, scanning and routing incoming mail, mailing case
filings, and mailing larger mailing projects
• Tracking and managing CLE for staff attorneys
• Other duties as assigned, dependent on organizational needs and employee skills. All
CAIR staff are required to assist in general duties such as answering phones, weekly
outreach, and other office tasks.
Qualifications (Required):
• At least one to three years of experience in a law firm or legal nonprofit
• At least one to two years of experience working with clients, customers, etc.
• Excellent proofreading skills and strong writing skills.
• Strong attention to detail, strong research skills, resourcefulness, and commitment to high
quality and timely work product are necessary.
• Ability and willingness to master all legal research and software applications that are or
may be used.
• Strong time management skills with a demonstrated ability for meeting deadlines
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills with outstanding attention to detail
• Comfort working productively in a team-oriented environment
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including public speaking experience
• Experience working with people from diverse cultural and socio-economic backgrounds
• Access to a working vehicle and the ability to drive throughout New Jersey
• High degree of self-motivation and creativity
• A strong commitment to civil rights and CAIR’s mission
• Basic computer proficiency including knowledge of MS Office, MS Outlook, Adobe
Acrobat, and WestLaw
• Knowledge of cloud applications such as SharePoint and Office365
Qualifications (Preferred):
• Arabic or Urdu proficiency
• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Paralegal training or certification
• Experience working with non-profit organizations
• Experience in the area of civil rights/employment
Compensation:
- Pay Range: Starting at $50,000 commensurate with skills and experience
- 100% employer-paid medical insurance for employees and dependents
- Up to 3% employer-matched retirement plan
- 12 Vacation days, 5 sick days, 5 personal days, and 10 holidays
To Apply:
Please submit (1) a cover letter discussing your interest in the position, (2) your resume, (3) a brief writing sample, (4) answer the three prompts on this page, and (5) the names and contact information of three references.
Applications are being reviewed on a rolling basis.
CAIR-NJ is an equal opportunity employer.
